Welcome to the Magoosh 2 Month ACT Study Schedule! Two months is a good amount of time to log some great prep before the exam–as long as you start right now and stay on track!
Save the study schedule below to your computer or phone, print it out, tape it to your mirror, check it off–do whatever you need to do to keep yourself accountable. You will thank yourself when you ace the test.
(If you have more or less than two months to study for the ACT, we have other ACT study schedules as well, ranging from three months all the way to one week before the big day!)
This is a weekly schedule that is designed to give you some flexibility. The ACT is important, but it shouldn’t be your entire life. You need time to do other things, and you’ll want to decide on your own which days you will devote to studying and which you won’t.
That being said, the weekly work should take you between 9 and 12 hours per week, so make sure you divide it up! Don’t try to do it all on Saturday–that would be one rough Saturday. Personally, I suggest studying for three days during the week for a couple of hours each day (this could include some study hall time at school!) and devoting about 3 to 6 hours on the weekend for things like practice tests and review. But if your schedule is more erratic, you can adjust it to whatever works best for you.
The point is to make sure you dedicate specific days to studying. Whether that means regular study on Monday, Wednesday and Friday or a marathon study session every Tuesday, decide in advance what your ACT study days will be. By the time you finish this study plan, you will have completed six full ACT tests and hundreds of additional practice questions. Not too shabby!
Table of Contents
Materials and Resources
- Magoosh Materials
- Official ACT Materials
- The Official ACT Prep Guide (a.k.a. “The Red Book”)
- Preparing for the ACT guide
- Official ACT website
How to Prioritize
If you find you can’t keep up with the study schedule during some weeks, the most important thing is to go easy on yourself and stay in motion. Make a note of anything you didn’t have time to complete, and you can circle back to it when you have extra time.
One way to save time is to begin each week answering practice questions and/or practice exams instead of watching lessons. Then, you can watch lessons linked to practice questions that you missed. You should aim to watch at least six lessons per week. Take advantage of the video speed settings and transcript box so you can skim through any lessons that don’t demand your full attention.
Jumping Ahead
To some degree, this schedule presents topics in order of increasing difficulty (especially for math), starting with pre-algebra in the early weeks and covering trigonometric functions and matrices in the final weeks. And yet, most students are stronger in pre-algebra and algebra than in advanced algebra. Therefore, it can be very useful to skim these later weeks in the beginning of your prep and watch some of these advanced lessons.
In fact, it’s always okay to watch lessons earlier than they’re scheduled or watch them out of order. You’ll also notice that when you finish answering and reviewing a practice question, lesson titles pop up with links to the videos that teach topics related to the question you just answered. If you have time, take the opportunity to watch some! You can always skim the transcript and then decide if it’s worth watching all the way through.
Remember that this is your study schedule: it’s perfectly fine to forgo some lessons in order to make time in your schedule for the ones you need to watch.
Weekly Tasks
Each week, there are 3-5 things to do, including:
Magoosh Lessons
Our lesson videos are meant to give you strategy tips and background information. If you’re already comfortable with a topic already (percents and ratios, for example), you may decide to go through a lesson quickly or skip over it entirely. Be careful when you do that, though, because you might skip over helpful tips and tricks you didn’t know.
Magoosh Practice
You can customize a practice session regarding the topics for a given week by clicking the “Practice” tab at the top of the page of your Magoosh account. Make sure you watch the explanation video if you get a question wrong. Reviewing each and every question you get wrong and learning how to avoid the same mistakes in the future is the most important part of your ACT preparation.
Optional Blog Reading and Video Watching
The optional ACT blog posts and videos are a great supplement to Magoosh lessons, as they will provide you with additional test tips and strategy advice.
Practice Test
Once a week, you’ll need to set aside approximately 1.5 to 2 hours for a half test or approximately 3.5 hours for a full-length practice test. You can practice using the official released ACT tests or Magoosh tests. You cannot skip out on these practice tests. The ACT is a marathon—you’ll need to build up the stamina needed for success on such a long test.
Optional Quizzes
Some lesson groups end with short quizzes, which will help you practice specific concepts and skills.
2 Month ACT Study Schedule
A quick note: to make this plan relatively easy to navigate, we have hidden the content of each week, so that you can reveal it only when you’re ready to tackle it. Just click on each week to see the corresponding tasks and click the heading again to hide them when you’re done!
