one week act study schedule

and bonus one day study plan!*

*for a refresher the day before the test!

 

so, you have one week until the act.

maybe this day has been circled on your calendar for months.

maybe it’s taped to your mirror along with a growing list of inspirational messages such as “you’ve got this,” “you’re a winner,” and “the area of a circle is pi r-squared.”

or maybe your mom just told you about the test.

whatever situation led you here today; it’s going to be ok. your inspirational post-it was right: you’ve got this. and we’re here to help!

one disclaimer that we just have to add here (we are educators, after all):
we don’t think that one week is enough time to fully prepare for the act and get the highest score you are capable of. but it is a reality for some students, so we want to help you make the most of your act test date. however, we highly suggest you spend 1-6 months (and maybe more) preparing for the act in order to get your best score. if you do have more time before the test, or are planning for a retake after this one, see our other study schedules for more long-term prep!

how to choose the right one week act study plan for you

the first step is to assess where you are at right now, and what is realistic for you to accomplish with only one week until the test date.

so first, i would like you to categorize yourself into one of the following groups, and then jump down to the study plan that is right for you.

student a: you haven’t studied for the act at all, but you’re ready to study now and make the most of the time you have before the test. follow our “one week act study schedule for newbies.”

student b: – either- you’ve been studying for the act a little bit, but other things got in the way and you’re not feeling like you did all the prep you could have done. you want to make sure you maximize the time you have left to focus on the concepts the act tests the most. -or- you’ve already taken the act once or twice, so you are familiar with the test, but you haven’t studied much (if at all) for a retake. you need to brush up quickly in order to improve your score. follow our “one week act study schedule for quick act score improvement”.

student c: you’ve been studying for the act, maybe for a few months. you feel like you’ve put plenty of time in, but now the test date is looming and you want to make sure you are really ready. like really ready. follow our “one week act study schedule for a last-minute act refresher.”

one week act study schedule for newbies

so you procrastinated a little bit on your act studying. ok, let’s be honest. a lot. but that’s ok!

the important thing is that you are here now, and you still have a week before the exam. that may not sound like a lot, but there are plenty of things you can do this week to boost your confidence and your score before the big day.

time requirement

this schedule assumes that you have about 2 hours a day to devote to your studying (with the exception of the full practice test day, during which you’ll need 4-5 hours). hopefully, this is a manageable amount for one week of studying balanced with your schoolwork. if it is too much, you can adjust the plan to focus primarily on reviewing your weaknesses and taking practice sections. if it is too little, there are plenty of extra practice questions that will be left in magoosh act for you to add on an extra practice section or two a day.

materials

• magoosh act premium account
• magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (free online pdf)
• magoosh act blog
• magoosh act prep app (optional, but it will allow you to take your studying on the go!)

day 1

(sunday if you are taking a saturday test)

 

• familiarize yourself with the structure, timing, and strategies of the test. (30 minutes)
  • review the “meet the act”, “general act tips and strategies”, and “act scoring” sections of the free magoosh act ebook.
• take a diagnostic test (3.5 to 4 hours with breaks)
  • check out our full tips here for how to take an 2022世界杯入门名单!
    • use our list of free, full-length 2022世界杯入门名单s to find a high-quality practice test. i’m scheduling this practice for sunday because most students will likely have more time today than on a weekday when they are also in school, but if this is not the case, you can also move your practice test to day 2, 3, or 4, but not day 5 or 6. too close to the test and you will risk burning out.
    • if you are really struggling to find enough time in a day, you can split this practice test over two days. it’s not ideal, but doing two sections back to back will help you practice the endurance and mental gear shifting required by the act more than just doing one section at a time.
    • make sure that you can find a quiet space with no distractions. no tv, no internet, and no cell phone. make sure to notify people in your household that you are taking a practice test and hang a “do not disturb” sign on your door. even better, enlist a parent or other responsible family member to act as a proctor and come in to periodically announce “time’s up” for each section.
    • on the act, the essay section is optional. if you are taking the essay, make sure to plan and write a full practice essay in the allotted time. if you are not taking the essay, you can skip the essay on this practice test and the essay prep stuff below.
    • ask a parent, teacher, or literary older sibling or friend to read over your essay, provide you with feedback, and score it using the complete scoring rubric linked on this page.
• review your practice test. (30 minutes)
  • complete the following tasks as you review:
    • examine any time management issues you had. where did you run out of time and why? did you make sure to take a guess on every question? (remember there is no penalty for guessing on the act)
    • review every single question you got wrong and start keeping an error log. in your error log, list each question you got wrong, noting:
      • why you got it wrong
      • what the correct answer is
      • what you would do next time to avoid making the same mistake

