ACT Tips
The ACT has become a critical element to high school students’ college preparation. A simple score determines admissions, potential scholarships, and, sometimes, course placement. The ACT is a standardized test consisting of English, mathematics, reading, and science. Compiled of 215 multiple-choice questions with a completion time of 2 hours and 55 minutes, the ACT has driven many students mad. Fret not students, as below I have compiled a list of tips and must knows from Lamar’s own 30+ Club.
The English section consists of 75 questions that must be completed in 45 minutes. Although that might seem daunting, remember, English is the first thing you’ve ever learned. You have no reason to worry! Here are a few things to remember when studying:
1. The Simpler the Better
The ACT is not interested in seeing if you can make a short sentence longer. In fact, the ACT believes the best writing uses the least amount of words. Although the shortest sentence won’t always be correct, don’t be afraid to choose the shortest sentence. ACT writers purposely make answer choices wordy or redundant, so don’t fall into their trap!
If a question in the English section is asking you to reword a sentence or pick one that best gets the point across, the most concise answer is often the right one. The choices that are very wordy are usually repeating themselves or are grammatically incorrect.
-Patricia Syner, 32
2. Read More Than What Is Underlined
Although it may not seem important, the rest of the words around the underlined section matter. Although some recommend it, you don’t have to necessarily read the whole paragraph, just the small parts around your specific question. Yes, there are some questions that ask about the paragraph as a whole, but if you read what is underlined and what’s around it, you’ll develop a good understanding of the passage by the end of it.
Don’t waste time reading the whole passage, look at each question and then look back in the passage to find the answer.
-Isabel Price, 32
3. Don’t Forget Your Basic English Skills
There’s no way to go back and study all the English and grammar you’ve learned since Kindergarten. Rely on what you know and study it before the test. Be able to work with all of the following: punctuation (commas, semicolons, apostrophes, dashes, etc.), subject-verb agreement, choosing the right word (i.e. effect or affect), pronouns, and understanding relevance.
Commas come in pairs.
-Eli Mitchell, 30
I tend to put commas where they aren’t necessary, so I always tell myself ‘When in doubt comma out.’
Josie Hanegan, 32
The Mathematics section consist of 60 questions that must be completed in 60 minutes. That gives you one minute per question, but some questions shouldn't take any longer than 30 seconds. The best part about Math is that the questions are arranged in difficulty from easy to hard. Therefore, the first 30 questions are typically easier than the last 30. You may use your calculator, but ACT says that the whole test can be completed without one. Here are a few things to remember when studying:
1. Bring a Calculator
Even if you can complete the Math section without a calculator, you can store valuable information in it to save time. If you need formulas put in your calculator or need to know what formulas are most important, Mr. Cade and Mrs. Skipper are the people to ask.
2. Study Formulas
Even if you don’t know how to do the hard questions, some questions on the Math can be simply plugged into your calculator. See below for a list of ALL the formulas you will need for the Math section.
3. Know Mathematical Definitions
ACT writes more than just the simple symbols like + and =; sometimes, they use words. If you don’t know simple definitions, you will not be able to effectively study for Math. See below for a list of all the definitions you need to know.
4. STUDY!
The ACT Math is not easy if you don’t know what you’re doing. The ACT Math is composed of 33 algebra questions, 23 geometry questions, and 4 trigonometry questions. The math skills you learn in school will prepare you for the test, but remember, you might not have taken all the math subjects that can appear on the ACT. For example, there are four trigonometry questions on the ACT, but if you haven’t taken trigonometry, you might not know how to work these problems. Look at old ACT trigonometry questions for reference. Most, if not all, of high schoolers have taken Geometry and Algebra, so brush up on those skills before taking the test.
Stay calm! You know how to do more problems than you think you do.
-Tim Seymour, 31
The Reading section consists of 40 questions that must be completed in 35 minutes. In this section, you will find the following passage types: prose fiction, social science, humanities, and natural science. There is no time for games, so let’s get right into it.
1. Pace Yourself!
This point can not be stressed enough! You have to think quick and be quick. Stay alert and concentrate! You are given 8 minutes and 45 seconds per passage. Practice reading and answering questions in that allotted time. If you discover that one passage takes you only 7 minutes, use the rest of your time to work on a passage you struggle with.
If you’re running out of time, look for questions with line numbers. You usually don’t have to read the whole passage to answer those.
