Princeton Review ACT Math Prep: 4 Practice Tests + Review + Strategy for the ACT Math Section (2023)

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The Princeton Review Publishing Team
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Copyright © 2022 by TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
Some of the content in ACT Math Prep has previously appeared in Math and Science Workout for the ACT,
4th Edition published as a trade paperback by Random House, an imprint and division of Penguin Random
House LLC, in 2019.
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ISBN 9780525570356
Ebook ISBN 9780525570394
ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.
The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University.
The material in this book is up-to-date at the time of publication. However, changes may have been
instituted by the testing body in the test after this book was published.
If there are any important late-breaking developments, changes, or corrections to the materials in this book,
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Editor: Chris Chimera
Production Editors: Liz Dacey, Kathy G. Carter
Production Artists: Gabriel Berlin and Jason Ullmeyer
Cover art by LightField Studios Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
Cover design by Suzanne Lee

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Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Nicole Cosme, Stacey Cowap, Lori DesRochers, Spencer
LeDoux, Aaron Lindh, Scott O’Neal, Jacob Schiff, and James Williams for
their work in creating this title.
–Amy Minster
Content Director, High School
Programs
Thanks for Gabriel Berlin, Jason Ullmeyer, Kathy Carter, and Liz Dacey for
their hard work and careful attention to every page in the production of this
book.
Special thanks to Adam Robinson, who conceived of and perfected the Joe
Bloggs approach to standardized tests, and many of the other successful
techniques used by The Princeton Review.

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Contents
Get More (Free) Content
Part I: Orientation
1 All about the ACT
2 How to Approach the ACT Online Test
3 ACT Strategies and the Math Test
Part II: Big Impact
4 Plugging In
Plugging In Drill
5 Plugging In the Answers
Plugging In the Answers Drill
6 Plane Geometry
Plane Geometry Drill
7 Coordinate Geometry
Coordinate Geometry Drill
Part III: Practice Tests
8 Math Practice Test 1
9 Math Practice Test 1: Answers and Explanations
10 Math Practice Test 2
11 Math Practice Test 2: Answers and Explanations
12 Math Practice Test 3
13 Math Practice Test 3: Answers and Explanations
14 Math Practice Test 4
15 Math Practice Test 4: Answers and Explanations

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1 Go to PrincetonReview.com/prep and enter the following ISBN for your
book: 9780525570394
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Review account. (If you already have one, you can just log in.)
3 Enjoy access to your FREE content!
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Once you’ve registered, you can…
• Get our take on any recent or pending updates to the ACT
• Take a full-length practice ACT
• Get valuable advice about the college application process, including
tips for writing a great essay and where to apply for financial aid
• If you’re still choosing between colleges, use our searchable rankings of
The Best 388 Colleges to find out more information about your dream
school.
• Check to see if there have been any corrections or updates to this
edition

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WELCOME
The ACT can be an important part of college admissions. Many schools require or
recommend their applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. It’s worth keeping in
mind, though, that the importance of these tests will vary among the many colleges
and universities in the United States. If you haven’t already, make sure to research
whether the ACT is required or recommended for admission to the schools you plan
to apply to.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools went test-optional to account for the
numerous students whose SAT and ACT tests were canceled. Some of those schools
have returned to requiring test scores, while others have not yet but still may. For
the most up-to-date information on the schools you are interested in, check out their
admissions websites.
For more on admissions, see The Princeton
Review’s The Best 388 Colleges or visit our website,
PrincetonReview.com.
Even if ACT scores are optional, you may still want to submit them if you think your
great ACT scores will boost your chances of acceptance. Furthermore, ACT scores
are often used for scholarships, so it can be worth putting time into preparing for the
test if you can save a good amount on your college education in return.
When colleges require standardized test scores, they will accept either SAT or ACT
scores. The expert advice of The Princeton Review is to take whichever test you do
better on and focus your efforts on preparing for that one.
Because you bought this book, we assume you’ve already made the decision to boost
your ACT score. This book provides a strategic and efficient way to improve your
scores, specifically on the Math test. For a more thorough review of content and
exhaustive practice, we recommend purchasing the latest editions of ACT Prep and
our ACT Practice Questions book.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE ACT
The ACT Math test is nothing like the math tests you take in school. All of the content
review and strategies we teach in the following lessons are based on the specific
structure and format of the ACT. Before you can beat a test, you have to know how
it’s built.
Structure
The ACT is made up of four multiple-choice tests and an optional Writing test.
The five tests are always given in the same order.

