THE ACT

Short Cuts
What does it consist of?
When should I take the ACT?
How do I register for the ACT?
What are the ACT Test Dates and Registration Deadlines?
What should I do before Test Date?
What should I do during Test Date?
How Long should I spend on a question?
What about my ACT scores?

ACT OVERVIEW

ACT stands for American College Test, which is a stan dardized test administered by the American College Testing Program. The ACT covers more or less the same ground as the SAT, but with some important differences. Unlike the SAT, the ACT is curriculum based, with its test areas English Usage, Mathematics Usage, Reading Usage and Science Usage. It is geared to cover the principal areas of the high school and first year college curriculum.

Although most schools and the most competitive ones require the SAT, about as many individual students take the ACT nationally as take the SAT. Many southern and midwestern schools require the ACT, which is the dominant program in twenty-eight states. Some schools will accept either the SAT or the ACT.

The ACT includes some unique features that are not part of the actual test, but which are used to help high schools and colleges in assessing students' needs. The ACT's Interest Inventory, for example, includes some ninety questions on student interests. This information is also helpful to students, who receive information showing them how their interests compare with those of other stu dents nationwide. The ACT service also sends students in formation relating their interests to possible careers and college majors.

The ACT Student Profile indicates what extracurricu lar interests students have, what they have done outside of class, what majors and careers they are considering, and what services and programs they expect from their school. Colleges can use information from both the Inventor?, and the Student Profile to place students in appropriate courses. anticipate potential problems. help students find extracurricular activities that might be of interest to them, and generally gear their advisers to provide the best possible individual assistance. It is important to re member, however, that neither the Interest Inventory nor the Student Profile is actually part of the test itself. There are no right and wrong answers. These assessments are used only to provide additional information that might be of interest to high schools, colleges, and students them selves. The ACT takes two hours and 55 minutes to complete, and is divided as follows:

Performance on the ACT is a crucial concern of Colleges. Since the ACT is taken by students all over the country, colleges use the scores to as a comparison means of the students abilities and the potential success in college courses.

PARTS of the ACT

The English Usage Test (75 questions, 40 minutes) . This section stresses the mechanics of English. It exam ines a student's ability to recognize and correct common errors in standard English.

English Usage Test

Usage and Mechanics:Basic Grammar and Punctuation, Sentence Sturcture	40 Questions
Rhetorical Skills: Writing Strategy, Organization, Style	35 Questions


Your performance on the English Test tells the college that you are familiar with the grammatical structures of English and you have the ability to punctuate and write structured sentences. It also determines if you know whether some writing is organized and has consistent style.

Generally, five prose passage of about 300 words are given. You are asked to decide whether the underlined sections in the paragraph are correct, and, if not which of the provided alternative choices is the solution. Items can contain errors in punctuation, sentence structure or an aspect of grammar and usage.

The Mathematics Usage Test (60 questions, 60 min utes) . This section examines mathematical reasoning abil ity based on geometry and two years of algebra.

Mathematics Usage Test

Pre-Algebra and Elementary Algebra	24 Questions
Intermediate Algebra and Coordinate Geometry	18 Questions
Plane Geometry	14 Questions
Trigonometry	4 Questions




The Reading Test (40 questions, 35 minutes) . This section measures your ability to understand materials similiar to those read in college courses. The test consists of four passages, each about 750 words, drawn from four different areas of knowledge:

Reading Usage Test

Prose Fiction: novels, short stories	10 Questions
Humanities: art, music, dance, architecture, theater, history	10 Questions
Social Sciences: sociology, psychology, economics, political sceince, government, anthropology	10 Questions
Natural Scienecs: biology, chemistry, physics, echology, earth sceince	10 Questions




Generally, you can expect these passages to be in order of reading difficulty: the first is easiest, the last hardest. The order of the different areas is not announced. Many of the passages are taken from books, articles, and other publications. Each question is followed by four choices. To answer a majority of the questions you will need to draw inferences from passages, perceived implications, distinquish the author's intent, separate fact from opinion, etc.