day 2

• watch these essential strategy lesson videos from magoosh act on act.www.catharsisit.com or on our test prep app (available in the apple and android stores. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • using key terms
    • pacing on the act science test
    • how to read the act science test
  • english:
    • all of the videos under the heading punctuation (punctuation is one of the most commonly tested subjects on the act english test)
• go to the practice tab on magoosh act, click “custom practice,” and answer 40 questions in either english or science, whichever section you feel least comfortable with. (25 minutes)
• update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 3

• watch these essential strategy lesson videos from magoosh act. (30 minutes)
  • reading:
    • approaching passages
    • wrong answers
    • basic strategies
• review the math concepts tested on the act math section. see the act math section of the magoosh act ebook or the act math page on the magoosh act blog for a list of math concepts tested on the act. use the magoosh act math lessons and your math book to brush up on concepts you have learned in school but are particularly fuzzy on. read this handy resource on math formulas to know as well: act math facts and formulas. (30-60 minutes)
• watch at least 5 magoosh math lessons on the topics you most need to review. there are a lot of math lesson videos in magoosh, and you only have a few days before the test, so we want you to focus on what you need to review the most on this section! (30-60 minutes) if you’re a magoosh student and need help determining what you should focus on, reach out to one of our expert tutors at [email protected].

day 4

• watch these key magoosh act lesson videos. (60 minutes)
  • reading:
    • using key words
    • main idea
    • meaning of words
    • inference
  • math:
    • backsolving (word problems)
    • vics – picking numbers (algebra)
    • assumptions & estimation (geometry)
• complete 40 reading questions in magoosh by clicking on custom practice and choosing “reading” for the section. (35 minutes)

day 5

• watch these key magoosh act lesson videos. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • understanding tables, graphs, and figures
    • finding trends and patterns
    • linking tables and graphs
    • the conflicting viewpoints passage
  • english:
    • all of the videos under the heading rhetorical strategy
• go to the the custom practice tab on magoosh and answer 40 questions in science. (35 minutes)
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

for act writing test-takers:

• if you are taking the essay, review the information on the new act essay on the act student website if you didn’t already do so on day 1 and this blog post with strategy advice for the essay: the act essay. (15 minutes)
• click on “practice” and “practice test” in magoosh act and skip to the writing section. practice outlining the essay you see as you would on the real test. (5-10 minutes) if you are feeling ambitious and have time, practice writing the whole essay in the time limit!
• if you have time (or if writing is a weakness), there are additional lesson videos on the essay you can watch on magoosh act.

day 6

• complete a practice section of either your strongest section or weakest section on magoosh (click on “practice” and “practice test” and skip to the desired section). (35-60 minutes)
  • there are pros and cons to either approach. since your act is a composite score based on averaging all of your section scores, you can pull up your overall composite score by improving your score in a subject you are already good at. practicing your strongest section can also help you build confidence this close to the test. if you have one section that is dragging your other scores down though, your time might be better spent today doing extra practice on your weakest section.
  • if you are short on time, skip the practice! the most important thing you can do tonight is get a good night of sleep.
• review your error log and make yourself a “cheat sheet” of final reminders to review the morning of the exam. this can include things like “watch out for run-on sentences!” and “the area of a trapezoid is (base 1 + base 2)/2 * height.” (30 min) this youtube video can help you make a review sheet!
• review these last-minute test day tips: act tips for test day and pack your bag (15 min).