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• English: 45 minutes, 75 questions
• Math: 60 minutes, 60 questions
• Reading: 35 minutes, 40 questions
• Science: 35 minutes, 40 questions
• Writing: 40 minutes, 1 Essay
If you feel like you need help with English, Reading,
or Science, please see our companion books: ACT
English Prep, ACT Reading Prep, and ACT Science
Prep.
Scoring
When students and schools talk about ACT scores, they mean the composite score,
a range of 1–36. The composite is an average of the four multiple-choice tests, each
scored on the same 1–36 scale. If you take the Writing test, you’ll also receive an
additional Writing score on a scale of 2–12. The Writing score is an average of four
2–12 subscores: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and
Language Use and Conventions. Neither the Writing test score nor the combined
English plus Writing English Language Arts score affects the composite. Be sure to
check ACT’s website to determine whether your target schools want you to take the
ACT Writing test.
Students also receive subscores in addition to their (1–36) composite ACT score.
These indicators are designed to measure student performance and predict career
readiness, as well as competency in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics) and English language arts. ACT believes that these additional scores
will give students better insight into their strengths and how those strengths can be
harnessed for success in college and beyond. In addition to the 1–36 score for each
of the tests and their composite score, students now see score breakdowns in the
following categories:
• STEM score. This score will show you how well you did on the Math and
Science portions of the test.
• Progress Toward Career Readiness indicator. The ACT would have you
believe this indicator measures how prepared you are for a career, but really it
just measures how prepared you are to take yet another test: the ACT National
Career Readiness Certificate™.
• English Language Arts score. If you take the Writing test, this score will give
you a combined score for the English, Reading, and Writing tests.
• Text Complexity Progress indicator. This score will tell you how well you
fared on those hard passages throughout the test.
There is also a section on the score report that breaks each section down into
categories and tells you both how many questions there were in each category and
how many of them you got correct. Some of these categories can be useful in helping

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you know what you need to study: for example, if you missed a lot of questions
in the “Geometry” category, you should brush up your geometry skills. But if you
did poorly in the “Integration of Knowledge and Ideas” category, it’s not quite as
obvious what you need to study. Don’t worry about these scores though—they’re
there because they align with federal academic standards, and school districts that
use the ACT for standardized testing for all juniors want those scores, but colleges
don’t typically look at them for admissions purposes.
It’s All About the Composite
Whether you look at your score online or wait to get it in the mail, the biggest number
on the page is always the composite. While admissions offices will certainly see the
individual scores of all five tests (and their subscores), schools will use the composite
to evaluate your application, and that’s why, in the end, it’s the only one that matters.
The composite is an average: let the full weight of that sink in. Do you need to bring
up all four scores equally to raise your composite? Do you need to be a superstar in
all four tests? Should you focus more on your weaknesses than your strengths? No,
no, and absolutely not. The best way to improve your composite is not to shore up
your weaknesses but exploit your strengths as much as possible.
To improve your ACT score, use your strengths to lift the
composite score as high as possible.
You don’t need to be a rock star on all four tests. Identify two, maybe three tests,
and focus on raising those scores as much as you can to raise your composite. Work
on your weakest scores to keep them from pulling you down. Think of it this way:
if you had only one hour to devote to practice the week before the ACT, spend that
hour on your best subjects.
Single-Section Tests and Superscoring
The people who write the ACT have announced their intention to allow students to
take one, two, or three individual sections in a day—that is, you will not have to take
the entire test in one single day. However, before using this option, you will need to
take a full ACT. Also, single-section tests are offered only on computer.
Unfortunately, plans to offer single-section retesting were delayed by the COVID-
19 pandemic, and as of the publication of this book, a date for the rollout has not
been announced. We encourage you to check the ACT website, www.act.org, for the
most up-to-date information about the availability of single-section retesting when
it is eventually offered.
One piece of good news is that ACT has begun Superscoring. If you take the ACT
more than once, ACT will automatically take your highest English, Math, Reading,

