The time pressure on the ACT is intimidating, to say the least. In fact, the primary downside of the ACT—in contrast to the SAT—is that the former puts students under much more time pressure. Today, we are going to discuss how to best manage the time pressure on the ACT Math Test. On this section, students are asked to answer 60 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. In other words, you have on average 1 minute per question… easy math!

Tip 1: Move Quickly But Carefully on the First 30 Questions

Because of the expected time crunch, we often see students moving too quickly through the first 30 questions. The ACT math questions are organized on average from easy to hard. But, every question, regardless of difficulty, is worth the same number of points: 1.

When students make careless mistakes on relatively easy questions early in the test, it can be hard to recoup those lost points by correctly answering harder questions later. The vast majority of ACT test takers cannot answer all 60 questions in the allotted time. But, what few students realize is that to achieve a high score, you don’t need to! The ACT converts a student’s points (known as the “raw score”) to a “scaled score” from 1—36. The scaling accounts for the fact that most students cannot answer all the questions. So, move quickly but very carefully early on. Answering the first 30 questions correctly has a large, positive impact on your ACT Math Test score.

Tip 2: Use the Right Tool

I’ve worked with hundreds of students that are mathematically strong. They know all of the relevant math concepts, including the so-called “advanced topics,” such as logarithms, trigonometric functions, and imaginary numbers. But they just can’t manage the time pressure. If this sounds like you, read on.

I like to use the analogy of a carpenter. At a carpenter’s disposal are many tools: hammer, saw, screwdriver, tape measure, power drill, etc. The carpenter lets the task dictate which tool he uses. Why? Because different tasks are better suited to different tools, and using the right tool for a given task maximizes efficiency. On the ACT generally but the Math Test specifically, we are carpenters. We just have different types of tasks, and we have different tools.

Students that are excellent mathematically but lack efficiency need to develop their tool kit. For a given question, I may avoid the use of algebra by solving the question backwards. For another, I may simplify a complicated number theory question by making up numbers and testing them. For still others, I may never put pencil to paper and instead rely on my graphing calculator. What students don’t realize is that every question can be solved multiple ways; your goal should be to recognize which tool allows you to do so efficiently.

Tip 3: Improve Your Pattern Recognition

Yes, there is a lot of math on the ACT. You need to be comfortable with middle-school pre-algebra (for example, prime factoring, rationalizing radical expressions, and working with fractions, percentages, and ratios), high school pre-calculus/trigonometry, and everything in between. But, there is a limited universe of concepts that are actually tested. And, within this universe there are particular concepts that are tested much more heavily than others. For example, you will (I can guarantee it), see multiple system of equation questions. And, these are always tested the same way. The same goes for many other concepts, including special right triangles, basic trigonometry, and basic function skills.

Becoming incredibly efficient is a function of pattern recognition: The ability to glance at a question and know exactly what is being tested and, therefore, how to approach it. This only comes from practice. Taking practice tests is very important. But, you have to make sure you are using these diagnostic tests correctly. Each time you miss a question, categorize it. Jot down next to it, “percentages,” “averages,” “special right triangles,” “Factoring,” etc. Doing so at the micro-concept level is important. Writing down “algebra” is just not helpful. Also, jot down the most efficient tool to solve it: “Graphing,” “Make-up numbers,” “Plysmlt2 app on calculator.” After you’ve completed several exams, you will start to see a pattern. Now focus your time on working on the questions that give you the most trouble. Because I promise you they will show up again!

Tip 4: Know Thyself

That may sound Aristotelian but in all seriousness, the better you know your strengths and weaknesses, the better you can allocate your time and effort toward the end of the test. Students are surprised to learn that many of the “hard” questions that occur at the end of the test are actually very quick to answer. For example, take the question, “How many ways can you arrange six different paintings on a wall?” Answer: 6! (6x5x4x3x2x1) or 720. That took 10 seconds. Or, maybe you just need to solve what appears to be a difficult logarithm by plugging it into a calculator.

With five minutes remaining, and more questions left than you could possibly answer, you should be using your pattern recognition and tool kit to pick the questions that can be answered efficiently. Questions that should be avoided are complicated word problems and sets of questions attached to a fact pattern. These higher domain of knowledge questions are always less efficient. And don’t forget, with time about to expire, you should definitely guess on the remaining questions.

Tip 5: Don’t Stress About Perceived Difficulty

Finally, as an overarching tip applicable to the ACT in general, avoid judging your own performance as you progress through the test. These tests vary significantly in terms of difficulty but are “scaled” (think “curved”) later. After all, it’s impossible to create tests that are exactly the same difficulty without reusing the same test over-and-over again. Remember, the ACT is scaled, so one test form is comparable to others offered on different test dates. This means that a test that seems quite hard can, when scaled, result is in a high test score. We have seen ACT Math Tests in which you can miss multiple questions and still achieve a perfect score. We have also seen relatively easier tests in which making a silly mistake early on has significant scoring ramifications.

Fundamentally, you should avoid the tendency to evaluate how you think you are doing as you are taking the exam. At best, it’s a waste of mental processing power and, at worst, it causes a growing sense of anxiety.

We Are Here to Help!

If you are a parent or student in need of guidance on how best to implement these tips, bolster your problem solving tool kit, improve your math reasoning, or increase your SAT/ACT Math Test scores, please call us at (720) 605-6622 or contact him via email at info@mosereducational.com.