day 7

• it’s test day, which means no last minute prep! do some light exercise, eat a full breakfast, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the test center. don’t forget your #2 pencils, calculator, watch, drink, snack, admissions ticket, and photo id.
• review your list of last-minute pointers before you go into the testing center so you can walk into the test confident that you have put in the hard work and are ready to show it!

one week act study schedule for quick score improvement

if you have landed on this post because you have been studying for the act (or have already taken it once or twice), but are wondering what you can do in this last week before test day, that’s great! this is what we live for here at magoosh—helping students maximize their success! this study schedule can provide an excellent final refresher and review to make sure you have all your bases covered.

this plan assumes you are familiar with the act and have already taken a practice test, or the real thing, once or twice, so you won’t be taking a diagnostic test on this plan. if you haven’t taken an act test before, jump back up to the “one week act study plan for newbies.”

time requirement

this schedule assumes that you have about 2 hours a day to devote to your studying hopefully, this is a manageable amount for one week of studying balanced with your schoolwork. if it is too much, you can adjust the plan to focus primarily on reviewing your weaknesses and taking practice sections. if it is too little, there are plenty of extra questions that will be left in magoosh act for you to add on extra practice!

materials

• magoosh act premium account
• magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (free online pdf)
• magoosh act blog
• magoosh act prep app (optional, but it will allow you to take your studying on the go!)

a note on taking practice sections

whenever you are taking practice sections on this plan, follow these guidelines:

• make sure that you can find a quiet space with no distractions. no tv, no internet, and no cell phone. make sure to notify people in your household that you are taking a practice test and hang a “do not disturb” sign on your door. even better, enlist a parent or other responsible family member to act as a proctor and come in to periodically announce “time’s up” for each section.
• on the act, the essay section is optional. if you are taking the essay, make sure to plan and write a full practice essay in the allotted time. if you are not taking the essay, you can skip the essay on this practice test and the essay prep stuff below.
  • ask a parent, teacher, or literary older sibling or friend to read over your essay, provide you with feedback, and score it using the complete scoring rubric linked on this page.
• when reviewing your practice sections:
  • examine any time management issues you had. where did you run out of time and why? did you make sure to take a guess on every question? (remember there is no penalty for guessing on the act)
    review every single question you got wrong and keep an error log. in your error log, list each question you got wrong, noting:
    • why you got it wrong
    • what the correct answer is
    • what you would do next time to avoid making the same mistake
• check out our full tips here for how to take an 2022世界杯入门名单!

day 1

• watch these essential strategy lesson videos from magoosh act on act.www.catharsisit.com or on our test prep app (available in the apple and android stores. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • using key terms
    • pacing on the act science test
    • how to read the act science test
  • english:
    • all of the videos under the heading punctuation (punctuation is one of the most commonly tested subjects on the act)
• complete the english test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 3). (45 minutes)
• update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 2

• watch these essential strategy lesson videos from magoosh act. (30 minutes)
  • reading:
    • approaching passages
    • wrong answers
    • basic strategies
• review the math concepts tested on the act math section. see the act math section of the magoosh act ebook or the act math page on the magoosh act blog for a list of math concepts tested on the act. use the magoosh act math lessons and your math book to brush up on concepts you have learned in school but are particularly fuzzy on. read this handy resource on formulas to know as well: act math facts and formulas. (30-60 minutes)
• watch at least 5 magoosh math lessons on the topics you most need to review. there are a lot of math lesson videos in magoosh, and you only have a few days before the test, so we want you to focus on what you need to review the most on this section! (30-60 minutes) if you’re a magoosh student and need help determining what you should focus on, reach out to one of our expert tutors at [email protected].

