Now Versus Easy
We are deliberately calling these Now passages rather than Easy passages. Even a passage with great
figures will have one or two tough questions, but even the toughest questions are easier to crack when you
get the central trends and relationships. On passages with incomprehensible figures, even the easiest
questions will take you longer because you will keep asking yourself, “What is this saying again?” You’ll
always work good Now passages more quickly, and good time management is what the ACT is all about.
PACING
With just 35 minutes to do 7 passages and 40 questions, you have an average of five minutes for every
passage. But should you spend 5 minutes on every passage? Of course not. If you make smart choices of
good Now passages, you should be able to work them in less time, leaving yourself more time for the
tougher passages. Think about the pacing chart we discussed in Chapter 1. Think about how many points
you need to hit your goal.
Be Ruthless and Flexible
Every Now passage will have one or two tough questions, just as every Later passage will have at least
one or two easy questions. Use Chapters 3 and 4 to practice, but even on the Now passages, know when
to guess on a tough question and move onto the next passage. Don’t let one tough question drag you down.
Need More Practice?
1,460 ACT Practice
Questions provides
6 tests’ worth of
Science passages.
That’s 42 passages and
240 questions.
POE
The most direct Science questions will ask you to look up a value or a relationship. But the most complex
will ask you to synthesize information or draw a conclusion. The more difficult the question, the less it
will help to just stare at the figure waiting for divine guidance to help you magically see the answer. As is
often the case on the ACT, spotting the wrong answers can be much easier than magically divining the
right answers. In our 3-step Basic Approach, we’ll discuss in greater detail how to use POE.
