ACT Exam Preparation Notes

AFSA Overview and Housekeeping

  • AFSA overview with CFNC is on Wednesday, July 9th at 6 PM (virtual program).
  • Visit the website for more information after the program.
  • Put questions in the chat, and Alex will answer them at the end.
  • Housekeeping:
    • Turning off the door sound: Go to the top right of the screen where your name is, under customize, turn the noise off.
    • Camera and microphone will remain off.
    • The chat feature works; Alex has a monitor for the chat and participants and will manually turn on the chat for everyone. Please use it throughout the presentation for questions.
    • The session will be recorded, and a recording will be sent out by tomorrow.
    • A follow-up email with resources from Wake County and a copy of the slide deck will be sent by the end of the week.

ACT Overview

  • Briefly going over what the ACT is.
  • Talking about some testing policies.
  • Going through the format of the exam.
  • Focus on strategies.
  • Test-taking essentials: Strategies applicable to the SAT, ACT, or AP exams (any standardized test).
  • ACT-specific strategies.

Testing Policies

  • Testing policies have been evolving and changing, especially after COVID.
  • Most schools still do not have a permanent policy.
  • Test-optional policy: Schools will not require the SAT or ACT for admissions consideration.
  • It is not necessarily optional in terms of taking the exam or not; students should attempt to take the exam.
  • These policies keep changing, and there are scholarships tied directly to the standardized test scores.
  • Do not limit the amount of schools and scholarships.
  • Submitting the score: Weigh the pros and cons of submitting it.
  • College search tool: A free resource that shows percentile ranges of scores for schools. If the score is above or at the higher end of those numbers, submit the score.
  • If the score is in the middle or a little below, consult with a counselor.
  • Scores are important; schools are looking for high scores.
  • The decision to submit the score or not should be made with a trusted advisor.

Importance of Preparing for Standardized Tests

  • High school exams vs. college entrance exams:
    • High school exams:
      • Follow a specific pattern.
      • Limited subject matter (e.g., biology test only tests biology).
      • The teacher is ensuring a grasp on the content.
      • Flexibility built-in (extra time, partial credit, extra credit).
      • Only one element of the overall grade.
    • College entrance exams (ACT/SAT):
      • Completely different format.
      • Cover years of material in multiple subjects.
      • Need to understand both the content and the strategies.
      • Students may perform poorly even if great at the subject because they need strategies for standardized tests.
      • No flexibility, which increases testing anxiety.
      • The final score is the only one that matters.
  • Prepare for these exams by looking at free practice tests.
  • Cannot just wake up on the day of the exam and ace it without prior preparation.

Changes to the ACT

  • The ACT is changing; some call it the new ACT, but it is really the enhanced ACT.
  • SAT changed last year to a digital SAT.
  • ACT is a competitor, so it makes sense for ACT to make changes.
  • The ACT will have fewer questions, less testing time, and will be available on both computer and paper and pencil.
  • Old ACT:
    • Still available.
    • Four sections (English, math, reading, and science) and an optional writing section.
    • Writing is not opted in as often anymore, unless a program specifically requires it.
    • The exam is three hours long, with a lot of questions and not a lot of time.
    • ACT is known for being pretty straightforward. English has 75 questions in 45 minutes. Math has 60 questions in 60 minutes. Reading and science both have 40 questions in 35 minutes.
    • Reading and science have a good amount of information; so you spend time on source material.
  • Enhanced ACT:
    • A two-hour exam.
    • Less questions and less time.
    • English: 50 questions in 35 minutes.
    • Math: 45 questions in 50 minutes (answer choices went from five to four).
    • Reading: 36 questions in 40 minutes.
    • Science: 40 questions in 40 minutes.
  • Science and writing are optional.
  • If good at science, take science. If applying to a program where a science score makes sense, take science. If not good at science and it has nothing to do with the major/program, don't take the science section.

ACT Rollout and Dates

  • Changes to ACT are being rolled out.
  • Upcoming administration dates:
    • If you want to take the enhanced ACT, it is available right now as a computer-based exam.
    • If signed up for the paper and pencil version, that is still the old ACT.
    • Paper and pencil available in July and will still be the old ACT.
    • By September 2025, all ACTs will be the enhanced ACT.
  • Superscoring: They will take scores from two different administrations and add them together for an overall score.
  • Take the highest section scores from all administrations and add them together to get a composite score for an exam not taken.
  • Check if the school does super scoring when applying to schools.
  • If are going to take the old ACT and then you sign up for the enhanced ACT, you will be able to super score those scores together.

ACT Scoring

  • The ACT is scored on a 1-36 scale.

  • Each section is scored on a 1-36 scale.

  • Raw scores are converted to this scale.

  • To get the overall composite, they average these scores together.

  • All the questions have equal weight.

  • The optional essay is scored on a different scale (2-12). It has no impact on the composite score.

  • Example: Old ACT

    • English: 25
    • Math: 18
    • Reading: 28
    • Science: 17
    • Average: 22 (composite score).
    • Essay: 8 (separate score).

  • Enhanced ACT Scoring: Only going to get your composite score from the three mandatory sections (English, math, and reading).

    • If a student opts in to take both science and writing, science will be pooled separately and will have no impact on the composite.
    • Writing: No impact on composite score.
    • Example: Science 20/36, writing 36/12

  • What is a good score?

    • It depends on the schools interested in.
    • Use the college search tool.
    • Do not compare yourself to others.

