Timing is a struggle that I'm sure most of you are facing. I faced the same struggle, but I would like to share my experiences in how I was able to resolve that problem.
First, always stay positive. I admit, I was pretty down when I consistently was not able to finish the first 3 times. Remember, it's okay and as they all say, practice, practice, practice. I cannot stress this enough. You cannot expect to get any better if you don't practice and refuse to reflect on your mistakes.
Okay, you've probably read many different threads that say different things. Some say to skim over the passages first and then go straight to the questions, and others say to go straight to the questions and play the game, "Where's Waldo." Essentially, there is no right answer. If you are unsure what to do, try testing out each strategy first and see what is best for you.
For me, the best way to approach the reading section of the ACT was to read/skim the passages and then go straight to the questions. I tried going straight to the questions, but I realized I was making careless mistakes along the way and essentially got lower scores. Even though I was able to somewhat get the "big picture" while going straight to the questions and finding the answers, it actually made me slower in a sense where I basically reread the entire passage more slowly in order to get the right answer. Therefore, this method did not work for me. Overall, I was slower at first by reading the passages and then going straight to the questions, but remember, you can always train to get faster. No matter how many times you practice, you will understand the ACT more and be a smarter test taker.
To get faster at pacing for the ACT, I recommend taking a Reading Section at least 3 times a week initially, and then every day when your test date comes closer. Although it may seem painful, hard work really pays off and you will get used to the routine. Trust me, I was a huge procrastinator before as well! I didn't start fully finishing the Reading section until I practiced about 5-7 times. You'll get better with practice, I promise
Some other strategies that really helped me was reading the passage, going to the questions that ask for specific information first(like the ones that say the word _____ from lines 3-4 nearly suggest....or in lines 7-8 the author basically means...) etc. This will force you to go back to the reading and understand the passage even more, allowing you to more accurately answer the Main Idea questions. Remember, the main idea questions basically are a one sentence summary of the passage. The ACT DOES NOT ASK YOU TO INTERPRET like in school. This is a big mistake that students often make. And in the specific questions, if an answer choice is not in the text, it is NOT the answer. Don't assume that it is an answer. The ACT tries to trap you by making realistic answer choices. Also, make sure to read the answer choices before diving into the text to find the line the question is referring to. You'll realize that disregarding the answer choices before going to the text will make you slower, since you actually have to look back and forth.
Sorry for the super long post, but I really hope that helps! Good luck to everyone!
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