day 3

• watch these key magoosh act lesson videos. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • understanding tables, graphs, and figures
    • finding trends and patterns
    • linking tables and graphs
    • the conflicting viewpoints passage
  • english:
  • • all of the videos under the heading rhetorical strategy
• complete the science test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 33). (35 minutes)
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

for act writing test-takers:

• if you are taking the essay, review the information on the new act essay on the act student website if you haven’t already done so and this blog post with strategy advice for the essay: the new act essay. (15 minutes)
• practice outlining the essay at the end of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 49) as you would on the real test. (5-10 minutes) if you are feeling ambitious and have time, practice writing the whole essay in the time limit!
• if you have time (or if writing is a weakness), there are additional lesson videos on the essay you can watch on magoosh act.

day 4

• watch these key magoosh act lesson videos. (60 minutes)
  • reading:
    • using key words
    • main idea
    • meaning of words
    • inference
  • math:
    • backsolving (word problems)
    • vics – picking numbers (algebra)
    • assumptions & estimation (geometry)
• complete the math test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 15). (60 minutes)
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 5

• watch these key magoosh act lesson videos. (90 minutes)
  • science:
    • math problems on the act science test
    • answering “yes/no, because” questions
    • finding clues in the answer choices
  • english:
    • all of the videos on grammar and usage and sentence structure
  • math:
    • 5 lessons on the topics you most need to review
• complete the reading test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 24). (45 minutes)
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 6

• complete a practice set of either your strongest section or weakest section on magoosh (click on “practice” and “practice test” and skip to the desired section). (35-60 minutes)
  • there are pros and cons to either approach. since your act is a composite score based on averaging all of your section scores, you can pull up your overall composite score by improving your score in a subject you are already good at. practicing your strongest section can also help you build confidence this close to the test. if you have one section that is dragging your other scores down though, your time might be better spent today doing extra practice on your weakest section.
  • if you are short on time, skip the practice! the most important thing you can do tonight is get a good night of sleep.
• review your error log and make yourself a “cheat sheet” of final reminders to review the morning of the exam. this can include things like “watch out for run-on sentences!” and “the area of a trapezoid is (base 1 + base 2)/2 * height.” (30 min) this youtube video can help you make a review sheet!
• review these last-minute test day tips: act tips for test day and pack your bag. (15 min)

day 7

• it’s test day, which means no last minute prep! do some light exercise, eat a full breakfast, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the test center. don’t forget your #2 pencils, calculator, watch, drink, snack, admissions ticket, and photo id.
• review your list of last-minute pointers before you go into the testing center so you can walk into the test confident that you have put in the hard work and are ready to show it!

one week act study schedule for a last-minute refresher

nice work! you’ve been preparing for the act, you’re familiar with the test, and you know what areas you need to study a little more. you need something a little more tailored that will help you feel extra confident in the final week leading up to act test day. sounds great to us! we love helping students maximize their success here at magoosh! this study schedule will help you brush up on your weaknesses and hone your strengths so you can have a great act test day.

this plan assumes you are familiar with the act, have already been studying regularly for the act for 2+ months, and have taken a practice test or the the real thing. if that doesn’t sound like you, jump back up to the “one week act study plan for newbies” or the “one week act study schedule for quick score improvement.”

time requirement

this schedule assumes that you have about 1-2 hours a day to devote to your studying. this is actually a lighter load than our other one week plans. because you’ve already been preparing, you can take the time for a little bit of extra sleep, meditation, deep breathing, and exercise to help you feel calm and collected for the big day. if you do have more time, there are plenty of extra questions that will be left in magoosh act for you to add on extra practice!

materials

• magoosh act premium account
• magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (free online pdf)
• magoosh act blog
• magoosh act prep app (optional, but it will allow you to take your studying on the go!)

a note on the recommended lessons on this plan

there are hundreds of lessons in magoosh act! that’s why many of our students love our act prep—because they can truly customize a plan that’s right for them. if you are using this study schedule, you’ve already been preparing for the act, so you likely have a good idea of what types of questions you need to practice more. for that reason, i’ve highlighted videos that are strategy-focused; lessons that discuss techniques you may never have even realized you can use on the act to help eliminate answer choices or simply understand how the test-makers think. working on good standardized test-taking skills may be the key to improving your act score! that being said, feel free to swap out any of the lessons for lessons that target concepts you know you need to review. the important thing is that you dedicate the time to studying.

