Limit what you outline - Don't forget to underline the main parts of a passage as you read it. The underlining helps ease the "Easter egg hunt" aspect of answering questions and helps ensure you don't lose track of any important information.
Make Notes Short and Simple - Effective ACT and SAT note-taking is different from how you were probably taught to take notes in English classes.
Treat ACT/SAT Notes as Labels - Treat ACT/SAT notes as labels for what is already within a passage. One to three words is usually enough to help you remember why a part of a fraction is important.
Write The main idea of the passage - Instead of writing out what the main idea of a passage is, just write “Main idea!” next to the relevant section of the text.
Find the Sweet Spot - The key is to find the sweet spot between these two extremes. The goal of annotating ACT or SAT reading passages should be to highlight the most important aspects of the passage.
Use your notes as reference points – students can use their notes as reference points to help locate relevant information within the passage and limit what they need to do with a small portion of the text Should read again.
Keep Notes Simple - The key to making effective annotations on the ACT and SAT passage is that less is often more.
Know What to Look for - With enough experience, students can come to predict which portions are most likely to be referenced in particular question types, despite the fact that the content will differ from test to test.