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and Science scores and average them together to calculate a new “Superscore”
composite.
Sounds great, right? We think it is—this gives you the opportunity to show your
best ACT score to schools. Now, colleges and universities still have the option of
whether to accept the Superscore, but for the schools that let you Superscore, this is
all positive for you.
Single-section testing is great, but research your goal schools’
testing policies before relying on it!
Of course, you might have grabbed this book because you’ve already decided to focus
on improving a single test for your superscore. So, let’s move on so we can dive into
the good stuff!
Math Score
Many students find Math scores the easiest to improve. A strategic review of the
rules and formulas, coupled with rigorous practice, can add several points. In order
to most effectively raise your Math score, focus on mastering the Big Impact skills
and topics. These are strategies to help you tackle the most commonly covered Math
content in a strategic and efficient way.
Time
How often do you take a final exam in school that gives you at most a minute per
question? Probably never. The ACT isn’t a school test, and you can’t approach it as
if it is. While speed and accuracy depend on individual skills and grasp of content,
almost all students struggle to finish the Math test on time. The more you treat this
test the same way you would a school final, the less likely you are to finish, much
less finish with the greatest accuracy. All of The Princeton Review’s strategies are
based on this time crunch. There’s a difference between knowing how to do a question
under the best of circumstance and getting it right with a ticking clock and glowering
proctor in the room.
Crack It Open
For more comprehensive review and practice for the
ACT, pick up a copy of ACT Premium Prep, which
includes sample questions and guidance for each of
the tests on the exam.

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WHAT IS THE ACT ONLINE TEST?
The ACT Online Test is the ACT that you take on a computer, rather than with a
pencil and paper. Despite the name, you can’t take the ACT from the comfort of your
own home; instead, you’ll have to go to a testing center (possibly your high school)
and take the test on one of the center’s computers.
The ACT Online Test has the same overall structure, timing, and number of questions
as the pencil-and-paper ACT. The scoring, score range, and scoring method are also
the same. If the ACT Online Test is basically the same as the pencil-and-paper ACT,
who would take the ACT Online Test?
At the time of this book’s printing, the option to take
the ACT online at a testing center was postponed.
ACT also plans to offer at-home online testing,
although an exact rollout date has not yet been
announced. For up-to-date news on both options,
check the ACT website.
WHO TAKES THE ACT ONLINE TEST?
ACT has been offering versions of the ACT on computer since about 2016. The first
students to take the ACT on the computer were students taking the test at school.
Schools and school districts decided whether to give the test on the computer.
As of September 2018, all students taking the ACT outside of the United States take
the test on a computer (except for those students with accommodations requiring the
use of a traditional pencil-and-paper test).
ACT has indicated that eventually students in the United States will have the option
of taking the ACT Online Test instead of the traditional pencil-and-paper version.
Students choosing this option will get their scores in about two to three business days
(e.g., take the test on Saturday, have your score the next Wednesday). However, at
the time of this printing, no specific timeline was available.
Single-Section Retesting
If you are happy with the score you receive from a single test administration, you will
still have the option to send just that score to colleges. If your score in one section is
not as high as you’d like, you will eventually have a chance to correct that. Students
who have already taken the full ACT may choose to take one, two, or three sections
again using Single-Section Retesting. ACT will then produce a “superscore”
consisting of your best results in all tests (English, Math, Reading, Science, and
Writing (if you took it)). Note that not all colleges accept a superscored ACT, so do
your research before taking advantage of this option.

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Single-Section Retesting is an incredible option for
students. However, colleges still have the option to
accept or not accept these new scores. Research
your target schools early so you know your options!
ACT ONLINE TEST FEATURES
So, besides the obvious fact that it’s taken on a computer, what are the differences
between taking the ACT on the computer and taking it on paper? Let’s start with
what you can’t do on the ACT Online Test. You can’t “write” on the screen in a
freehand way. You’re limited in how you’re able to mark the answer choices, and
each question appears on its own screen (so you can’t see multiple questions at one
glance). You will also be given a small “whiteboard” and dry erase pen with which
to make notes and do work.
So, what features does the ACT Online Test have?
• Timer
◦ You can hide the timer by clicking on it.
◦ There is a 5-minute warning toward the end of each test. There is no
audible signal at the 5-minute warning, only a small indicator in the upper-
right corner of the screen.
• Nav tool
◦ You can use this tool to navigate directly to any question in the section.
◦ The Nav tool blocks the current question when opened.
◦ It also shows what questions you have flagged and/or left blank.
◦ You can flag questions in this menu.
• Question numbers at the bottom of the screen
◦ You can click on these numbers to navigate directly to any question in the
section.
◦ These numbers also indicate whether a question has been flagged and/or
left blank.
• Flag tool
◦ You can flag a question on the question screen itself or by using the Nav
tool.
◦ Flagging a question has no effect besides marking the question for your
own purposes.
• Answer Eliminator
◦ Answer choices can be “crossed-off” on-screen.
◦ An answer choice that’s been eliminated cannot be chosen and must be
“un-crossed-off” first by clicking the answer choice.
• Magnifier
◦ You can use this to magnify specific parts of the screen.
• Line Mask

