You have about 8.75 minutes per passage—a tight constraint that trips up many students. The most effective approach is strategic reading: skim the passage first to understand the main idea and structure, then tackle questions while referencing back to the text. Avoid rereading entire passages; instead, use question content to pinpoint exactly where to look.

Many students also benefit from practicing with a timer to build speed without sacrificing accuracy. Tutors can help you develop a pacing rhythm that works for your reading style, whether that means reading the passage first or jumping straight to questions.

Inference and reasoning questions typically challenge students most, since they require understanding implications that aren't explicitly stated in the text. Vocabulary-in-context questions also trip up many students who rely on dictionary definitions rather than contextual clues. Additionally, questions asking you to identify an author's tone, purpose, or attitude require careful attention to word choice and passage structure.

The good news: these skills are absolutely learnable with focused practice. Expert tutors can teach you frameworks for tackling each question type and show you how to spot the evidence in the text that supports the correct answer.

The most accurate way is to take a full practice test under timed conditions, then carefully review every question you missed or guessed on. Don't just look at your score—categorize your mistakes by type. Did you miss inference questions? Vocab-in-context? Main idea questions? Did timing cause careless errors, or did you genuinely not understand the passage?

This diagnostic work is exactly what tutors excel at. Varsity Tutors can connect you with an expert who will analyze your practice tests, pinpoint patterns in your errors, and build a customized study plan that targets your specific gaps rather than generic test prep.

Consistency matters more than marathon sessions. Most students benefit from 3-4 focused practice sessions per week, with each session lasting 45 minutes to an hour. This allows time for active practice (timed passages), review of mistakes, and skill-building without burnout. Cramming the night before won't help—your brain needs spaced practice to lock in reading comprehension skills.

A typical productive schedule includes: one full practice test weekly to track overall progress, plus 2-3 shorter sessions drilling specific question types or passages where you've struggled. Your tutor can help you structure a realistic schedule based on your timeline and current score.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or unsure of your approach. The antidote is confidence built through repetition and strategy. When you've practiced the same passage types dozens of times and you have a clear game plan (skim, question, find evidence), the test itself feels less intimidating.

Additional techniques that help: practice breathing strategies before the test, arrive early to reduce rush stress, and remember that ACT Reading is a learnable skill—not a mysterious talent. Tutors can also help you work through anxiety by simulating test conditions during practice sessions, so test day feels familiar rather than shocking.

Atlanta students attend schools across 19 districts with an average student-teacher ratio of 12.7:1, which means many teachers have limited time for individual test prep. ACT Reading requires specialized strategies that differ from regular English class—you need to learn efficient pacing, inference techniques, and test-specific question patterns that classroom instruction may not cover.

Varsity Tutors connects Atlanta students with expert tutors who focus exclusively on ACT Reading strategy and skill-building. A tutor works one-on-one to diagnose your specific weak points, teach targeted strategies, and track your progress—something that's difficult to achieve in a traditional classroom setting.