The Science Test (40 questions, 35 minutes) . This section measures your ability to think like a scientist. You must answer questions about seven sets of scientific information presented in three formats:

Science Reasoning Test

Data Representation:graphs, tables, other schematics	15 Questions
Research Summaries: several related experiments	18 Questions
Conflicting Viewpoints: alternative interpretations of scientific matters	7 Questions




Information for this section comes from biology, chemistry, physics, and the physical sciences. Three of the seven sets of data are presented as graphs, charts, tables, or scientific drawings. The other three are summaries of research, and the seventh is a discussion of a controversial issue. Some mathematics may be necessary to answer some of the questions.

When should I take the ACT?

The ACT is given five times a year: in October, De cember. February, April, and June. If you need ACT scores for the schools you are applying to, follow the same gen eral schedule as suggested for the SAT: take the test the first time in the spring of your junior year, with a possible follow-up in fall term senior year.

AS A JUNIOR
1. You will have an idea of where you stand. This will enable you to make more realistic college plans, but more importantly give you the preparation time to prepare to retake the test later. 2. You can apply to a college for an early decision. Deadlines for most early decision applications fall between October 15 and November 15. AS A SENIOR
1. Your scores will be higher due to more courses and more experience. 2. Disadvantage - You will have the opportunity to retake the ACT but with less preparation time between exam dates. 3. You will easily meet regular college application deadlines, which usually fall between January 1, and March 15 for September admissions.

Registering for the ACT

The ACT is given serveral times a year. The exact dates, times and testing sites are listed in a free booklet called Registring for the ACT Assessment, which is available in the guidance office of your school. Or you can contact:

They will send you a booklet that comes with a registration form and an explanation of the steps you must take to sign up. The regular registration deadline is approximately one month before the examination date. After that deadline, you may apply for late registration until about two weeks before the examination.

The dates for the 1995/1996 Year are:

JUST BEFORE the ACT

Number 1 . Get a Good Nights rest the night before the test.
Number 2 . Get up early, eat a good breakfast.
Number 3 . Wear something comfortable.
Number 4 . Arrive at the Test Site before 8:15 A.M.


What to Take?

Your ACT Ticket of Admission.
Three or more Sharpened #2 pencils.
Identification - Your School ID.
A Watch
Candy or Gum, if you need it.

What to Leave at Home?

Books, Dictionnaries.
Electronic Devices.
Calculators, rulers, etc.

Number 5 . In the test area, get away from doorways, drafty windows, and radiators.
Number 6 . Choose a seat away from the proctor's desk and other distractions.
Number 7 . Listen to the proctor's announcements.
Number 8 . If you need assistance during the test, raise your hand to summon a proctor.

ANSWERING TEST QUESTIONS -- TIPS

Tip 1: Problems on the ACT are provided in increasing order of difficulty.
Tip 2: Do waste too much time on one problem; they all are worth the same amount so go on then go back to them.
Tip 3: Try to eliminate all wrong answers. Its better to guess between 2 choices, rather than 3 or 4 choices.
Tip 4: Use the Scrap paper provided by proctor.
Tip 5: It sometimes helps to work backwards from the answers.
Tip 6: On Math questions, work out our own solution if necessary.
Tip 7: Work Carefully, but Quickly.
Tip 8: If you find yourself loosing concentration, pause for a few moments then continue.
Tip 9: Answer every question on every test, even if you have to guess.
Tip 10: Consider marking your answer sheet in groups. For example, work questions 1 - 5 and note the answers on the test booklet, then after completing the 5th question transfer your answers to the answer sheet. This helps avoid mistakes on the answer sheet.
Tip 11: Pace yourself, use your watch to keep abreast of time remaining.
Tip 12: If you finish a test early, check your answers.
Tip 13: Be Confident!

ACT SCORES

Unlike the SAT, which deducts points for wrong answers, the ACT does not penalize you for answering incorrectly. Its scores are based only on the total number of right an swers you gave. The scores range from 1 (low) to 36 (high), with the national median at 18. 4. A strong ACT score would be 25 or higher.

Your ACT performance can help to offset mediocre grades and you can be sure that a good ACT score will never hurt your chances of getting into the college of your choice. If your score doesn't please you then, start preparing to take it again.

A FINAL WORD OF ASSURANCE

Remember, SAT, ACT, and the achievement tests are only one way to measure a part of your ability. They do not determine your future success in life; they do not even fully predict your potential academic success. If standard ized tests are not your forte, do the best you can and then forget about them. Concentrate on building your other strengths: your high school curriculum, your grades, your outside activities.

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