College Exam Academy

Unless you are really good in math, the ACT Math Test is probably the hardest for most people.  Unlike the other tests, it tests information that you should have learned in school.

If you read a lot, you will probably do well on the English and Reading portions.  You aren’t even required to know much of anything about science to do well on the Science test.  But if you don’t know the formula for the area of a circle, the only thing you can do is guess.

You can probably argue that one of the other tests is harder, and for you, your argument is probably correct.  But the Math test is the only one that really requires that you memorize information prior to the test and know how to use it.  For that reason, I think it’s the hardest overall.  I’m preparing a list of math topics that I think you have to know in order to do well on the Math test.  This list will also provide a checklist for you to see what areas you might be weak in.  Be sure to let me know what you think.

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Did you know that the ACT Test website has a new ACT Test question on it every single day?  Check out ACT Question of the Day.  The great thing about this is that not only do you a new question every single day, but when you click on the correct answer, it will give you detailed information about why that is answer is correct and the other answers are wrong.  There are some real gems of information that can be gleaned from those explanations.

They also have a twitter feed to remind of this and other ACT information at ACTSTudent.

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Due to the huge snow storm that blanketing the eastern half of the nation, the ACT Test has been postponed in many locations.  Be sure to check Rescheduled ACT Test Centers for more information about which ones and about the new test date.

The bad news is that some of you just wanted to be done today!  The good news is that you’ll get a little more time to prepare!

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If you are taking the ACT test tomorrow, good luck!  I hope you feel like you have prepared well and are ready to do great tomorrow.

By the time you get to the ACT science test, your brain is going to be fried, so make sure that you get a good night’s rest tonight (don’t stay out too late with your friends!) and eat a good breakfast in the morning before you go to the test.  These two things will help keep you going right through to the end of the test.  I hope you do great!

Be sure to have a

I’ve been running a survey at the side here, asking which ACT test you need the most help with and there are two that stand out.  As of today, most people want help with the ACT Math Test, followed closely by the ACT Reading Test.

So I’ll be working on some tips and videos to provide some help with the ACT Math Test.  I’ll also continue to do some posts on the ACT Reading test as well.

Surprisingly, not many needed help with the science test, and very few needed help with the English test.

So, math and reading it is.

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Surprisingly very little!  What I mean is that, unlike the ACT Math test, all the answers to the ACT Reading Test can be found in the accompanying passage.  The only thing you need to bring is your understanding of words and what they mean, and a willingness to think a little bit.

The ACT Reading Test does not rely on your ability to remember facts or information from outside the passage.  In fact, you might get the wrong answer if you use information from outside the passage.  Everything you need is stated in the passage for the questions you are answering.    You don’t even have to know a lot about the subject area of the passage.

Read and think carefully about what the words mean and what they are trying to portray.  That’s really important.  One of the best ways to prepare for the test is to read a lot and think about what the words you are reading are trying to say.  Look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary.  Ask yourself what the author is trying to say with the passage you are reading, both overall, and in specific paragraphs.   Learn how to do this and you’ll do great on the ACT Test.

Of course the ACT Reading Test is about the words.  That’s what reading is.  But so many ACT test takers forget that.   Almost every question on the ACT Reading Test can be tied to specific words in the passage, the question, and the answers.  You just have to find the specific words in the passage for the question you are answering and match them to the specific words in the answers.

There are several ways you can apply this.  I’ll talk about one of them here.

Some questions are answered exactly from the passage.  Some require you to do a little more thinking (see below).  However, there are usually a number of questions that can be answered directly from the passage.

For example, question #37 (from Preparing for the ACT, 2009-2010.  See Where to Find ACT Practice Tests for help in finding this booklet) has you find the one characteristic that is not represented by a yang condition.  To answer, you need to find the part of the passage that talks about the yang condition.  That is on lines 30-31.  It says that the yang condition causes “red face, fever, fast pulse, agitation”.  All of those are listed in the answers to #37 except one.  The one answer that is not is listed as caused by the yang condition is “pale face”.

There’s nothing tricky here or even much to think about except finding the place in the passage that is being referred to.  Find it and it should be pretty easy to find the answer.

Look at questions 17, 18, 19, 20, and 27 in Preparing for the ACT, 2009-2010  and see if you can find the location in the passage being referred to and then simply answer the question from the information you found in the passage.

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Like each of the ACT test sections, the ACT Reading test has a very particular format.  That’s good for you, because the more you know about the test in advance, the better you can prepare.

What do we know about the ACT Reading Test?

1. You always get 35 minutes to take the test
2. It always has four passages with 10 questions on each passage
3. Each test always has the same types of passages: Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science

You’ll have between 8 and 9 minutes to do each passage. You probably don’t normally read things that fast, but that’s what you’ll need to do to get through this part of the test.   Soon, I’ll share with you some tips and strategies to help you maximize your time.

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I’ve been helping someone with tips on the reading test, so I’m kind of focused on that right now.  I’ll be posting some of those tips, along with other that I have, soon.  Be sure to check back in the next couple of days.

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First of all, only take what you really need to the ACT test.  Extra stuff will just get in the way and usually won’t even be let into the testing room.

Here’s what to make sure you take to the ACT Test:

• 3 or 4 sharpened #2 pencils that have good erasers (this is important, make sure they erase cleanly and don’t leave smudges)
• your admission tick–don’t leave home without it
• your id (make sure it is acceptable id–check http://www.actstudent.org to see what is acceptable).  You won’t be allowed to take the test without id
• a watch so you can keep track of time.  Not all testing rooms have clocks.  Don’t rely on there being one.  If your watch has an alarm or beeps, turn it off!  If your watch alarm sounds during the test, you’ll be dismissed and your test won’t be scored.  Not good.  The test supervisor will tell you when there is five minutes left in each test.
• A calculator.  Make sure it is a permitted type (check http://www.actstudent.org for allowable calculators)
• A snack for the break.  It will do your brain and body good.
• A great attitude!

It’s best to get all these things together the night before the ACT test.  It’s one less than to worry about in the morning.

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