We’ve put together the list of all the free ACT study guides that are available to students at this moment.
The problem with ACT test prep today is that it can be way too time-consuming and overwhelming piecing together all the free resources to put together a solid ACT study plan (not to mention how demanding ACT prep courses can be!). We still recommend purchasing and going through with either a home study plan provided by a top ACT prep book or course, but these free study guides can be used to supplement your studies and give you a competitive advantage on test-day… without the cost!
Let’s get started.
PrepScholar’s Ultimate ACT Study Guide
Read our in-depth PrepScholar ACT Review
We love PrepScholar’s ultimate ACT study guide because it lays out everything you’re going to get from going through this free resource and encourages you to pick and choose areas you need help on and skip sections that you are already confident in. This study guide provides you with strategies for each ACT section as well as prep guides for each.
All of the resources provided in this study guide are aggregated from PrepScholar’s blog, which means you can trust that they are being written by experts in the ACT prep field.
Union Test Prep’s ACT Study Guide
Union Test Prep’s ACT study guide is a little bit different from PrepScholar’s. They don’t spend the time going through the logistics of the ACT or study techniques but rather give you a no-frills two-page study guide for each section of the ACT.
Our favorite study guide is for the Math section, where they list out all the functions that you need to know. We’d suggest printing these pages out and using this as a last-minute refresher or rules before taking the ACT. This can also be especially helpful if the ACT prep book you are using does not give you a quick summary of what you learned that you can use as a quick study before the test.
Mometrix ACT Study Guide
Mometrix’s ACT study guide is interesting because they break out each concept for sections of the ACT with explanatory videos. This makes a great resource for those who prefer a bit more interactive study and prefer a break from reading! Mometrix provides plenty of practice questions complete with in-depth explanations to questions that are close to what you may see on the actual ACT test.
ACT.org Study Guide
ACT, Inc. actually has a free study guide, but it feels more like an official practice test than a study guide. Before the practice test, there are tips on how to to strategize taking each section as well as a breakdown of what kinds of problems to expect on the ACT, Reading, Math, and English sections. This is helpful as a practice test but is not enough as a standalone study guide.
ACT Study Guide FAQ
What is the best way to study for the ACT?
We recommend working your way through a reputable ACT prep book or online course as well as take ample ACT practice tests and review the solutions.
Is 2 months enough time to study for the ACT?
Studying 6-8 hours per week for 2 months will usually increase your score by 4-6 points. Whether this is long enough depends on your baseline score on your ACT practice test.
How many hours should I study for the ACT?
Generally speaking, 60 hours of study will increase your score by up to 4 points, 80 hours by up to 4-6 points, and 150 hours by up to 9 points!
Is a 27 on the ACT a good score?
A score of 27 puts you at 87th percentile of all ACT test takers, putting you in an acceptable range for selective colleges.
Free ACT Study Guides – Final Thoughts
You may find, through either looking at this list or doing your own research, that there just aren’t a lot of free ACT study guides out there. The majority of students who use these free study guides are also going to be practicing with ACT practice tests as well as working their way through a designated ACT prep book.
