YantiPants
Mon, 19 May 2014 07:01:58 +0000

YantiPants’ Comprehensive Guide to ACT Success

INTRODUCTION:

Hey everyone, YantiPants here again. I have posted a few ACT tips as well as other bits of helpful advice on these forums earlier, however I felt it was time for me to put together a more comprehensive ACT guide. In my opinion, this serves as a very useful read for anyone going through and preparing to take the ACT, anytime from the next day to 4 years from now. The advice here is a compilation of not only my own personal experience, but things I have read and found useful when I was preparing (for instance Jeandevaches guide posted on these same forums), as well as advice from many top high scorers that I have talked to myself. Because this is meant to be a more comprehensive guide, it goes through a lot of the basics of the test that you might already know. If this is the case, feel free to skip to the sections that are relevant to you. Here I want to not only talk to you and make you familiar with the test, but ensure that you get the perfect combination of advice and practice materials in order to ensure that you have ALL YOUR BASES COVERED.

And a bit of a background: I took the September 2012 test and scored a perfect 36. I am also a National Merit Scholar and scores a 2230 on the SAT, so obviously while I am a pretty solid test taker my expertise lie with the ACT. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions that you feel weren’t addressed here.

BASICS:

WHY

-Used for college admissions along with other factors such as grades, extracurricular activities, and essays
-Used for scholarships

BREAKDOWN

-There are 4 different sections on this test: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science
-There is also an optional 30 minute Writing section. I recommend you take this because some colleges require it and it can’t hurt you too much: it isn’t factored into your overall score and colleges care more about your college essay than this.
-About 3 hour and 45 minute test
-Registration fee includes 4 score reports to colleges…you should probably use this if you are confident in your score
-Administered September, October, December, February, April, and June of every year
-I recommend taking it at least once or twice junior year and then going from there based on your score

SECTIONS

English
75 multiple–choice questions
45 minutes
Tests grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and rhetorical skills

Math
60 multiple–choice questions
60 minutes
Algebra I and II, geometry, and some trigonometry

Reading
40 multiple–choice questions
35 minutes
Four passages (prose fiction, social studies, humanities, and natural sciences) with 10 questions per passage

Science
40 multiple–choice questions
35 minutes
Questions on science-based passages presented with graphs, charts, tables and research summaries

Writing
Writing test is optional*
1 essay
30 minutes

BRING

-The essentials to bring are normal #2 pencils (at least 2-3), a calculator, and your registration ticket

You will also want to bring water, snacks, and a watch
-Make sure your watch does not go off during the test

SAT vs ACT

-SAT is considered a test of your aptitude, or your ability to learn
-ACT is considered an achievement test, or an ability of more of what you have learned
-Different people favor different ones
-Many people say that the ACT is more prevalent in the Midwest and the SAT is favored on the West Coast; while this may be true to some extent usually colleges look at both equally
-Take practice tests for both, use PLAN and PSAT scores to decide which ones you want to take
-We recommend taking both

PSAT

-Shortened version of the SAT that is taken by juniors all across the country
-Not emphasized much in the high school curriculum and by school, but it is more than just a practice for the SAT
-Used for National Merit Competition and Scholarships, and can be asked for in summer programs and other activities
-If you prepare for this, you are in good shape for the SAT
-Still not as important because colleges don’t specifically look at this test

Always remember, practice tests are a man’s best friend.

Everyone cramming for this test in the next week or two, realize how much you study for this test in the last weeks can shape the next 4 years of your life. Make the sacrifice. Put in the work.