Struggling with the Math Section of the ACT? You’re Not Alone.

Many of our students have a love/hate relationship with math. For many, the ACT Math section seems to be the most challenging of the required sections, and we tend to agree. More often than not, this can be attributed to the nuances within the test such as time constraints, advanced problem-solving, and the more than 70 concepts that students need to master.

No matter how many practice tests students take, when it comes time to compare online practice test answers to the answer key, frustration seems to increase.

We often hear comments like:

“It’s too hard.”

“No matter how much I study, I just can’t get the answers right.”

“I have an A in math, but can’t seem to score higher than a 27.”

Our team of tutors is here to tell you that it IS possible to increase your Math score for the Official ACT test. In this post, we will share with you some tried and true techniques to help you significantly increase your math score.

Conquer Your Anxiety

If you get anxious at the thought of completing the Math section of the ACT or just about math in general, you aren’t alone. The Centre for Neuroscience in Education at the University of Cambridge describes math anxiety as a negative emotional reaction to mathematics that can be debilitating. Having anxious thoughts about mathematics often leads to poorer performance on a mathematics test.

Don’t put yourself in this situation. Instead, make a conscious decision to leave those negative thoughts associated with math in the past. Breathe and remind yourself that by continuing practicing and taking ACT Math practice tests, you can absolutely improve your score.

Understand the Structure of the Test

For the Official ACT test, you have 60 minutes to complete the Math section. That means you have approximately 60 seconds to dedicate to each question.

However, the last 20 questions are significantly more difficult conceptually than the first 40 questions. They may be harder, but that does not mean they are worth more! If you take a practice test and notice you missed more than 5 questions in the first 40, it’s SO MUCH more important to focus on those questions before worrying about the last 20. All of the questions on the ACT Math section are worth the same, so the process to get more questions correct is to start with the easier ones that you missed!

Take an Online Class Focused on Math

If you are challenged by percentages, probabilities, slopes, or arc lengths, consider taking a math-focused ACT online prep class. Most students are able to increase their score and feel much more confident about taking an upcoming Official ACT test.