Month 1
Week 1: English and Math
Magoosh Lessons
Tips & Strategies
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- Welcome! Getting Started with Magoosh
- Intro to the ACT Sections: Introduction to the ACT English Test
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- Intro to the ACT Sections: Introduction to the ACT Math Test
English
Math
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- Math Strategy: Backsolving (General Math Strategies)
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- Math Strategy: Picking Numbers (General Math Strategies)
- Mental Math: Estimation (General Math Strategies)
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- Assumptions & Estimation (Geometry) (The lesson videos above will help you learn how to attack math problems on the ACT using smart strategies instead of the methods you normally apply in school.)
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- Properties of Real Numbers (Arithmetic and Fractions)
- Intro to Decimals (Arithmetic and Fractions) OR Fraction Properties – I (Arithmetic and Fractions)
- Simplifying Expressions (Algebra)
- Multiplying Expressions (Algebra)
- Percent Increases and Percent Decreases (Percents and Ratios)
- Ratios and Rates (Percents and Ratios)
Magoosh Practice
- 2 English Passages (30 Questions)
- 30 Math Questions (custom practice set for: Arithmetic & Fractions, Word Problems, Percents & Ratios, and Algebra)
- Review the text or video explanations for any questions you got wrong, and start keeping an error log with notes on the questions you struggled with. (After you complete the questions, you can do this by going to the “practice” tab and setting the question pool to “incorrect” and the number of questions to “no limit.”)
- 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
Half Practice Test
- Complete the English and Math Sections from Test 1 in The Official ACT Prep Guide. Make sure you set aside the time to practice these back-to-back. You are practicing stamina!
- Check your answers and continue to update your error log.
Optional Blog Reading
- How to Study for the ACT
- How to Study for an ACT Retake (if applicable)
- ACT Math
- Math Formulas on the ACT
- ACT English
- ACT English Study Guide
Week 2: Reading and Science
Magoosh Lessons
Tips & Strategies
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- Should you set a Score Goal? OR Registering for the ACT (What Students Need to Know)
- How to Focus and Master Distractions
- Intro to the ACT Exam Sections: Introduction to the ACT Reading Test
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- Intro to the ACT Exam Sections: Introduction to the ACT Science Test
Reading
- ACT Reading Passage Types
- ACT Reading Question Types
- Approaching Passages
- Trap Answer Choices
- Basic Strategies
Science
- Intro to Science Test Passage Types
- Using Key Terms
- Unfamiliar Terms
- Understanding Tables, Graphs, and Figures
- Finding Trends and Patterns
Magoosh Practice
- 2 Reading passages (20 questions)
- 2 Science Data Representation passages, 2 Science Research Summaries passages (go to the “practice” tab and set the “Section” to Data Representation and Research Summaries, respectively, under “custom practice”)
- Review text and/or video explanations for incorrect answers, and update your error log.
Optional Blog Reading
- ACT Science
- ACT Science Practice
- Science Topics on the ACT
- Has the Format of the ACT Science Test Changed?
- ACT Reading
- The Complete Guide to ACT Pacing and Time Management: Reading
Half Practice Test
Complete the Reading and Science Sections from Test 1 in The Official ACT Prep Guide. Make sure you set aside the time to practice these back-to-back. You are practicing stamina!
Check your answers and continue to update your error log.
Week 3: English and Math
Magoosh Lessons
English
- Misplaced Modifiers OR Conjunctions
- Parallelism
- Sentence Fragments
- Writer’s/Essay Goal
- Adding or Deleting Sentences OR Least Acceptable Questions
- Best Illustration Questions
- Introducing and Concluding Paragraphs OR Transitions
- Ordering Sentences and Paragraphs
Math
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- Triangles – Part I (Geometry)
- Triangles – Part II (Geometry)
- Right Triangles (Geometry)
- Circles (Geometry) OR Circles, Arcs, and Sectors (Geometry)
- Rectangular Solids (Geometry)
- Cylinders, Cones, Spheres (Geometry)
Magoosh Practice
- 2 English Passages (30 questions)
- 30 Math Problems set for: Geometry, Algebra, Percents & Ratios
Practice Questions
Complete all of the practice questions from the “Improving Your _____ Score” chapters of The Official ACT Prep Guide. Think of this as a practice test with a little more guidance and a few more mental breaks.
Give yourself 3.5 hours of COMPLETE SOLITUDE for this. No phone, no music, no internet, and no TV! Make sure to review your error log before you begin so that the mistakes you want to avoid are fresh in your mind. We’ll talk about the essay starting next week in this study schedule, so for right now, don’t worry about it.
