To study or not to study? That is the question.
ACT testing is right around the corner for juniors. It’s scheduled for March 1-3.
Testing Coordinator Kara Shuell says juniors should know that ACT success is not solely based on knowledge acquired in high school, but also on how strategically test-takers work under time limits. “Time management is very important because overall it is a timed test. Students will be aware of how much time they have remaining due to the room advisors. Students should try to finish as much as possible because they utimately will not be penalized for wrong answers,” Shuell says.
It is hard for students to study for the college entrance exam because there is no way to determine exactly what will be on the test. There is a different version of the test printed every year to prevent cheating.
So where does that leave the students? In a bit of a quandary, students might say.
Junior Kevin Hines says, “I have started studying by just paying close attention in class when we do ACT prep. That’s the best way I know.”
To ensure that juniors are prepared for testing, The Southfield Jay compiled tips for all five portions of the test, gleaned from ACT study guides.
THE BASICS
The ACT consists of five sections: English, mathematics, reading, science and writing. Each section has a strict time limit students must follow. Familiarity with the test structure builds confidence. Using the following tips, the Class of 2012 can better meet the expectations of reaching Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the school’s second consecutive year.
The English portion consists of 75 multiple choice questions with a 45-minute time limit. It typically has five reading passages that each have a set of questions mainly based on grammar and rhetorical skills. This may seem like a large task to complete in such little time, but with the right strategies, test-takers can conquer this portion of the test.
Read the passages before attempting to answer the questions. If you read the passages before answering the questions, you can eliminate time consumption as well as unnecessary mistakes.
Use process of elimination. Don’t waste time referring to the passage for each answer choice available. Eliminate the obvious wrong answers to improve your chances of selecting the right answer.
Take a guess. The ACT does not penalize for wrong answers. If you come across a question you don’t know the answer to, do not leave it blank. Your best bet will be to take an educated guess.
The mathematics section consists of 60 multiple choice questions in a 60-minute time limit. This gives students about a minute on each question.
Geometry will be on the test. Be sure to brush up on your geometry skills. Geometry is roughly 40 percent of the math section. Conquering this portion of the test will give you almost half of the exam under your belt.
Pace yourself. Crush the easy problems as quickly as possible to free up time to tackle the more difficult and time-consuming problems.
Use calculator shortcut to solve problems. This will give you more time for challenging problems.
The reading portion of the exam measures comprehension skills. It consists of 40 multiple choice questions in a 35-minute time period. This portion of the exam typically consists four passages ranging from prose fiction and social science to humanities and natural science.
Your best bet is practice. Because this portion of the test is mainly based on comprehension, exercising comprehension skills is a must. Prior to testing, read practice passages in ACT study books available at the library, in bookstores or online.
Know your strengths and weaknesses ahead of time. Then when it’s test time, you will know what to focus on. If you are better at reading fiction, start with that passage. Is science your strong point? Start with that one.
Balance your time. If you have spent an ample amount of time on one passage, move on to remaining passages and questions.
The science section has 40 multiple choice questions and a 35-minute time period, much like the reading portion. There are typically seven passages, each followed by a series of questions. This portion of the test also includes graph and chart interpretations.
Don’t get distracted. Some terms used throughout the science portion are placed to throw you off. Don’t let scientific terminology distract you, either.
Use the passage to your advantage. The information needed to answer the questions is in the passage. If needed, refer back to the passage.
Charts and graphs are a significant portion of the science section. Brush up on your chart and graph interpreting skills to prepare yourself. In other words, practice by reading charts and graphs.
The writing section of the test is 30 minutes. Students respond to a writing prompt that usually concerns an issue relevant to high school students.
Make your position clear. Take a side of an argument. Stray away from contradictory statements. Then support your position. Give examples that bolster your argument. These can be references, life experiences or even indirect quotes.
Include a rebuttal or counterargument. After stating your position and supporting it, you need to state the possible argument of the opposing position. Tell why others may argue against you, but also state why you are correct.
Got all that?