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◦ This tool covers part of the screen. There is an adjustable window you can
use to limit what you can see.
◦ This is an excellent tool if you need an aid to help you focus on specific
parts of the text or figure.
◦ However, not everyone will find this tool useful, so do not feel obligated
to use it!
◦ Note that you cannot highlight the text in the window of the Line Mask.
• Answer Mask
◦ This tool hides the answer choices of a question.
◦ Answers can be revealed one at a time.
• Screen Zoom
◦ This tool changes the zoom of the entire screen (as opposed to the
magnifier, which magnifies only one part of the screen).
◦ Your screen zoom setting will remain the same from question to question.
• Highlighter
◦ You can use this tool to highlight parts of passage text, question text, or
answer text.
◦ You cannot highlight within figures.
◦ If you highlight in a passage with multiple questions, your highlights will
only show up on that question. (In other words, if you highlight, for
example, question 1 of a Reading passage, questions 2–10 of that same
passage will not show those highlights.)
◦ Turning off the highlighter tool removes your highlights.
• Shortcuts:
Keybind Function
Ctrl + H Toggle Help
Ctrl + F Flag Item
Ctrl + I Item Navigation
Alt + P Previous Question
Alt + N Next Question
A-E or 1-5 Select Alternative
Ctrl + Enter Answer Question
Alt + M Toggle Magnifier
Alt + H Toggle Highlighter
Alt + E Toggle Answer Eliminator
Alt + A Toggle Answer Masking
Alt + L Toggle Line Masking
• The Writing test is typed, rather than written by hand.

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You will also be given a small “whiteboard” and dry erase pen with which to make
notes and do work.
HOW TO APPROACH THE ACT ONLINE TEST
The strategies mentioned in this chapter are thoroughly discussed in our
comprehensive guide, ACT Prep, so be sure to pick up a copy of that book if you
have not already done so. These approaches were created in reference to the pencil-
and-paper format, but they still apply to the ACT Online Test with some adjustments.
This chapter assumes your familiarity with these strategies and will show you how
to make the best use of them given the tools available in the computer-based format.
You will also want to incorporate some computer-based practice into your prep plan.
ACT’s website has practice sections for each of the four multiple-choice parts of
the test and for the essay. We recommend that you do those sections toward the end
of your preparation (and close to your test date) to give yourself an opportunity to
practice what you’ve learned on a platform similar to the one you’ll be using on the
day of the test.
If you are planning to take the ACT online, you should practice as if you’re doing
all your work on the computer, even when you’re working in a physical book. Use
a highlighter, but don’t use the highlighter on any figures (as the ACT Online Test
won’t let you do so). Use your pencil to eliminate answer choices and have a separate
sheet of paper or a whiteboard to do any work you need to do, instead of writing on
the problem itself.
Also, remember that our approaches work. Don’t get misled by ACT’s instructions on
the day of the test—their way of approaching the test won’t give you the best results!
Remember!
Your goal is to get the best possible score on the
ACT. ACT’s goal is to assign a number to you that
(supposedly) means something to colleges. Focus
on your goal!
Overall
Your Personal Order of Difficulty (POOD) and Pacing goals will be the same on the
ACT Online Test as on the pencil-and-paper version. Because it is easy to change
your answers, put in your Letter of the Day (LOTD) when skipping a Later or Never
question. Use the Flag tool on the Later questions so you can jump back easily (using
either the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen or the Nav tool).
Process of Elimination (POE) is still a vital approach. On both the paper-and-pencil
ACT and the ACT Online Test, there are more wrong answers than correct ones.
Eliminating one you know are wrong helps you to save time, avoid trap answers, and