a note on taking practice sections

whenever you are taking practice sections on this plan, follow these guidelines:

• make sure that you can find a quiet space with no distractions. no tv, no internet, and no cell phone. make sure to notify people in your household that you are taking a practice test and hang a “do not disturb” sign on your door. even better, enlist a parent or other responsible family member to act as a proctor and come in to periodically announce “time’s up” for each section.
• on the act, the essay section is optional. if you are taking the essay, make sure to plan and write a full practice essay in the allotted time. if you are not taking the essay, you can skip the essay on this practice test and the essay prep stuff below.
  • ask a parent, teacher, or literary older sibling or friend to read over your essay, provide you with feedback, and score it using the complete scoring rubric linked on this page.
• when reviewing your practice sections:
  • examine any time management issues you had. where did you run out of time and why? did you make sure to take a guess on every question? (remember there is no penalty for guessing on the act.)
    • review every single question you got wrong and keep an error log. in your error log, list each question you got wrong, noting:
      • why you got it wrong
      • what the correct answer is
      • what you would do next time to avoid making the same mistake
• check out our full tips here for how to take an 2022世界杯入门名单!

day 1

• watch these essential strategy lesson videos from magoosh act on act.www.catharsisit.com or on our test prep app (available in the apple and android stores. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • using key terms
    • pacing on the act science test
    • how to read the act science test
  • english:
    • all of the lessons under the “rhetorical strategy” and “style” headers
• complete the english test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 3). (45 minutes)
• update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 2

• watch these essential strategy lesson videos from magoosh act. (30 minutes)
  • reading:
    • approaching passages
    • wrong answers
    • basic strategies
• read this handy resource on formulas to commit to memory: act math facts and formulas. (30 minutes) study these all week; they can greatly improve your speed and comfort level on the act math section.
• complete a custom practice set of math questions on magoosh act (click “practice” and then “custom practice” from the menu. set the difficulty level to something that is appropriate for you: easy, medium, or hard. or, if you know you need to brush up on a particular question type, select the appropriate category (such as “trigonometry”). (30 minutes)

day 3

• watch these key magoosh act strategy lesson videos. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • understanding tables, graphs, and figures
    • finding trends and patterns
    • linking tables and graphs
    • the conflicting viewpoints passage
  • english:
    • all of the “punctuation” lessons. there are so many punctuation questions on the act! if you really study up on these, you can quickly improve your score. if you feel very solid on punctuation, choose lessons for the questions you struggle with the most.
• complete the science test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 33). (35 minutes)
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

for act writing test-takers:

• if you are taking the essay, review the information on the new act essay on the act student website if you haven’t already done so and this blog post with strategy advice for the essay: the new act essay. (15 minutes)
• practice outlining the essay at the end of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 guide as you would on the real test (page 49). (5-10 minutes) if you are feeling ambitious and have time, practice writing the whole essay in the time limit!
• if you have time (or if writing is a weakness), there are additional lesson videos on the essay you can watch on magoosh act.

day 4

• watch these key magoosh act math strategy lesson videos. (30 minutes)
  • math:
    • backsolving (word problems)
    • vics – picking numbers (algebra)
    • assumptions & estimation (geometry)
• complete the math test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 15). (60 minutes). focus on using the strategies from the videos you just watched to help you find the correct answer!
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 5

