ACT wants to bring out the artist in you, and we think they’ve got the right idea. On the right-hand side of every Math Test page, you will find a column with the header “DO YOUR FIGURING HERE.” You can use this space to write formulas, graphs, drawings of triangles, or whatever else you want.

This space can be particularly useful for drawing figures that are not provided with the question. If you have a hard time visualizing shapes in your head, you can draw them in the figuring space. If a question asks you about angles in a polygon but doesn’t provide a figure, you can make your own if it helps you solve the problem.

While writing out your answers can be extremely helpful, it can also be time consuming. Be careful not to write out all your work, if some of that work is merely aesthetic. Remember, no one will see your test booklet, and only the bubble answers count. Don’t bother being neat or thorough in this scribble space. You should not do work as if you’re trying to impress your teacher. You should do just as much work as you need to do in order to get the question right: no more, no less.