The Enhanced ACT Reading test gives you 40 minutes for 36 questions.

That is about 67 seconds per question on average, but ACT Reading should not be paced question-by-question.

You need time to read passages and answer the question sets. For the full picture of where Reading fits in the exam, see our Enhanced ACT guide.

The right strategy is to manage each passage as a unit.

What ACT Reading tests

Current ACT Reading categories are approximately:

• Key Ideas and Details: 44–52%
• Craft and Structure: 26–33%
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 19–26%

You may need to:

• find main ideas;
• locate details;
• make inferences;
• understand cause/effect;
• interpret words in context;
• identify author purpose;
• compare perspectives;
• evaluate claims/evidence;
• integrate information across texts.

The real timing problem

Most students do not run out of time because they “read slowly.”

They run out because of one of these:

1. rereading the whole passage for every question;
2. spending too long on a difficult question;
3. reading without building a mental map;
4. searching for evidence inefficiently;
5. overthinking inference questions;
6. failing to distinguish passage-reading time from question-answering time.

Passage strategy: build a map

As you read, track:

• Who/what is this about?
• What is the author's main point?
• What changes from paragraph to paragraph?
• Where are examples/evidence?
• Where is a contrast or shift?
• What is the tone/purpose?

You do not need to memorize details.

You need to know where to find them.

A practical pacing target

Because exact passage/question distribution can vary, do not use a rigid “exactly X minutes per passage” rule.

Instead:

• begin each passage with enough time to read attentively;
• leave the majority of the block for questions;
• use checkpoints every passage or major passage set;
• protect the final minutes from one stubborn question.

A useful practice target is to complete a passage set in roughly 8–10 minutes, then adjust based on the specific test form and your strengths. For other section-by-section pacing plans, browse our ACT guides.

Reading method 1: full passage first

Best for students who:

• understand passages well on one read;
• remember structure;
• dislike jumping between question and text.

Process:

1. read passage;
2. form one-sentence summary;
3. answer main idea/purpose;
4. locate evidence for detail questions.

Reading method 2: map-first

Best for students who:

• get lost in long details;
• reread heavily.

Process:

1. read first/last lines carefully;
2. read the whole passage but focus on paragraph purpose;
3. mentally label paragraphs:
   • background;
   • problem;
   • evidence;
   • counterpoint;
   • conclusion.

Do not skim so aggressively that comprehension disappears.

Main idea questions

Answer from your own summary first.

Avoid:

• minor detail;
• too broad;
• too extreme;
• answer about only one paragraph.

Detail questions

Return to the text.

Do not rely on “I remember it said something like…”

ACT often creates distractors from nearby details.

Inference questions

Use the minimum-proof rule:

Which answer requires the fewest assumptions?

If the passage says:

• A happened;
• then B happened;

do not infer causation unless the text supports it.

For more on distinguishing main idea from inference, see our main idea and inference guide.

Vocabulary in context

Substitute a simple meaning based on the sentence.

Do not choose the most common dictionary definition automatically.

Author purpose

Ask:

Why did the author include this line/paragraph?

Possible functions:

• provide evidence;
• introduce a counterargument;
• give an example;
• establish context;
• illustrate a change;
• qualify a claim.

Paired passages

For Passage A:

• position?
• evidence?
• tone?

For Passage B:

• position?
• evidence?
• tone?

Then compare:

• agreement;
• disagreement;
• likely response.

Do not blend the authors together.

The skip rule

If you have spent substantial time without progress:

1. eliminate what you can;
2. choose provisionally;
3. mark;
4. move on.

A hard question is worth one point.

Original mini-practice

Passage:

For decades, planners assumed that widening highways would reduce congestion by increasing road capacity. Yet several studies of metropolitan areas have found that traffic volume often rises after major expansions, gradually restoring congestion. Researchers describe this response as induced demand.

1

The main idea is:

A. highways should never be built
B. widening highways can lead to increased traffic that reduces the expected congestion benefit
C. all transportation studies are unreliable
D. traffic volume always falls after road expansion

2

The phrase “restoring congestion” most nearly means:

A. making congestion disappear
B. bringing congestion back toward previous levels
C. measuring congestion precisely
D. preventing additional driving

3

The passage suggests that planners' original assumption was:

A. fully confirmed
B. unrelated to road capacity
C. challenged by observed traffic responses
D. based on train systems

Answers

1. B
2. B
3. C

Timing drills

Drill 1: passage map

Read one passage and write a five-word label for each paragraph.

No questions.

Drill 2: evidence location

Answer detail questions and mark where the proof appears.

Drill 3: timed passage set

Set a realistic passage-block limit.

Review:

• where time went;
• which question type caused delay.

Drill 4: two passages back-to-back

Train recovery and concentration.

Drill 5: full section

Only after your passage process is stable.

What not to do

• read answer choices before understanding the question;
• memorize the passage;
• reread everything;
• debate one ambiguous item for three minutes;
• use outside knowledge;
• treat every line as equally important.

The ideal ACT Reading goal

You should finish with:

• every question answered;
• evidence-based choices;
• minimal unnecessary rereading;
• enough time to revisit marked items.

Speed comes from better decisions, not simply moving your eyes faster. Once your pacing is solid, check upcoming ACT test dates to schedule when to put it into practice.

Official references

• ACT Reading section: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/act-exam-sections-and-structure.html
• ACT Reading description: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/description-of-reading-test.html

---

Trademark note: ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. MastaPrep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ACT Education Corp.