• watch these key magoosh act lesson videos. (60 minutes)
  • science:
    • math problems on the act science test
    • answering “yes/no, because” questions
    • finding clues in the answer choices
• 5 lessons on the topics you most need to review from english or math
• complete the reading test portion of the magoosh 2022世界杯入门名单 (page 24). (45 minutes)
• continue to update your error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (15 minutes)

day 6

• complete a practice set of either your strongest section or weakest section on magoosh (click on “practice” and “practice test” and skip to the desired section). (35-60 minutes)
  • there are pros and cons to either approach. since your act is a composite score based on averaging all of your section scores, you can pull up your overall composite score by improving your score in a subject you are already good at. practicing your strongest section can also help you build confidence this close to the test. if you have one section that is dragging your other scores down though, your time might be better spent today doing extra practice on your weakest section.
  • if you are short on time, skip the practice! the most important thing you can do tonight is get a good night of sleep.
• review your error log and make yourself a “cheat sheet” of final reminders to review the morning of the exam. this can include things like “watch out for run-on sentences!” and “the area of a trapezoid is (base 1 + base 2)/2 * height.” (30 min) this youtube video can help you make a review sheet!
• review these last-minute test day tips: act tips for test day and pack your bag. (15 min)

day 7

• it’s test day, which means no last minute prep! do some light exercise, eat a full breakfast, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the test center. don’t forget your #2 pencils, calculator, watch, drink, snack, admissions ticket, and photo id.
• review your list of last-minute pointers before you go into the testing center so you can walk into the test confident that you have put in the hard work and are ready to show it!

bonus! one day act study plan for a last-minute refresher*

*disclaimer! you can’t fully prepare for the act in one day, and we would never suggest that! but you can learn how to be ready to do your best on the test tomorrow morning, and that’s what this guide is for!

if you only have one day before the act, there are certain things that will be a good use of your time and certain things that will be a bad use of your time.

here are the things that will be a bad use of your time:

• taking a full-length 2022世界杯入门名单. (don’t do this. it’s long. you are going to be doing that again in less than 24 hours. you will just burn yourself out this way, and it will be harder for you to focus on the real thing.)
• trying to study everything. (don’t bounce around trying to cram a little bit on every subject tested on the act. you will just add to your stress level and you won’t retain very much.)
• staying up all night to study. (don’t do this. get a good night’s sleep so you don’t make careless errors on the test.)

here is what is a good use of your time: this plan! it will take you about 2-2.5 hours to complete and you’ll be in a much better position to do well on the test tomorrow!

the one day act study schedule

step 1

• if you aren’t familiar at all with the act, take a few minutes to learn what is tested on the act and how scoring works (for example, you should know that there is no penalty for wrong answers, so make sure you answer every question.) read the “meet the act”, “general act tips and strategies”, and “act scoring” sections of the free magoosh act ebook. (30 minutes)

step 2

• watch these act-specific strategy lessons on magoosh act to help you learn how you can use clues on the act to pick up extra points on the math and science sections. (30 minutes):
  • science: using key terms
  • math: backsolving (word problems), vics – picking numbers (algebra), assumptions & estimation (geometry)

step 3

• learn the rules of commas, semicolons, colons, and em-dashes. you can find lessons on these in magoosh act under english: punctuation. you can also find information on them in our magoosh act ebook. the english test includes dozens of questions that involve punctuation rules. if you can brush up on your punctuation, you can easily pick up several extra points. (30 minutes) if you are a punctuation-master, watch a few lessons on magoosh act on the concepts you do need to review.

step 4

• check out our act math facts and formulas pdf and refresh yourself on some of the common math formulas you may have forgotten! (15 minutes)

step 5

• make yourself a “cheat sheet” of final reminders you can glance over the morning of the exam. this can include things like “watch out for run-on sentences!” and “the area of a trapezoid is (base 1 + base 2)/2 * height.” this youtube video can help you make a review sheet! (15 minutes)
• review these last-minute test day tips: act tips for test day and pack your bag. (15 min)

test day morning!

• on test day, don’t do any last minute prep! do some light exercise, eat a full breakfast, and give yourself plenty of time to get to the test center. don’t forget your #2 pencils, calculator, watch, drink, snack, admissions ticket, and photo id.
• review your list of last-minute pointers before you go into the testing center so that you can walk into the test feeling confident!