Test-Taking Essentials: Content

  • The SAT, ACT, and AP exams all follow pretty similar testing strategies and content.
  • Analyzing reading passages:
    • SAT has shorter passages; ACT has lengthier passages.
    • ACT has four passages with 10 questions (old ACT) or 9 questions (new ACT).
  • Edit and revise writing on both.
  • Solve the exact same math: algebra, algebra two, geometry, and a little bit of trigonometry on both.
  • ACT will have a broader scope when it comes to math.
  • Science on both exams. The SAT will have science questions; the ACT has a dedicated science section.
    • Analyzing scientific data, interpreting experiments, reading experiments, and analyzing charts and graphs.
    • Not about direct recall of science.

Test-Taking Strategies

  • Process of elimination: Every single correct answer is in front of you.
    • Immediately look for answer choices that are incorrect and mark them off.
  • Pacing:
    • These tests are not designed to let students finish.
    • ACT Math section example:
      • 60 minutes, 60 questions.
      • Rushing through all questions leads to mistakes.
      • Example: Attempt all 60 questions, get 30 correct (raw score of 30, scaled score of 20).
      • Instead, only look at 45 questions (questions where know the math, feel confident, know will not take much time).
      • Give additional time per question.
      • Example: Answer 45 questions, get 35 correct (raw score of 35, scaled score of 22).
      • Statistically, filling in the remaining 15 questions (guessing) may get about three correct (raw score of 38, scaled score of 24).
      • Pacing is important.
      • Focus on easy questions.
      • Mark difficult questions for review. Once questions know can answer, then go back to difficult ones.
  • Letter of the Day (Guess and Go):
    • Never leave a question blank on the SAT or ACT.
    • Pick a letter (A, B, C, or D).
    • When you get to a question where you have to guess, put that letter down and move on.
    • Questions are equally distributed.
    • Statistically, you are more likely to get it correct by sticking to the same letter.

ACT Specific Strategies

  • English Strategy:
    • The task on the ACT English question is always going to be to improve the grammar and the mechanics of a prewritten passage.
    • The passage will be poorly written.
    • Each underlined portion will have an accompanying question to it.
    • Don't plug each answer choice into the sentence.
    • Focus on the answer choices!
    • What is changing in the answer choices?
    • Example Passage: A question is underlined, it tests Pronouns. Answer choices, the pronouns are being tested. Specifically, the number changes in the pronoun. Is it singular or is it plural?
    • Write singular or plural before every answer choice.
    • Pronouns in the answer choice need to be checked with the noun. (Residents, so tourists are called Fudgies).
  • Math Strategy:
    • The ACT in general does not have as many lengthy word problems as the SAT does, but it still doesn't mean that some of the word problems are pretty convoluting, kind of a little bit confusing in the way that they are asking things.
    • Simplify formula, math: Always uses PITA or Plug in the answer in math. (Every answer choice is going to be plugged into a formula and see if it makes sense).
    • Write this down: whether it's on a scrap piece of paper, whether it's in your test booklet, whatever it may be. (You need to remember what your answer choices are representing because if you kind of get confused on what our answer choices are representing, you can start plugging in the wrong answers, especially into a formula and get the incorrect answer).
    • Formula: Area = Length x Width. The area = 80; Length (L) and Width (W): L x W = 80. The width is exactly 2ft shorter than Length. The Answer Choice Represents the Length.
    • Start in the middle(smallest to biggest): (Always wanna start in the middle, and this goes for the SAT too. The answer choices always go from the smallest number to the largest number. So by starting in the middle, you're either going to be able to eliminate questions at the top or at the bottom).
  • Reading Strategy:
    • Each passage has 10 questions for the old ACT (9 questions for the new ACT).
    • Fundamentals: Preview the question. You only read the paragraph, so you know what is being asked/the main point of the paragraph you JUST read.
    • MULTIPLE CHOICE: Answer in head, it's about finding/understanding; Then it's the job of: What the ACT is providing doesn't always fit what the STUDENT wants to say and vice versa. (The main point is, What the Main Point is, for an ANSWER/Passage).
    • Go through each answer one by one. Answer the MAIN topic in question, based on the MAIN points, if possible. (It's the LEAST incorrect, based on what your are showing, if that makes sense)
    • Recycled Language to TRICK: This creates a false sense of correctness, as it is mentioned in text.
      Science Strategy:
    • Scientific Experiments have long text, charts, & data: The TEXT is what fools people, because People think: (I Need to understand all of the science behind the thing (question/experiment).
    • Pinpoint EXACTLY what material (Table/Experiment) you need to be looking for as related to the answer to the specific question. That'll help.
      Exams:
    • Tests can be taken and put in place by Junior Year: The spring of Junior Year is common. Beginning of Junior is possible. Fall of Junior as also a possibility.
      Always plan ahead what activities you will partake it. (What do you need to do for prep? What time is necessary to allot for Studying?).
  • Always aim to do AT LEAST 3 PRACTICE TESTS. The key to prepping: (Look at the schools you are applying and create a good game plan that works for You, YOURSELF. Don't have to take it more than 3 times though).
    If you do well when testing, great job. Prep Solutions, and more from there. (Always a good call to put testing days, so that just in case something doesn't work you like don't wake up sick/good on the Day/s. Always give extra and make room for error).
    Score reports is the name of the game, any questions E-Mail Alex to get them reviewed!