ACT Reading Test

The ACT Reading Test measures reading comprehension skills through a variety of passages and question types.

Understanding Passage TypesQuestion Types and What They TestReading for Main Ideas and Details
Interpreting Author’s Tone and PurposeAnalyzing Relationships and ArgumentsMaking Inferences and Synthesizing Information
Applying Reading Skills to Everyday LifeCollaborative Reading and DiscussionUsing Reading Strategies in Other Subjects
Time Management During the TestActive Reading Techniques
Understanding Passag...Question Types and W...Reading for Main Ide...Interpreting Author’...Analyzing Relationsh...Making Inferences an...Applying Reading Ski...Collaborative Readin...Using Reading Strate...Time Management Duri...Active Reading Techn...
Basic Concepts

Reading for Main Ideas and Details

Finding the Big Picture and the Little Pieces

Reading for main ideas means grasping the central message or theme of a passage. Details are the supporting facts, examples, or descriptions that back up the main idea. On the ACT, you’ll need to spot both.

Strategies for Main Ideas

  • Skim the introduction and conclusion—authors often state the main idea here.
  • Look for repeated words or concepts.
  • Ask yourself: “What is this mostly about?”

Strategies for Details

  • Scan for keywords from the question.
  • Read the sentences before and after a keyword to get full context.
  • Watch out for trap answers with out-of-context details.

Real-World Use

Whether you’re summarizing an article, taking class notes, or following instructions, you use these skills daily!

Examples

  • Summarizing the main idea of a passage about climate change.

  • Locating the detail about the year a scientific invention was made.

In a Nutshell

Master the art of finding both the 'big picture' and supporting facts in any reading.

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Interpreting Author’s Tone and Purpose