Before we go on to discuss specific strategies for the Reading Test, we want to give you this piece of advice: reading during the months and weeks before the ACT is the best preparation for the Reading Test. The Reading Test assesses one main thing: your reading comprehension skills. Every time you read, regardless of what you read, you exercise your reading comprehension skills. And the more you read, the better you’ll become at quickly and thoroughly comprehending what’s written. So it makes sense that the best practice for the Reading Test is reading.

While reading this SparkNotes book will have you well on your way toward ACT success, we encourage you to improve your score and your mind by reading other things in your spare time. Newspapers, novels, and homework assignments provide good reading material. You may particularly want to focus on reading science articles in a newspaper or scientific magazine, as many students have less familiarity with this type of material. The more challenging the material, the more exercise your brain will get, so don’t just read comic books and cereal boxes.