Although many colleges no longer require students to submit test scores, submitting a high score can still increase your chances of getting into top colleges.

Many merit-based scholarships, as well as institutional scholarships, consider ACT scores as a factor in determining eligibility.

Getting a perfect score on the test is a challenging feat.

But, it doesn’t take a genius to get a perfect score.

It also doesn’t require expensive coaching classes or copious amounts of textbooks from Princeton.

Here are a few strategies to get a perfect score on the ACT, whether you have months to prepare or if it’s days before the exam!

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Manage the Time It’s important that you need to know the number of questions and time limit the exam provides you with.

On the math portion, you have 60 minutes for 60 questions.

The reading section gives you 35 minutes to answer 40 questions.

The best strategy for the reading section is to start with a type of passage you enjoy the most.

For example, if you enjoy the science passages, then start with the social sciences and natural sciences.

As for the math section, it’s best to solve the easy ones first, before making your way to the harder ones.

This is the best optimization of your time, and you might even have a few minutes to check your work!

While we’re on the topic of saving time, don’t bubble your answers after you’ve made your choice.

Instead, circle the answers on the workbook, and when five minutes are left, transfer all answers to the bubble sheet.

This is much faster than going back and forth from the workbook to the bubble sheet, and also keeps your mind focused on one thing at a time.

Guess the Best On the bubble sheet, you will see the options, A B C D E, then F G H I J K.

Some studies have found that bubbling E and K is the SAFEST option to guess.

E/K has met or exceeded the expected average 82% of the time, making it the most consistent answer choice.

A/F is another option, but is considered a high-risk, high-reward option.

It has a roughly equal probability that A/F could result in 40% or more correct or 10% or less.

For those guessing on only a few of the last ten questions, A/F would be the better option.

Know Your Calculator Did you know you can use modified calculators on the ACT?

If your calculator can hold programs or documents, you must remove all with computer algebra system functionality.

Other programs are allowed if they are single-purpose and have fewer than 25 logical lines of code.

If you want to know more about the policy regarding calculators, click here.

Some calculator tips don’t require any kind of program.

For instance, you can convert decimals into fractions, using “math-to-frac. ”  But just because calculators can hold programs doesn’t necessarily mean you should go off and look for a calculator that can.

Using a calculator you’re most comfortable with will guide your way to success.

Look Closely… Many are worried about the densely packed information in the paragraphs of the science section but most of the information is there to support the graphs and tables.

Look closely at the paragraphs BECAUSE they will mostly focus on interpreting graphs and tables to excel in the science section.

The science section will ask you about a data point, or a trend on your graph.

Read the graphs they provide, and don’t be afraid to practice this the most, especially if your weakest point is science. …And Read Concisely Reading the entire passages in the English section is crucial to avoid falling into traps that are wordy but grammatically correct options.

The ACT is testing you to be concise, and not wordy.

For this reason, concise options are more likely to be correct, highlighting the importance of brevity in responses.

While not ALL correct options are concise, that’s why we say to look closely to ensure you choose the option that provides the correct amount of information AND is straight to the point.

Save Your Money Most of you who read articles like these might also be considering looking into coaching classes or buying textbooks to maximize your success.

Simply put: Don’t buy them.

It’s not worth paying thousands of money to marginally increase your score when you have access to free practice tests online and accessible videos giving advice.

Practice tests ESPECIALLY are more beneficial than ACT books.

Developing good study habits, and focusing on using free materials for preparation is what will get you the best score while saving a lot of money.

Final Push When it comes to the day before your exams, don’t spend all night trying to cram in as much information as you can -

- that’s just setting yourself up for failure.

It’s extremely important that -

- as boring as this sounds -

- you get plenty of rest for the big day.

This is a must if you want to be mentally prepared.

It also helps to take a cold shower to refresh your body and awaken your mind.

This, along with getting a good night’s sleep, will allow you to utilize your potential to the fullest.

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