What is the ACT?
The ACT is a nationwide standardized test that many colleges use as a guide to determine admission. The test takes about 4 hours and has sections on English, Math, Reading and Science. Scores range from 1 to 36, with 20 being about the national average score. Doing well on this test, along with a good grade point average, is necessary to gain admission to most of the prestigious colleges and universities. Many scholarships also consider this in determining who will be awarded money.
Who Takes the ACT
Each year over 1.5 million high school students take the ACT. Most students take this test in their Junior year, but many wait until the Fall of their senior year. Although t he ACT used to be taken just by college bound students, the following states now require all students to take the test, in order to comply with the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind:
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Kentucky
• North Dakota
• Wyoming
What is the PLAN Test?
The PLAN test is a “mini-version” of the ACT taken in the sophomore year of high school. It is designed to give students some experience taking this type of test and the results are meant to be a predictor as to how well students can expect to do on the ACT the following year. The PLAN test is administered by all schools in the following states:
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• West Virginia
Format of the Test
Although there is an optional Writing Test, the majority of students just take the English, Math, Reading and Science portion of the test. Each is multiple choice format and is timed. The English section has 75 questions in 45 minutes, the Math section has 60 questions in 60 minutes, and both the Reading and Science sections have 40 questions in 35 minutes. Each question has four answers to choose from, with the exception of the Math section, which offers 5 choices.
What’s All This About Guessing?
Unlike the other national college test, the SAT, the ACT doesn’t penalize students for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is in the student’s best interest to guess on questions that they are not sure of.
Isn’t This Just the Same as the SAT?
Not at all. In addition to the fact that guessing is not penalized on the ACT, the SAT tests three areas: reading, writing and math. There is no science section on the SAT.
Why is Timing So Important?
The most common problem that students experience with the ACT is running out of time before they have answered all the questions. Obviously, for a question that you don’t answer, you have a zero percent chance of getting the question correct, so keeping an eye on the clock and proper pacing is key to doing well on this test. If a student sees that they are almost out of time, it is best to just guess on the remaining answers in the hopes of getting
How is the ACT Just Like Life?
Because in life there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. And, like in the business world, you must prioritize where you will get the biggest bang for the buck. It makes no sense to spend 5 minutes on one math problem, when instead you could get three or four others answered.
The College Exam Tutor ACT preparation course begins with such an assessment, in order to help students work smart instead of just having to work hard. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com and sign up for the free newsletter.
The ACT is a nationwide standardized test that many colleges use as a guide to determine admission. The test takes about 4 hours and has sections on English, Math, Reading and Science. Scores range from 1 to 36, with 20 being about the national average score. Doing well on this test, along with a good grade point average, is necessary to gain admission to most of the prestigious colleges and universities. Many scholarships also consider this in determining who will be awarded money.
Who Takes the ACT
Each year over 1.5 million high school students take the ACT. Most students take this test in their Junior year, but many wait until the Fall of their senior year. Although t he ACT used to be taken just by college bound students, the following states now require all students to take the test, in order to comply with the testing requirements of No Child Left Behind:
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Kentucky
• North Dakota
• Wyoming
What is the PLAN Test?
The PLAN test is a “mini-version” of the ACT taken in the sophomore year of high school. It is designed to give students some experience taking this type of test and the results are meant to be a predictor as to how well students can expect to do on the ACT the following year. The PLAN test is administered by all schools in the following states:
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Minnesota
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• West Virginia
Format of the Test
Although there is an optional Writing Test, the majority of students just take the English, Math, Reading and Science portion of the test. Each is multiple choice format and is timed. The English section has 75 questions in 45 minutes, the Math section has 60 questions in 60 minutes, and both the Reading and Science sections have 40 questions in 35 minutes. Each question has four answers to choose from, with the exception of the Math section, which offers 5 choices.
What’s All This About Guessing?
Unlike the other national college test, the SAT, the ACT doesn’t penalize students for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is in the student’s best interest to guess on questions that they are not sure of.
Isn’t This Just the Same as the SAT?
Not at all. In addition to the fact that guessing is not penalized on the ACT, the SAT tests three areas: reading, writing and math. There is no science section on the SAT.
Why is Timing So Important?
The most common problem that students experience with the ACT is running out of time before they have answered all the questions. Obviously, for a question that you don’t answer, you have a zero percent chance of getting the question correct, so keeping an eye on the clock and proper pacing is key to doing well on this test. If a student sees that they are almost out of time, it is best to just guess on the remaining answers in the hopes of getting
How is the ACT Just Like Life?
Because in life there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. And, like in the business world, you must prioritize where you will get the biggest bang for the buck. It makes no sense to spend 5 minutes on one math problem, when instead you could get three or four others answered.
The College Exam Tutor ACT preparation course begins with such an assessment, in order to help students work smart instead of just having to work hard. For more information, visit http://www.collegeexamtutor.com and sign up for the free newsletter.
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