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make a better guess if you have to. On the ACT Online Test, you cannot write on the
test, but you can use the Highlighter tool. Turn on these tools (and the Line Mask, if
desired) at the beginning of the English section and use them throughout.
ENGLISH
The Basic Approaches to both Proofreader and Editor questions are the same on the
computerized and the paper versions of the ACT. When you decide to skip a question
to come back to it Later (for example, a question asking for the introduction to the
topic of the passage before you’ve read any part of the passage), flag the question
so you can easily jump back to it before moving on to the next passage. When you
have five minutes remaining, flag your current question and use the Nav tool to make
sure you’ve put in your LOTD for any questions that you haven’t done, then return
to your spot and work until time runs out.
For a comprehensive review of all sections of the
ACT and the strategies mentioned throughout this
chapter, check out our book, ACT Prep.
When you work Proofreader questions, you can use the Highlighter tool to help you
focus on the key parts of the text. Let’s see an example:
Sneaking down the corridor, the agent, taking care not to alert the
guards, spotting the locked door.
A. NO CHANGE
B. spot
C. are spotting
D. spots
Use the tools available to help you focus on the key
portions of the text. Practice with a highlighter when
you’re working on paper (instead of underlining with
your pencil).
Here’s How to Crack It
Verbs are changing in the answer choices, so the question is testing subject/verb
agreement. The verb must be consistent with the subject. The agent is the subject;
highlight it:
Sneaking down the corridor, the agent, taking care not to alert the
guards, spotting the locked door.
A. NO CHANGE
B. spot
C. are spotting

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D. spots
The agent is singular, so the verb must be singular. Eliminate (B) and (C), as both are
plural. Spotting cannot be the main verb of a sentence, so eliminate (A). The correct
answer is (D).
Similarly, the Highlighter tool is helpful on Editor questions. Use the tool on both
the passage and the question to help you focus on the relevant parts of each.
As it’s name suggests, the Indian fantail is not native to North
America. In fact, its establishment here was quite accidental. In 1926,
the San Diego Zoo acquired four pythons from India for its reptile
exhibit. The long trip from India required, that, the pythons be provided
with food for the journey, and a group of unfortunate fantails was
shipped for just that purpose. Two lucky fantails survived, and their
beautiful appearance caused the San Diego Zoo to keep and breed them
for the public to see. Eventually, some of the animals escaped captivity
and developed populations in the wild, all thanks to those two birds!
Given that all the choices are true, which one provides the most relevant and
specific information at this point in the essay?
A. NO CHANGE
B. and they have quite an appetite.
C. because no one wanted them to starve.
D. and they are quite picky in what they’ll eat.
Here’s How to Crack It
The question asks for the most relevant and specific information. Highlight those
words in the question. The first sentence of the paragraph focuses on the Indian
fantail, and the sentence after the underlined portion discusses (t)wo lucky fantails.
The final sentence discusses the animals that escaped. Highlight these words in the
paragraph.
Your screen should look like this:
As it’s name suggests, the Indian fantail is not native to North
America. In fact, its establishment here was quite accidental. In 1926,
the San Diego Zoo acquired four pythons from India for its reptile
exhibit. The long trip from India required, that, the pythons be provided
with food for the journey, and a group of unfortunate fantails was
shipped for just that purpose. Two lucky fantails survived, and their
beautiful appearance caused the San Diego Zoo to keep and breed them
for the public to see. Eventually, some of the animals escaped captivity
and developed populations in the wild, all thanks to those two birds!

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Given that all the choices are true, which one provides the most relevant and
specific information at this point in the essay?
A. NO CHANGE
B. and they have quite an appetite.
C. because no one wanted them to starve.
D. and they are quite picky in what they’ll eat.
Use POE, focusing on whether the choice is consistent with the highlights in the
passage. The sentence as written discusses a group of unfortunate fantails; keep (A).
Choices (B), (C), and (D) do not talk about the Indian fantail; instead, they focus on
the pythons. This is inconsistent with the goal of the sentence and the content of the
paragraph; eliminate those answers. The correct answer is (A).
Finally, you can’t write in the passage, so you’ll need to approach the Vertical Line
Test slightly differently. On the paper-and-pencil ACT, you would use this strategy
for questions about punctuation, drawing a vertical line where the punctuation breaks
up the ideas in the text. On the computerized ACT, you should use the whiteboard
to handle these questions.
I’m not searching for a ghost or yeti, my phantom is the Indian
fantail. These beautiful creatures are members of the pigeon family, but
you could not tell that by looking at them.
A. NO CHANGE
B. yeti: my phantom
C. yeti my phantom
D. yeti, since this
Here’s How to Crack It
Punctuation is changing in the answer choices, so the question is testing STOP and
GO punctuation. There is Half-Stop punctuation in (B), so use the Vertical Line Test.
You cannot draw a line in the text, so draw a “t” on your whiteboard, with “yeti” in
the bottom-left and “my” in the bottom-right:
Read each part of the sentence and determine whether it is complete or incomplete.
I’m not searching for a ghost or yeti is a complete idea; write “C” in the upper-left
of the “t.” My phantom is the Indian fantail is also a complete idea; write “C” (for
“complete”) in the upper-right of the “t.” Your board should look like this:
Eliminate any answer that cannot link two complete ideas. Both (A) and (C) use GO
punctuation, which cannot link complete ideas; eliminate (A) and (C). Choice (D)
adds since, which makes the idea to the right of the line incomplete. However, since
is used to show time or causation, which does not work in the context of the sentence.
Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (B).

