ACT detail retrieval strategies
ACT Reading presents four passages (prose fiction, social science, humanities, natural science) with ten questions each, all in 35 minutes. Detail retrieval questions ask you to find specific information stated directly in the passage. These strategies cover going back to the passage instead of relying on memory, scanning for keywords from the question stem, and the trap of choosing an answer that is true but not stated in the passage.
The core principle
The answer to a detail retrieval question is stated in the passage. Go back and find it. Do not rely on memory from the first read. The passage is right there, and scanning for the keyword from the question stem takes less time than guessing. When the question mentions a specific name, date, or term, scan the passage for that word. When you find it, read the sentence it appears in and the sentence before and after it. The answer is almost always within a two-sentence window of the keyword. Underline or mentally mark key terms during the first read so you can return to them quickly.
The most common trap
Choosing an answer that is true but not in the passage
The question asks what color the protagonist's car is. You remember from your own knowledge that the novel describes a red car, and one of the answer choices is "red." But the passage on the test says "blue." The test writers include answers that are true in the real world or in the full novel but contradict the excerpt on the test. The correct answer is the one the passage states, not the one you know from outside. Always return to the passage and read the specific sentence before choosing.
Step-by-step strategy
When to use: any question that asks what the passage says, what a character does, or what a term means according to the passage.
- 1Read the question stem and identify the keyword: a name, a date, a term, or a specific detail the question references.
- 2Scan the passage for the keyword. When you find it, read the sentence it appears in and one sentence on each side.
- 3Match the answer choice to what the passage says. Eliminate any choice that the passage does not state, even if it is true in the real world.
- 4If two answer choices both appear in the passage, reread the question stem. The question may ask about a specific aspect that only one choice addresses.
- 5Verify the chosen answer by finding the exact sentence in the passage that supports it. If you cannot point to the sentence, the answer is wrong.
When not to use: when the question asks for an inference or a comparison rather than a directly stated detail. Use the inference or comparison strategy instead.
Related pages
Detail retrieval practice questions
Free practice questions with full explanations.
Comparisons strategies
Identifying what is compared and the basis of comparison.
Inferences strategies
What follows from the passage, not from outside knowledge.
ACT Reading practice
Browse practice questions for every ACT Reading topic.
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