ACT Reading study plan

ACT Reading · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Key Ideas and Details

Diagnose baseline accuracy on main-idea and detail questions by completing one timed 40-question reading set and logging misses by question type
Define a repeatable annotation shorthand for tracking who/what/when and causal links in a passage
Practice locating explicit detail answers by matching keywords to lines within a 60-second-per-question pace
Summarize each practice passage in one sentence without looking back

A baseline error log classifying every missed question as main idea, detail, or inference, with a count per category

Week 2

Distinguish main-idea questions from supporting-detail questions before answering
Write one-sentence summaries of four passages in under 90 seconds each, then verify against the answer choices
Identify how paragraph-level details support the passage's central claim
Reduce average time per question to 55 seconds while holding or improving accuracy on domain 1 items

Four written passage summaries paired with a scored 20-question domain 1 set at 80% or better

Week 3

Classify inference questions and justify each answer with a specific line reference
Eliminate answer choices that overreach beyond the passage's stated evidence
Compare paired passages for where authors agree and where they diverge
Track and cut careless errors by reviewing every miss against its source line

A 25-question inference and paired-passage set with a written justification line for each correct answer

Week 4

Translate figurative and connotative language into plain meaning for word-in-context items
Analyze how an author's word choice shapes tone and attitude
Identify the function of specific paragraphs or sentences within the passage's structure
Complete a full timed section at test pace and record domain-level accuracy

A full timed 40-question reading section scored by domain, with a tone and word-choice analysis of two passages

Week 5

Map passage structure by labeling each paragraph's role (claim, evidence, counterpoint, conclusion)
Predict author purpose and point of view before reading answer choices
Distinguish tone and attitude questions from purpose questions and apply the right strategy to each
Practice with nonfiction and literary passages to build flexibility across genres

Structural outlines of three passages plus a 20-question domain 2 set at 80% or better

Week 6

Compare two passages on the same topic and state the central disagreement in one sentence
Evaluate how new information would strengthen or weaken an author's argument
Identify the author's use of evidence and assess whether claims are supported
Practice integrating ideas across passages rather than within a single text

A written comparison of two paired passages with a claim-evidence evaluation and a scored 20-question integration set

Week 7

Analyze how authors use evidence to support or refute a position across paired texts
Draw and defend conclusions that require combining information from both passages
Apply analogical reasoning to questions asking how one situation relates to another
Eliminate choices that are true in the passage but do not answer the question asked

A timed 30-question domain 3 set at 80% or better with a written rationale for each integration answer

Week 8

Complete two full timed reading sections under test conditions and score by domain
Review every remaining error and re-teach the underlying skill for each
Refine pacing so all questions are answered with time to check flagged items
Consolidate a one-page strategy sheet covering each domain

Two full timed sections with a final error review and a completed one-page strategy sheet

Week 2: Score 80% or better on domain 1 practice and summarize any passage in one sentence within 90 seconds

Week 4: Complete a full timed section with domain 1 accuracy at or above baseline target and average pace under 60 seconds per question

Week 6: Score 80% or better on domain 2 items and write a one-sentence central disagreement for paired passages

Week 8: Score 80% or better on domain 3 items and complete two full timed sections with all questions answered