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MATH
First off, you’ll still need to bring your calculator to the ACT Online Test—which
is a good thing! You’re already comfortable with your personal calculator, so there
will be one less thing to worry about on the day of the test.
When choosing questions to do Later, flag the question so you can easily navigate
back to it after doing your Now questions. Do put in your LOTD when doing so;
you don’t want to accidently leave a question blank! When you get the five-minute
warning, finish the question you’re working on, flag it (so you can find your spot
easily), then put in your LOTD for every unanswered question. Then you can go back
to working until time runs out.
Use the Highlighter tool to highlight what the question is actually asking, especially
in Word Problems. Of course, you’ll want to use your whiteboard when working the
steps of a math problem (don’t do the work in your head!).
Write it down!
It is tempting to do all your work in your head. Don’t
fall into this trap! It’s easier to make mistakes when
you’re not writing down your work, and you’ll often
have to “go back” if you don’t have something
written down. Use your whiteboard!
ACT Online Geometry Basic Approach
Because you can’t write on the screen, the Basic Approach for Geometry questions
needs a few slight tweaks:
1. Draw the figure on your whiteboard (copy if it’s provided; draw it yourself
otherwise). If the figure would be better drawn differently from the way ACT
has drawn it (for instance, a similar triangles question), redraw the figure in a
way that will help you answer the question.
2. Label the figure you drew on your whiteboard with the information from both
ACT’s figure and the question.
3. Write down any formulas you need and fill in the information you know.
Let’s see how that works on a question.
In the figure below, triangle ABC is similar to triangle DEF. What is the
length of EF ?
A. 1.5
B. 2.25
C. 3

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D. 4
E. 4.5
Here’s How to Crack It
The question asks for the length of EF, so highlight that in the question. Follow the
Geometry Basic Approach. Start by drawing the figure on your whiteboard. Because
the triangles are similar, redraw triangle DEF to be oriented the same way as ABC.
Label your figure with the given information.
Write down the equation you need and fill in the necessary information. AC
corresponds to DF, and BC corresponds to EF. Set up a proportion: . Fill in the
information from your figure: , where x is equal to EF. Cross-multiply to get 6x =
3(4.5), or 6x = 13.5. Divide both sides by 6 to get x = 2.25. The correct answer is (B).
READING
First off, there are a few differences between the pencil-and-paper ACT and the ACT
Online Test. In the ACT Online Test, there are no line references; rather, the relevant
part of the text is highlighted. The passage will also “jump” to the highlighted text if
it’s off the screen when you go to that question. This may disorient you at first: be
prepared for this to happen.
Let’s see an example.
…protested every step. We could still run, but, Hook worried, for
how long? In a cross-country race, only a team’s top five runners score,
and we weren’t those five. Our job was to finish ahead of as many of
our rival teams’ top fives as we could.
Leah was a senior that year, my freshman year. All season, she’d
been counting down to this last race, praying her body wouldn’t say
No. She and I joked that we needed to go to the Knee Store and pick
out new knees, ones that wouldn’t crack and pop and burn all the time.
It was hard to watch a teammate in that much pain, but Leah was a
trooper, never slacking from workouts, never stopping to walk, never
losing sight of the next person in front of her to catch.
The crack of the starter’s pistol sent us surging out of that little crop
of trees and onto the race course. I hollered, “See you at the Knee
Store!” Behind me, she laughed.
The pack stayed tight through the first quarter-mile, and I was
surrounded by so many bodies I couldn’t think. I just ran, putting one