-Josie Hanegan, 32
2. Take Notes!
The ACT reading is an open-book test. If you take notes on the side of the passage, you might be able to find where you might look for the answer more quickly. Take notes on dialogue, proper nouns, main ideas, character feelings in prose or narrative, and comparisons and dates in the sciences and humanities.
3. Find Out What Works For You
You must practice the reading section to find out what works for you. Although the passages are in a specific order, that order may not work for you. Maybe you can answer the questions without reading the full passage. You might find it better to read the questions before you read the passage. There is no way to know what works for you if you don’t practice.
Pick which order you want to do the reading passages in before test day.
-Lake Morgan, 33
The Science section also has 40 questions that must be completed in 35 minutes. The Science section is reading with graphs with the following content: interpretation, data analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving. Just like the reading, PACE YOURSELF, read actively, and remember this is an open book test.
1. Pace Yourself!
The only way to know how to take the ACT science is to practice. The good thing about the test is that you don’t have to have any scientific knowledge to conquer this section. There are three types of passages and here is how you should time yourself:
Data passages
4 minutes
Experiment passages
5 minutes
Conflicting Viewpoints passage
6 minutes
2. Don’t Read! (Unless It’s The Viewpoint Passage.)
ACT knows that the hardest part of the Science section is the timing. They put the passages on the test to slow you down. Don’t fall for their tricks! The graphs in this section will be your best friend; they have all of your answers.
For science, don’t spend too much time trying to read and understand the experiments. A lot of the questions can be quickly answered by just looking at the graphs.
-Patricia Syner, 32
Go straight to the questions in science.
-Eli Mitchell, 30
3. Practice
The only way to know what works for you is to practice. Don’t waste time trying to find out what Blattella germanica or Salmonella typhimurium mean. No one knows and no one cares. This is not a vocabulary test, replace Blattella germanica with “cat“every time you see it if you need to. Remember, the questions range from easy to hard by passage.
Now that you know what to expect, let’s go over some general strategies for the test as a whole from our 30+ Club members.
Look for patterns in the test and understand your tendencies. After a certain point, you have taken the ACT enough to understand how it functions, so a method to improve your score would be to see what parts of the test and what kinds of questions repeat, and then go from there.
-Isabella Durgin, 34
Take practice tests! Focus on the subjects that are not your strong suit and figure out the commonly missed problems so you can learn how to correctly answer them.
-Madison Norris, 30
Work with a sense of urgency. If you do, you’ll typically finish more than if you don’t. It’ll also help you to stay focused.
-Josie Hanegan, 32
Don’t wait to bubble in your scoresheet at the very end, bubble as you go.
-Isabel Price, 32
The best thing to do when studying is to strategize how you will approach a certain section or question type. However, don’t get caught up in all the tips and tricks! Figure out what works for you and stick with it. Everyone’s test taking experience is different!
-Isabella Durgin, 34
On Test Day
Make sure you get a good night’s rest to prepare for the test!
Getting sleep will keep you focused on test day.
DO NOT study anything that morning!
You’ve done all you can at this point. Don’t try and look over notes that might get you confused and have you second-guessing yourself.
Eat a good breakfast!
During the test you need to focus and stay calm. You don’t want to have to worry about your stomach growling during the test.
Eat waffles before you take the test.
-Caroline Prewitt, 31
4. Take the test!
Remember! The ACT does not measure your intelligence.
You’ve got this, Raiders! Good luck!
Below is the information you must know for the Math section.
Definitions:
Integer- Any number that is not a fraction
Real Number- Any rational or irrational number
Rational number- An integer or fraction
Prime number- Any number divisible by only one and itself
Remainder- The number left over when one integer is divided by another
Absolute Value- The distance a number is from zero
Product- Multiply
Quotient- Divide
Sum- Add
Difference- Subtract
Consecutive- Integers in a sequence
Distinct- Non-repeats
Intersection- The point where two lines meet
Diameter- A straight line going through the middle of a circle connecting two points on a circumference
Radius- Half of the diameter; a straight line from one point on the circumference of a circle to the center point
Formulas to know :
Equation of a Circle
Area of a Triangle
Area of a Square/Rectangle
Volume of a Rectangular Solid
Area of a Circle
Circumference of a Circle
Pythagorean Therorem
Slope Formula
Distance Formula
Midpoint Formula
Trigonometric Function (sine, cosine,tangent)