Pacing and the Two-Pass Method · Lesson 1

The two-pass method

Every ACT section mixes questions you can answer quickly with ones that would take several minutes. If you work strictly in order, one stubborn question can cost you three easy ones at the end. The two-pass method fixes that by splitting the section into two trips through the questions.

First pass: go through in order and answer every question you can do at about the section's pace. When a question would clearly take longer, or you can't see how to start it, do three things: bubble your best guess, note its number, and move on. The guess matters: if time runs out, the question isn't blank.

Second pass: come back to the noted questions in order of promise, not in number order. Rank 1: you know the method, but the work is long. Rank 2: you've ruled out at least one choice but are stuck. Rank 3: you couldn't start it. Work the rank 1 questions first, then rank 2, then rank 3, and change a guess only when you've actually worked the question out.

Last minute: stop solving and make sure every question has an answer. The ACT has no penalty for guessing (only correct answers count), so a blank can never help you.

The two-pass routine
StageWhat you doWhy
First passAnswer the quick questions; guess, note, and move on from slow onesBanks every point you can get fast
Second passReturn to noted questions: rank 1, then rank 2, then rank 3Spends leftover time where it is most likely to pay
Last minuteCheck that no question is blankNo guessing penalty, so a guess beats a blank

Worked example Easy

On her first pass through Math, Ivy reaches a question she can't see how to start. According to the two-pass method, what should she do?

  1. Keep working on it until she finds a way to start
  2. Leave it blank and note its number so she can find it later
  3. Skip it without a note, then guess on every blank at the end
  4. Bubble her best guess, note its number, and move onAnswer

How to solve it

  1. The first pass answers only what can be done at about the section's pace.
  2. A question she can't start is slow, so she guesses, notes it, and moves on.
  3. The bubbled guess means the question is never blank, even if she runs out of time.

Why each choice is right or wrong

  • A. Incorrect. To keep working on it is exactly what the first pass avoids: a question she can't start could cost her several quicker questions later.
  • B. Incorrect. To leave it blank risks a blank if time runs out; the method bubbles a guess first, since there is no penalty for guessing.
  • C. Incorrect. Skipping without a note means she can't find it on the second pass, and waiting until the end to guess risks leaving blanks.
  • D. Correct. The first pass handles a slow question in three moves: bubble a guess, note the number, and move on.

Worked example Medium

Ravi uses two passes in Science (40 questions in 40 minutes). His first pass takes 28 minutes and leaves 8 questions noted with guesses. He wants to keep the last 2 minutes for a final check for blanks. How many seconds can he give each noted question on his second pass?

  1. 60 seconds
  2. 75 secondsAnswer
  3. 90 seconds
  4. 125 seconds

How to solve it

  1. Time left after the first pass: 40 − 28 = 12 minutes.
  2. Keep 2 minutes for the final check: 12 − 2 = 10 minutes = 600 seconds.
  3. 600 ÷ 8 = 75 seconds for each noted question.

Why each choice is right or wrong

  • A. Incorrect. 60 seconds is the section's average pace, not what Ravi has left; his quick first pass bought him more time per noted question.
  • B. Correct. 40 − 28 − 2 = 10 minutes = 600 seconds, and 600 ÷ 8 = 75 seconds each.
  • C. Incorrect. 90 seconds uses all 12 minutes (720 ÷ 8) and forgets the 2 minutes he is keeping for the final check.
  • D. Incorrect. 125 seconds reads 10 ÷ 8 = 1.25 minutes as if it were 125 seconds; 1.25 minutes is 75 seconds.