When students sit down for the ACT, many treat it like a race: finish as fast as possible, answer every question, and hope for the best. But the ACT isn’t just a sprint– it’s a strategy game. Just like chess, the key to winning lies not only in speed but still requires strategy; pacing, deciding when to push hard, and when to conserve energy. Same with chess: you don’t just move pieces randomly; you calculate the best move under time pressure, in smart, deliberate moves.
Tutors who can reframe the ACT this way unlock a powerful mindset shift for their students: success isn’t about doing everything, it’s about doing the right things at the right time.
Why the ACT Is More Like Chess Than Checkers
In checkers, every piece moves the same way, and winning often comes down to just speed and reaction. Chess, on the other hand, rewards foresight, planning, and the ability to see three moves ahead.
The ACT is the same:
Every section requires a different “piece”: Math, Reading, Science, and English all have unique rules and strategies. Treating them all the same (like in checkers) leads to mistakes.
Not every move is worth making: On the ACT, students don’t need to answer every question– they need to answer the right ones accurately. Knowing when to skip is as important as knowing when to attack.
Timing is positional play: Just like in chess, where controlling the board matters more than rushing, pacing on the ACT requires careful time allocation per question and section.
The Common Mistake: Playing Checkers
Many students approach the ACT like a reaction game: go fast, avoid running out of time, and rely on gut instinct. But this checkers-like approach leads to:
Careless mistakes on easy questions
Burnout midway through sections
Guessing sprees at the end of the test
Inconsistent performance across practice tests
It’s not surprising that, according to ACT’s own technical manual (2021), average composite scores have dropped in recent years– a sign that rushing through without strategy isn’t working for most students.
The Chess Mindset
Tutors who succeed on the ACT teach their students to think like chess players, not checkers players:
Evaluate the board (test section): Teach students to quickly scan passages or math sections and identify “low-hanging fruit.”
Prioritize moves: Students should attack the questions they can solve with certainty before moving into tougher territory.
Manage time like clock control: Just as chess players have to manage their time per move, ACT students should know how much time each question type is worth.
Anticipate traps: Wrong answer choices are like baited moves. Pattern recognition helps students avoid predictable mistakes.
How Evallo Helps Tutors Teach Strategy
Strategy isn’t just taught– it’s tracked. That’s where Evallo comes in.
Progress visualization: Tutors can show students not just scores, but patterns of mistakes– revealing whether they’re “rushing like checkers players” or “thinking like chess players.”
Timing analysis: Evallo highlights pacing issues so tutors can address when students are burning time on low-value moves.
Targeted planning: With section-level insights, tutors can help students build tailored strategies, not generic cram plans.
Accountability: Students see their growth in real time, reinforcing the payoff of strategic play.
Final Word
Winning a race still requires strategy– pacing, deciding when to push hard, and when to conserve energy. Same with chess: you don’t just move pieces randomly; you calculate the best move under time pressure.
With Evallo’s data-driven insights, tutors can take this metaphor and turn it into measurable results– helping every student play like a chess master on test day.
