How to Score High on the ACT Reading Test
Students should welcome the ACT Reading Test as a very student-friendly and predictable test. Although reading speed and vocabulary take considerable time to develop, highly motivated students have the potential to score very high even if they started with low scores. Statistically, we have many students who started with very low ACT Reading Test scores, but after our training, ended up with near-perfect and perfect scores. Please review how our Presidio Education® 2019 and 2018 ACT students progressed, including a review from one of our students who jumped from a 23 to a 34 on the ACT Reading Test! Below are just a few strategies we have taught our students on how to excel.
Predictable Passage Order Helps with Strategy
One of the biggest advantages of the ACT Reading Test is its consistent passage order. Since the 2015 revision, the ACT has reliably followed the same sequence:
Literary Narrative (Questions 1–10)
Social Science (Questions 11–20)
Humanities (Questions 21–30)
Natural Science (Questions 31–40)
This predictability allows students to approach the test with more confidence and structure. While paired passages can appear within any of these genres, the overall passage order stays the same. We strongly advise students not to skip around between passages or questions, as doing so can lead to mistakes when filling out answer sheets. Maintaining a steady rhythm and staying on track with time management are essential for success.
Tackling Inference Questions with Confidence
Many ACT students find inference questions challenging because they’re more interpretive and less direct—but that’s completely normal and nothing to stress about. Inference questions require you to think beyond the literal meaning and choose the answer that is most logically consistent with the passage. These questions often include keywords like infers, indicates, suggests, most likely, or most directly—signals that the correct answer won’t be found word-for-word in the text.
Unlike evidence-based questions that rely on matching exact lines, inference questions demand that students understand tone, implication, and context. That’s why we teach our students to recognize figurative language and rhetorical devices to improve their interpretive skills. While inference questions appear in all four passages, they tend to be most common in the literary narrative section—so students should approach that first passage with extra care.
Why a Strong Vocabulary Is Your Secret Weapon
Scoring high on the ACT Reading Test isn’t just about reading speed—it’s also about understanding words in context. A strong vocabulary is essential for interpreting passages accurately and answering questions with precision. While memorizing word lists may not sound exciting, don’t underestimate how important vocabulary knowledge really is!
The ACT often includes vocabulary-in-context questions, which ask students to determine the meaning of a word based on how it’s used in the passage—not based on its most common or dictionary definition. This means students must move beyond rote memorization and focus on how words shift meaning depending on their usage. Like inference questions, vocabulary questions test how well students can interpret language within unfamiliar or nuanced contexts.
To prepare effectively, students should make the effort to study multiple meanings of words, not just the most familiar ones. This depth of understanding will strengthen overall reading comprehension and boost confidence across the entire Reading Test.
No Need to Stress About Paired Passages
Like the SAT Reading Test, the ACT Reading Test often includes paired passages—two shorter texts labeled “Passage A” and “Passage B”. These can appear in any of the four passage genres: literary narrative, social science, humanities, or natural science. Instead of reading one long passage, students must read and compare the two smaller ones.
Paired passages may share the same author or feature different ones. Their tones and arguments might align or contrast entirely. Either way, students should approach them with confidence. The goal is to compare and contrast the perspectives, not to get tripped up by the structure.
And here’s some reassurance: not every ACT Reading Test includes paired passages. But whether they appear or not, there’s nothing to worry about—just apply the same critical reading strategies and stay focused on the relationships between the texts.
Anticipating Passage Content and Subject Matter
Because the ACT Reading Test follows a consistent passage order, students can also anticipate the general subject material for each section—and prepare accordingly.
For the literary narrative passage, students should read novels, novellas, myths, fairy tales, plays, fables, dramas, and other imaginative narratives to sharpen their inference skills. Although poetry is not tested on the ACT, analyzing poems can still help build fluency with figurative language, which is often essential to interpreting literary texts.
The social science passage typically focuses on topics like history, government, politics, sociology, psychology, economics, or geography. Reading more texts that reflect American terminology and literature can be especially helpful in building familiarity with this genre.
The humanities passage explores human society and culture—how people think, act, and communicate. Understanding human motivations and the reasoning behind decisions is key to navigating this section successfully.
Finally, for the natural science passage, students are not expected to know advanced scientific terms, but they should feel comfortable analyzing passages related to biology, chemistry, physics, and life or physical sciences. Most questions will ask students to locate data or draw conclusions based on presented information—not technical expertise. Importantly, unlike the SAT, the ACT Reading Test (so far) does not include supplementary materials such as graphs, tables, or charts, so students can focus entirely on the text.
Get Comfortable with American Culture and Language
ACT Reading Test passages cover a wide range of literary subjects, authors, and cultural perspectives. However, since “ACT” stands for American College Testing, many passages—and especially the way questions are worded—tend to reflect American culture, society, and terminology. This doesn’t mean every passage will be written by an American author, but it does mean that students should expect references that may be more familiar to American readers.
To better prepare, students should read American literature and nonfiction texts to build comfort with U.S.-specific topics like monetary systems, units of measurement, and political structures such as the three branches of government—especially useful for the social science section. It’s also important to strengthen your understanding of American English vocabulary, including words that may carry different meanings depending on historical or cultural context. Language evolves over time, so reading from various time periods will help students interpret vocabulary in context with greater accuracy.
Mastering the Clock
Time management is often one of the biggest challenges on American standardized tests—not because students don’t understand the material, but because they may lack the pacing strategies needed to finish on time. The ACT Reading Test gives students just 35 minutes to answer 40 questions, which means every second counts.
While it's common for students to aim for about eight to nine minutes per passage, this approach doesn't account for unexpected challenges. Some passages may be harder than others, and certain questions—especially inference or comparison types—can take longer to solve. That’s why we train students to build a time cushion. Whether they need extra time for tougher questions or just want to double-check their work, this buffer makes a major difference in both performance and confidence.
Our training focuses on improving reading speed, comprehension, skimming, and analysis, so students can navigate the test more efficiently. A smart pacing strategy not only improves scores—it also reduces stress and helps students stay calm under pressure.
Looking for More ACT Reading Strategies?
These are just a few of the many strategies we teach students aiming for high ACT Reading scores. If you’re looking to boost your performance, have helpful tips to share, or want to suggest future blog topics, we’d love to hear from you—students and parents alike! For more information about our ACT training programs, please fill out the Private Class Registration Form on our Private Classes page or contact our Customer Service Team.
Good luck, and stay confident—your best score is within reach!
