What Can I Learn from Taking the ACT?

The dirty little secret about the ACT (and the SAT) is that the test is not a meaningful evaluation of a student’s ability to do well in college. In reality, most standardized tests are only good for evaluating how good a student is at taking standardized tests. That can be disheartening to most students, after all, what is the point of studying for a test that has no practical purpose? I feel the same way as an educator. However, in recent years I’ve found that some of the best strategies I can teach a student to beat the ACT are lessons that can help them in college and beyond.

This is especially true about the Reading section. I often tell students, “Reading is the last thing I want you to do in the Reading section.” We don’t want you to just read the passage and answer the questions. Instead, you should analyze the passage as you are going over it. What is the thesis or main argument of the passage? How are paragraphs arranged to support that argument? What specific information does an author include and how do they present it? If you can answer these things, you’ll do well on the Reading section. But analytical reading is a skill that can be applied beyond the ACT. Honing that skill will mean you have a stronger ability to process information and understand complex ideas. 

While many students are happy that the Science & Reasoning section is now optional and doesn’t count to their composite scores, this is a missed opportunity. This section is almost pure data analysis. You do not need to know scientific formulas, the steps of cellular mitosis, or the laws of thermodynamics to do well on the section. Every passage is self-contained and has all the facts you need to answer most questions. You are being asked to make connections between different kinds of data to draw out larger conclusions. Regardless of the career you pursue, this is a skill you will use regularly.

If nothing else, taking the ACT is an exercise in critical thinking. You have to study for the test, mental practice that keeps your mind sharp. The test itself asks students to read questions carefully and figure out the best strategies to answer them. In total it takes over two hours to complete, which is to say it is a sustained mental effort. Being able to complete the test and doing it well requires mental endurance and attention span. Moreover, the English, Reading, and Science sections all use longer passages. This means that some questions will require you to connect pieces of information from different parts of the work. Some questions might require you to look at the same piece of information and think about it in different but consistent ways.

While studying for the ACT may not make you a better student, improving your critical thinking will make you better at the ACT. We at Enhanced Prep aren’t simply teaching you how to game a test, we also want to give you the tools that will make you an effective student overall. If you can do well on the ACT, hopefully it’s not just because you have become good at the test, but because you have become a sharper and more analytical person.