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foot in front of the other, trying not to fall. Trying to look beyond the
jostling mass surrounding me, I could barely…
The narrator’s references to the Knee Store primarily serve to suggest that:
A. Leah wishes to buy better knee supports.
B. the narrator and Leah use humor to cope with their pain.
C. the narrator desires to learn more about her injury.
D. Leah’s injuries, unlike the narrator’s, have become unbearable.
Reading on a computer screen can be disorienting.
Practice by reading articles or other passages on the
computer when possible.
Here’s How to Crack It
The question asks what the references to the Knee Store…suggest. The references
to the Knee Store are highlighted in the text. Note that the text has shifted down to
the highlighted portions. The window indicates that Leah and the narrator joked that
we needed to go to the Knee Store. Leah laughed after the narrator referred to the
Knee Store. Therefore, the answer should be consistent with joking and laughing.
Choice (A) takes the reference too literally; eliminate (A). “Humor” is consistent
with the text’s references to joked and laughed; keep (B). There’s no indication of the
narrator’s goal to learn more about her injury, nor does the text support the idea that
Leah’s injuries have become unbearable, eliminate (C) and (D). The correct answer
is (B).
When you have five minutes remaining, flag your current question and use the Nav
tool to make sure you’ve put in your LOTD for any questions that you haven’t done.
Then return to your spot and work until time runs out. If you’ve just started or finished
a passage, click through the questions to look for Easy to Find questions in the
remaining time, and don’t forget to put in your LOTD for any question you don’t
answer!
The biggest difference between the ACT Online Test and the paper-and-pencil ACT
is that you can only see one question on the screen at a time. Rather than looking
over the questions at a glance, you must click from question to question. This feature
means that the Reading Basic Approach (covered below) needs to be modified in
order to be as time efficient as possible.
ACT Online Reading Basic Approach
1. Preview
Read only the blurb—do not go through and map the questions. Instead, write
the question numbers on your whiteboard to prepare to Work the Passage.
2. Work the Passage

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This step is even more optional on the ACT Online Test than on the pencil-
and-paper ACT. You haven’t mapped the questions, and your highlights only
show up on one question. If you do decide to Work the Passage, ensure that
you’re getting through the passage in 2–3 minutes. More likely, you’ll find it
best to just skip this step and move on to the questions after reading the blurb
and setting up your whiteboard.
You don’t get points for reading—only for
answering questions correctly. Determine
whether Working the Passage helps you answer
questions correctly and quickly.
3. Select and Understand a Question
When Selecting a Question, if a question is Easy to Find (a portion of the text
is highlighted or you Worked the Passage and know where in the passage the
content you need is), do it Now. Understand the question, then move on to Step
4. If the question is not Easy to Find (in other words, you don’t immediately
know where in the passage to go), write down the question’s lead words on
your whiteboard next to the question number. Include EXCEPT/LEAST/NOT
if the question includes those words. If there are no lead words, flag the
question. After you do all the questions with highlights, then Work the
Passage, scanning actively for your lead words. Once you find a lead word, do
the corresponding question. After answering the questions with lead words,
finish with the flagged questions.
4. Read What You Need
Find the 5–10 lines you need to answer the question. Remember that only the
quotation will be highlighted—the answer is not necessarily highlighted. You
must read the lines before and after the highlighted portion to ensure that you
find the correct answer to the question. If you find the Line Mask tool helpful,
use it to frame your window.
5. Predict the Correct Answer
As you read, look for evidence for the answer to the question in your window
and highlight it using the highlighter tool. (You can highlight text that ACT has
already highlighted—the color will change to “your” highlighting color.) As
always, base your prediction on the words in the passage as much as possible.
6. Use POE
Use the Answer Eliminator tool to narrow the answer choices down to one
answer. If the question is an EXCEPT/LEAST/NOT question, instead write
ABCD on your whiteboard and mark each answer T or F for True or False (or
Y or N for Yes or No) and choose the odd one out.

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Dual Reading Approach
The questions for Dual Reading passages are grouped with the questions about
Passage A, then those about Passage B, then those about both passages. Each question
should be labeled with an indicator for the passage the question refers to. Work each
passage separately, answering all the Passage A questions you plan to answer before
moving onto the Passage B questions.
You should also write down the Golden Thread of each passage on your whiteboard
—either after Working the Passage or after finishing the questions on that passage.
That will aid you in answering the questions about both passages.
SCIENCE
The overall approach to the Science test is the same on the ACT Online Test as it
is on the traditional pencil-and-paper version. There are a few small adjustments to
make, but the overall strategy remains the same.
The Flag tool is very important when identifying Later passages and questions. On a
Later passage, flag the first question, then put your LOTD for every question on the
passage. Make a note on your whiteboard of the first question in the passage so you
can easily jump back to the passage.
When working a Now passage, you may still encounter a Later question. For these
stand-alone Later questions, flag the question but don’t put in your LOTD. When you
get to the end of a passage, check the bar at the bottom of the screen to make sure
you have answered every question up to that point.
Science Basic Approach
There are a few small changes to the Science approach when taking the ACT Online
Test.
1. Work the Figures
You can’t highlight the figures. Experiment with taking quick notes about the
variables, units, and trends on your whiteboard and determine whether it helps
you find the needed information quickly.
2. Work the Questions
Highlight the words and phrases from the figures in the question to help guide
you to the relevant information.
3. Work the Answers
Use the Answer Eliminator tool to work POE on answer choices with multiple
parts.
Let’s look at an example.