Week 4: Reading, Science, and Essay
Magoosh Lessons
Reading
Science
- The Conflicting Viewpoints Passage
- Answering “Yes/No, Because” Questions
- Finding Clues in the Answer Choices
Writing
Note: if you are taking the essay, or if you are not sure, make sure to complete all the lessons and essay practice below!
Magoosh Practice
- 2 Reading passages (20 questions)
- 2 Conflicting Viewpoints passages (set the Section to “Conflicting Viewpoints”), 1 Research Summaries Passage, 1 Data Representation Passage
- Review all incorrect answers. Go to the “practice” tab, set the question pool to “incorrect” and the number of questions to “no limit.” Continue to update your error log.
Optional Blog Reading
Half Practice Test
Complete the Reading and Science sections from Test 3 of The Official ACT Prep Guide. Remember to find a quiet space, time yourself, and update your error log when you are done!
Month 2
Week 5: English, Math, and Essay
Magoosh Lessons
English
Math
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- The Coordinate Plane (Coordinate Geometry)
- Graphing Lines (Coordinate Geometry)
- Slope (Coordinate Geometry) or Distance Between Two Points (Coordinate Geometry)
- Reflections in the x-y plane (Coordinate Geometry)
- Rotations in the x-y plane (Coordinate Geometry)
- Regions of Inequalities (Coordinate Geometry)
- FOIL Method (Algebra)
- Two Equations, Two Unknowns – I (Algebra)
- Inequalities – I (Algebra) or Inequalities — II (Algebra)
Writing
Magoosh Practice
- 30 Math Problems set for: Arithmetic & Fractions, Powers & Roots, Word Problems, Algebra, Percents & Ratios, Geometry, Coordinate Geometry and Integer Properties
- 2 English Passages (30 Questions)
- Review all incorrect answers. Go to the “practice” tab, set the question pool to “incorrect” and the number of questions to “no limit.” Remember to update your error log.
Optional Blog Reading
It’s about that point in the study schedule where studying and life might be getting to you a little bit, so let’s talk about getting refreshed!
- Taking a Break (equally applicable to ACT or SAT!)
- How to Stay Awake and Aware
- The Best Napping Techniques
Half Practice Test + Essay Practice
Complete the English and Math sections from Test 3 from The Official ACT Prep Guide. Remember to find a quiet space, time yourself, and update your error log when you are done!
If you are taking the essay, practice outlining an essay from the ACT here or use one of Magoosh’s practice essays (go to the “practice” tab, select “practice test” and skip to the end of a practice test to find a prompt).
Week 6: Everything
Magoosh Lessons
English
Math
This is a long list, but watch at least four of these lessons. Focus on areas you need to review
- Law of Exponents – I (Powers and Roots) OR Law of Exponents – II (Powers and Roots)
- Negative Exponents (Power and Roots)
- Square Roots (Powers and Roots)
- Intro to SOHCAHTOA (Trigonometry)
- SOHCAHTOA and Special Triangles (Trigonometry)
- Fundamental Trig Identities (Trigonometry)
- Trigonometric Functions (Trigonometry)
- Inverse Trig Functions (Trigonometry)
- Matrices I (Trigonometry)
- Matrices II (Trigonometry)
Writing
Magoosh Practice
- 20 English Questions
- 20 Math Questions set for all categories
- 20 Reading Questions
- 3 Science Passages (of any type)
Optional Blog Reading
- Lifehack: Posture
- Lifehack: Get Rid of Decision Fatigue
- The Best Food for Stress Relief
- The Complete Guide to ACT Pacing and Time Management
Full Practice Test
You’ll be taking Test 2 in The Official ACT Prep Guide.
Remember: try to mimic the conditions of the test as closely as possible. Find a quiet place and to complete the practice test in the allotted time limits. Make sure to review your error log before you begin so that the mistakes you want to avoid are fresh in your mind.
If you are taking the Writing test, make sure to write a complete essay and compare it to the sample essays in the book. You can also use a sample essay from Magoosh (go to the “practice” tab, select “practice test,” and skip to the essay section).
Week 7: Everything
Magoosh Lessons
Math
This is a long list, but watch at least four of these lessons. Focus on areas you need to review.
