ACT Tips: Math

The math portion of the ACT test can be difficult for some people because you have to remember how to do things from algebra and geometry to trigonometry which can be challenging. This portion of the test is the longest because you have an hour to answer 60 questions. Here are some tips on how to attack the math portion of the test provided by my zap class. 

Tip #1: Make three trips through the math portion of the test. On the first trip, work on the problems that you can do quickly. Try to aim for getting all of these questions correct so be careful and watch out for stupid mistakes.  Then on your second trip, work on the harder questions but ones that you know how to do. Finally on the last trip through the test try to work on the most difficult problems and guess on the items that you don’t know. 

Tip #2: Save time by getting familiar with the directions in advance. Since the directions stay the same on each test, if you are aware of them when entering the test you don’t have to waste time reading them.

Tip #3: Every problem has only one correct answer. The easiest and most time efficient way to complete the math test is to do the problem first and then find your answer among the choices. Make sure you look at the format of the choices; you might have to reduce your answer. 

Tip #4: The ACT coordinators go out of their way to find mistakes that people might do along the way and have them as answers. So be extra careful when solving a problem.

Tip #5: Check your work for every problem because it is more important to avoid stupid errors than race through the test to finish it. Even if you see your answer among the choices make sure that you did make a mistake. 

Tip #6: Write at will in your booklet because you are not given any scratch paper. There are four purpose of doing this which are to make sketches and figure out your answers, keep track of your answers, help with your concentration and help clarify the math problem that you are solving. 

Tip #7: If you have no clue on how to set up a math problem try the plugging in your choices to the problem. Start with the middle number because if you plug it in and its to big or to small then you can eliminate other answers that will not work and save time. 

Tip #8: Most of the test will have a couple of problems that involve averaging. These problems aren’t going to be easy like what is the average of 24, 34, and 12, it will be more like a word problem. Usually they will give you two of the three pieces (total, average and numbers) and you will have to find the third. 

Tip #9: Not all figures in the ACT test booklet are drawn to scale, so just because it looks like it could be it doesn’t mean that it is right. When drawings are inaccurate its usually because a correct picture would make the answer to obvious. 

There are the lists of tips that I got for my zap class for the math portion. I hope they do you well and the best of luck in completing the math section.


(Tips provided by

"ZAPS Learning Company - Test Preparation Workshops." ZAPS Learning Company. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. http://www.zaps.com/.)

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