ACT Strategies and Notes
“Our son’s test scores began to improve significantly after just a few sessions.”
General ACT Strategies and Notes
There is not a penalty for missed questions
Therefore you should guess if you do not know the answer
Accuracy is always more important than speed
Go at a pace that allows you to fully understand the questions and the answer options before answering
Most schools will ‘superscore’ the ACT
This means they will take the highest score you make on any test for a particular section
Rest the day before the test
Arrive early on test day
Time yourself when you take a practice test
The more practice tests you complete the better you will score
One-on-one review of the completed tests is the core of the ACT course
RELAX - YOU CAN DO THIS!
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Math Section Strategies and Notes
Many problems take only a few seconds some take several minutes. Learn to recognize difficult/time consuming problems and skip those and return to them later
The first ~50 questions on the Math test are generally of easy to medium difficulty. The last ~10 questions are where the more difficult problems come into play including matrices, complex numbers and the more difficult trig problems.
For geometry questions label the picture given with the facts given if a picture is provided. If there is no picture draw and label your own.
Avoid careless mistakes. Here are the top three mistakes to avoid:
Not answering exactly the question asked for - the last sentence in a math problem will almost always be where you will find exactly what you are being asked to solve for. Underline the piece that states exactly what is being asked for and answer that.
Missing a negative - be very careful to distribute all negatives where necessary
Missing a simple calculation - DO NOT DO CALCULATIONS IN YOUR HEAD
Immediately after reading the math question look at the answer choices. This will tell you/remind you of the format the answer is in and possibly other clues to the right answer as well
Create a math formula/fact sheet and write down any formula of fact you need to know - review this sheet until memorized prior to the test
Trust your instincts - often the only clear attack is the right attack but the final answer may not reveal itself at first. Keep on keeping on.
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Science Section Strategies and Notes
The questions are taken from lab based scenarios
The Science Section is essentially an exercise in technical reading comprehension. The student's ability to ingest and analyze scientific information is tested - very little prior science knowledge is required
Do the passages you feel most comfortable with first
Practice different passage strategies depending on the passage type.
For the Data Representation and Research Summary passages the charts, tables and graphs are critical information. Make sure when you do these passage types you understand what the graphic is representing. What data is being presented and in what units?
Once you understand the graphics either go directly to the questions or skim the passage first
For the Conflicting Viewpoints passage read the passage for comprehension prior to going to the questions
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English Section Strategies and Notes
The English section tests knowledge of ~50-100 grammar rules. The rules tested are very consistent from test to test.
Answer the questions as you go in the English Section
Eliminate obviously wrong choices
If multiple answers are grammatically correct the most concise answer is almost always the proper choice
Focus on the meaning and use of common introductory/transition words and phrases - also, therefore, furthermore, however, in addition, in conclusion, etc.
Eliminate redundancies
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Reading Section Strategies and Notes
The Reading section is based on a very structured template. All reading sections are very similar.
Determine the reading strategy that is best for you:
Skim passage first then read questions then refer back to passage as needed to answer questions
Read questions first then read portions of passage as necessary to answer questions
Read passage in detail then answer questions
Not one right way. What is right for you? EXPERIMENT!!!!
Underline key points in the passage when reading the passage
Underline lines that are directly referred to in the questions when answering the questions
Before looking at answers have your predicted answer in mind
If the question asks about factual content in the passage then the exact content is there - FIND IT!
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Writing Section Strategies and Notes
Read the Writing Test prompt then spend the next 5-10 minutes planning your essay
Write down a brief outline of your essay
Memorize the Essay Task prior to test day - it is always the same
Essay score is not part of the composite score and is optional
Essay structure:
Introductory paragraph
Clearly state thesis - your perspective
Transition sentence to body of essay
Two to three supporting paragraphs
These should be clear examples supporting your thesis and/or disagreeing with one of the given perspectives
Conclusion paragraph
Restate your thesis
Closing sentence
Use varying sentence structures and lengths. Rhetorical questions can work well.
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