For students gearing up for the Enhanced ACT, there’s a new, critical piece of information you need to know about the unscored experimental sections: The unscored passage will never be the first or the last passage in the English, Reading, and Science sections. This is a game-changer for your test-day strategy.

Here at Get Smarter Prep, we’ve broken down exactly what this means for you and how to adjust your approach to maximize your score.

Why the ACT Added Unscored Sections

To be clear, experimental questions are not new for standardized tests like the ACT and SAT. They are how test-makers gather data on potential future test questions. What is new is the enhanced ACT’s placement of an entire unscored passage in the English, Reading, and Science sections.

The ACT doesn’t place the experimental passage at the beginning or end of a section because they want a representative sample of student performance. Many students don’t finish the test or rush through the final passage, which would skew the data on those questions.

Your New Test-Taking Strategy

With this knowledge, you can approach the test with a smarter, more targeted strategy. The goal is to focus on the content that definitely counts while still answering every question.

1. Prioritize passages 1 and 4 (or 5, for English).

• For English and Reading: There are four passages in these sections, so the first and last passages (passages 1 and 4) will always count toward your score.
• For Science: There are five passages in the Science section, meaning passages 1 and 5 are guaranteed to be scored.

2. Attack the middle passages with purpose.

• The unscored section can be found in the middle of each section (passages 2 and 3 for English and Reading; passages 2, 3, or 4 for Science).
• Instead of agonizing over every question in these middle sections, you can answer the questions as they appear while prioritizing your pace.

3. Answer every question, always.

• The ACT does not penalize you for wrong answers, so you should answer every single question, even if it’s a guess.
• The key is not to get bogged down. If a middle passage question is giving you trouble, make your best guess, and move on.

4. Practice with timed sections.

• Because the ACT is still a heavily timed test, it’s essential to practice your new strategy with realistic time limits.
• Spend extra time reviewing your performance on the first and last passages of your practice tests to simulate what you’ll encounter on test day.

Putting It All Together: A Get Smarter Prep Example

Let’s imagine you’re taking the Enhanced ACT Reading section. Here’s how you could apply this strategy:

1. Start strong on Passage 1. You know these questions count, so you can afford to dedicate the necessary time to ensure accuracy.
2. Move to Passage 4. Skip ahead to the last passage. Since this is also guaranteed to be scored, you’ll tackle it while your mind is still fresh.
3. Return to the middle passages. Now, go back and work through passages 2 and 3. As you do, be mindful of your time. If you encounter a tricky question, make an educated guess and move on. You can even bubble in the answers in your booklet first, then transfer them in chunks to save time.

By adopting this approach, you are training smarter, not just harder. You are ensuring that every question you answer on a passage that counts is given your best effort.

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