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A block is placed on a frictionless horizontal surface at point Q. The
block is pushed with a plunger and given initial velocity v along the
horizontal surface. At point R, the block slides up a ramp with
coefficient of friction f to a maximum distance L along the ramp. The
distance between points Q and R is 1.0 m.
Figure 1
Scrolling Passages
Most passages in Science will require scrolling down
to see all the figures. Look for a scroll bar for every
passage!
Figure 2, below, shows how L varies with v for different f on a ramp
with θ = 20°. Figure 3 (on the following page) shows how L varies with
v for different θ on a ramp with f = 0.1.
Figure 2
Figure 3
If f = 0.90 for the sliding block and v = 5.5 m/s, L will most likely be closest
to which of the following?
A. 0.3 m
B. 0.7 m
C. 1.5 m
D. 3.0 m
Here’s How to Crack It
Start by Working the Figures. Figure 1 shows the points Q and R and variables L and
θ, but there are no numbers or trends. Figure 2 shows a direct relationship between L
(m) and v (m/s); mark this on your whiteboard. Furthermore, the legend gives values
of f; as f increases, L decreases. Mark these relationships on your whiteboard. Figure
3 also shows a direct relationship between L (m) and v (m/s); the legend, however,
gives θ (°). As θ increases, L decreases. Put these on your whiteboard as well. Note
that Figures 2 and 3 show both L and v; Figure 2 has f, whereas Figure 3 has θ.
Your whiteboard should look like the following:
Figure 2: L (m) ↑ v (m/s) ↑ and f ↑ L ↓
Figure 3: L (m) ↑ v (m/s) ↑ and θ ↑ L ↓

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The question refers to the variables f, v, and L; highlight those variables. Figure 2
has all three variables. The highest value of v given in the figure is 4.5, so start there
and use the trend to make a prediction about a v of 5.5. At v = 4.5 and f = 0.90, L is
approximately 0.9. The trend is increasing, so a v of 5.5 must result in an L value of
greater than 0.9; eliminate (A) and (B).
An L value of 3.0 would be higher than any value already in Figure 2, and extending
the trend for the line created by the f = 0.90 marks would not result in L increasing
to 3.0 by the time v reaches 5.5; eliminate (D). Although you can’t physically extend
the line because it’s on a computer screen, it may be a good idea to use your finger
to trace where you would draw on the screen. The correct answer is (C).
You’ll still approach the passage that’s all or mostly text as if it is a Reading passage.
Unlike in Reading, you will want to Map the Questions during the Preview step, as
there will not be a group of questions about each passage like there is in the Dual
Reading passage. Instead, the questions will not be asked in any particular order, so
use your whiteboard to map out which scientist(s) or experiment(s) each question
refers to. As with the other sections, at the five-minute warning, flag your question,
put in your LOTD on any unanswered question, then keep working until time runs
out.
WRITING
As you have probably guessed, you’ll be typing the Writing test on the ACT Online
Test. But before we get to writing the essay, there are a few minor points to note
about the format of this test on the computer.
First, you won’t be able to highlight when Working the Prompt or Perspectives, so
be sure to write notes on your whiteboard. Second, ACT has given the prompt and
perspectives on one screen, then repeated them on the screen that contains a text box.
Feel free to do your work on the screen within the text box. If you’re used to making
your essay outlines on a computer, you can use the text box to do so here, as long as
you remember to delete any notes before the section comes to an end.
When writing the essay, all the same points apply to both the pencil-and-paper and
online tests (have a clear thesis, make and organize your arguments in a way that is
easy to follow, etc.). When you have 5 minutes left, quickly type up a conclusion
paragraph (if you haven’t already), then go back and finish up your body paragraph
ideas. It’s more important to have a conclusion than it is to have perfect body
paragraphs. Finally, spend a minute or two at the end to quickly fix any obvious typos
or grammatical issues.
When you practice the Writing test at home, type your essay in a word processing
program instead of writing it by hand. Be sure to turn off spell check, as the ACT
does not provide it, so you don’t want to rely on it.

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