-
- Absolute Value Equations (Algebra)
- Work Questions (Word Problems)
- Intro to Motion Questions (Word Problems)
- Average Speed (Word Problems)
- Arithmetic Sequences (Word Problems)
- Geometric Sequences (Word Problems)
- Intro to ACT Data Interpretation (Data Interpretation)
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- Types of Graphics (Data Interpretation)
- Tables of Values (Data Interpretation)
- Intro to Complex Numbers (Extra Topics)
- Logarithms I, Logarithms II, Logarithms III (Extra Topics)
- Circles in the x-y Plane (Coordinate Geometry)
- Mean, Median, Mode (Statistics)
- Weighted Averages (Statistics)
Magoosh Practice
- 20 English Questions
- 20 Math Questions set for all categories
- 20 Reading Questions
- 3 Science Passages (of any type)
- Review all incorrect answers. Go to the “practice” tab, set the question pool to “incorrect” and the number of questions to “no limit.” Update your error log!
Full Practice Test
Use the practice test at the back of the Preparing for the ACT guide–it is the most recently released ACT test available! Print it out, and make sure you set aside the time to complete the test in one sitting. Remember to review your error log before you begin so you are on the lookout for anything that normally trips you up. I recommend taking this one at a library or other quiet place where you are surrounded by other people (just like test day).
If you are taking the essay, make sure to do the essay as well and ask a trusted friend, parent, or teacher to grade it using the ACT rubric. Check your answers and continue to update your error log.
Week 8: Final Review + Test Day!
During this week, rest is the most important thing. Make sure to get plenty of sleep each night, even if it comes at the expense of the practice suggested below.
In fact, you should consider practice this week to be optional. The only essential components are that you review your error log, make your “cheat sheet” for test day review, pack your bag, and get sleep!
Magoosh Lessons
Tips & Strategies Lessons
Math
-
- Introduction to Counting (Counting)
- Fundamental Counting Principle (Counting)
- Intro to Probability (Probability)
- Arithmetic with Complex Numbers (Extra Topics)
- Transformation of Functions (Extra Topics)
- Formal Logic (Extra Topics)
Magoosh Practice
-
- 20 English Questions
- 20 Math Questions set for all categories
- 20 Reading Questions
- 3 Science Passages (of any type)
- Review all incorrect answers. Go to the “practice” tab, set the question pool to “incorrect” and the number of questions to “no limit.” Update your error log!
- Review your error log and re-watch any lessons on topics you have continued to struggle with.
- Watch any additional math videos on topics you are uncertain about (or want to view the more advanced videos on).
Optional Blog Reading
- Video: How to Have a Great ACT Test Day
- ACT Tips for Test Day
- Top Ten Things to Avoid Doing on Your ACT Test Day
The Day Before Your Test
- Review your entire 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.”
- Review last-minute test day tips once more and pack your bag.
- Relax. Do something you enjoy. Go to bed early for at least several days before the test.
Test Day!
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:
- #2 pencils (not mechanical)
- calculator
- watch
- drink
- snack
- admissions ticket
- photo ID
- jacket or sweatshirt
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 two months of hard work and are ready to show it!
Materials for Extra Practice
If you’re looking for more practice (maybe you have longer than two months to study or you’re a very efficient studier), try…
Magoosh ACT Practice Test PDF
Magoosh’s ACT Practice Exam features over 200 of our premium questions in printable, PDF form. Take it like you would any other timed practice test, then watch the explanation videos for the questions you missed.
Magoosh ACT Practice Test PDF
If you’re looking for a little more help as you use this schedule, check out our ACT Study Guide. It includes additional resources to accompany this Two Month Study Schedule, including a printable study calendar and printable checkpoints to help you track your progress.
Magoosh Video Lessons
There are several ACT video lessons on Magoosh that we don’t have time for in this 2-month plan. This is particularly true regarding Math. There are also many Math video lessons that cover more foundational topics or take a more advanced look at them. When you have extra time, watch the lesson videos on the topics you feel you need the most. Or feel free to substitute or add in more advanced or more basic Math lessons depending on your comfort level. For extra practice, you can always practice with additional questions in Magoosh or use the practice questions on the ACT website.
Conclusion
Phew — that was a lot. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t be! If you have two months before taking the ACT, you’re actually in pretty good shape if you start preparing right now. If you take this two-month ACT study schedule week by week and always make sure that you’re never behind, you’ll find that your preparation will be a breeze, which will do wonders for your confidence levels on test day.
So what are you waiting for? Start your two-month ACT preparation today!
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