Creating a study plan for the ACT® can be difficult since it is an exam that isn't directly tied to a course in which students are currently enrolled. Without the structure of a class or syllabus, the first step in ACT preparation is to identify "what" and "how" to study. Our study guide will help you set goals for your upcoming ACT test and advise you on when to start studying and how to study for the ACT.
You have signed up to take the ACT and you know when you plan to take it, now it is time to begin studying. Regardless of how much time you have before test day, if you begin preparing you will see improvement. To help make an ACT study plan start by answering these five questions:
Research the schools you want to get into and identify the average scores they accept. Your target score will ideally match the highest of these averages.
Many students will want to take the ACT twice to take advantage of superscoring; best case scenario, plan to study three to four months before your first test and two to three months between each subsequent test.
Sit for a timed diagnostic test even if you're unprepared. If possible, have a family member, friend, or teacher proctor it so you can see how you'll feel on test day.
After taking the diagnostic test, review all your correct and incorrect answers. Categorize the types of questions you missed and use this information to set a study plan.
Some students prefer short sprints of practice throughout the day, while others prefer a structured course setting. Regardless of your study style, focus on the content you need to review first and include well-explained practice problems.
Since the ACT score should align with your preferred colleges, make a list of at least five schools you’d be happy to attend, then research the 25th and 75th percentile scores accepted by each. Armed with that information, your first step is to set a target ACT score so you can plan a study schedule that will help you achieve that goal. To solidify this goal, consider building a three column chart with the following information.
Once you’ve populated the chart with the relevant scores, you should have a better idea of what your goal score should be. If your score matches the highest value in the 75th percentile column, you’re more likely than not to be accepted by each school on your list.
25% of accepted applicants scored at or below the 25th percentile score, which indicates the minimum score you should expect to be accepted. Similarly, 75% of accepted applicants scored at or below the 75th percentile, this provides you with a target score that helps you feel fairly confident of acceptance.
After you’ve set a target score that will help get you accepted to your school of choice, you need to determine when you should start preparing for your ACT test. Be sure to consider these two factors when deciding how long to study for the ACT:
If you don’t already have a diagnostic score, take a practice test to establish a baseline for your performance. You can use the data from your initial performance to streamline an effective study plan that will help you achieve your goal score.
Even students who tend to score well on standardized tests benefit from practice and exposure to the exam’s format and content, and many find that the ACT tests at least a few concepts that they are unsure of how to approach. By studying for three months before your test date, taking about seven full-length practice tests, and completing at least 70 hours of untimed practice, you will have the opportunity to close your content gaps by test day. However, it is imperative to practice smart and use practice material that includes comprehensive explanations and intentional consideration of strategy.
If you are aiming for a score more than 10 points above your current score, expect to study for multiple months.
How many months you study is not as critical as how much time you study each day. Most experts note that consistent studying, even for only a short time each day, can help close content gaps and earn you a great score. In fact, studying for even a short amount of time every day is usually the best option. An hour of studying daily is usually sufficient, and if you like, you can break this into two thirty minute sessions with a short break in between. To get the most out of that hour of study, consider the following tips:
Our personalized ACT study plans are intended to assist you in efficiently preparing for the ACT. These study plans are tailored to your preparation time, learning habits, and tactics, with a focus on a section-by-section preparation schedule to ensure your success.
6 Months Study Plan 2–3 Months Study Plan 1 Month Study Plan 6 Months Study Plan
Begin month 1 with a timed, full-length practice test, and review your answers to determine your knowledge and strategy gaps. If you’ve already mastered a section, limit your practice to one week. Spend an hour a day practicing ACT-like questions, studying or creating explanations, and journaling mistakes. Alternate sections between weeks, but devote about two weeks to your weakest section. Take a timed, full-length practice test every weekend before the exam to assess your strengths and weaknesses.
From month 2 onwards, review the broader gaps you identified during Month 1. Work on those areas by streamlining your strategies, practicing with less common question types, and developing a deeper conceptual understanding of what each question is asking of you.
Take a full-length, timed practice test every other weekend before the test to assess your strengths and weaknesses. If you feel compelled to study, do so by going over your own notes rather than trying to learn new content.
2–3 Months Study Plan
Start month 1 with a timed, full-length practice test and analyze your answers to determine your knowledge and strategy gaps. If you’ve already mastered a section, limit your practice to two weeks. Spend at least an hour a day practicing ACT-like questions, creating explanations, and journaling your mistakes. Alternate sections between weeks, but devote about half your time to your weakest section. Most of the first month will be spent identifying your strengths, knowledge gaps, and question types for which you lack a strategy.
Month 2 will likely be spent reviewing the broader gaps you identified during Month 1.
Month 3 is spent refining strategies, practicing with less common question types, and learning what each test question asks from you. Take a full-length, timed practice test every other weekend before the test to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Review if necessary.
1 Month Study Plan
Begin the month with a timed, full-length practice test, and review your answers to determine your knowledge and strategy gaps. Limit your practice to one week if you’ve already mastered a section. Spend an hour a day practicing ACT-like questions, studying or creating explanations, and journaling mistakes. Alternate sections between weeks, but devote about two weeks to your weakest section. Take a timed, full-length practice test every weekend before the exam to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Get a full night’s sleep the Friday before the test to prepare mentally. If you feel compelled to study, review your own notes instead of learning new material.
Check out our One-Month Study Plan for the ACT to get more help with improving your score.
All ACT study plans should include timed, full-length diagnostic tests. Other than taking an actual ACT, diagnostic tests are the only way to accurately experience the pressure of the exam’s timing and the breadth of the exam’s content.
Having a study plan is foundational, but it’s also important to understand where your focus needs to be during your studies. Preparing for the ACT has two major challenges: familiarizing yourself with the format of the test and learning the content within the test. Let’s look into each challenge in detail:
Given the challenges of the ACT, the best method of preparation is to practice with questions that match the format of the exam, paired with comprehensive explanations that teach its content. Use a timer only for full-length practice. Practicing untimed will allow you to focus on learning content and experiment with different approaches as you settle on which ones to implement in timed practice.
Once you’ve taken a few practice tests, you will be able to focus on the questions you missed or answered incorrectly. Missed questions can be attributed to one of two issues: content gaps and ineffective strategies.
Fortunately, both issues can be overcome with proper practice. To perfect your practice, here are a few ACT study tips:
Remember that the ACT can only fulfill its function as an assessment of college readiness if its questions are objective and clearly connected to some academic focus. This requirement means that every question on the exam is designed to have an objectively correct answer. While that fact is likely obvious on the Math section and, to a lesser extent the Science section, keeping it in mind can help you perform better on the Reading and English sections as well. Free yourself from the assumption that any reading or writing question is based on a subjective comprehension of the passage or preference for a particular writing style–or “what sounds right”.
Finally, here are the best resources to help you with your ACT test preparation.
The key to performing well on your ACT is knowing how to study effectively, but the best method varies for everyone. It’s up to you to find or design your own process. Follow the previously mentioned tips, and come test day, you’ll have the preparation to perform at your best. And if you’re unsatisfied with your score, remember that you can usually retake the exam and superscore to combine your best performance in each section. Good luck!
