It is not sufficient to simply study test material if you want to perform well on the ACT. You must be completely familiar with the test, including all of the questions, reading passages, and subject matter that will be covered.
This level of test familiarity will significantly boost your score; it is far more effective than merely concentrating on test content. Everything you need to know about the ACT’s format, content, and question kinds will be covered in this article.
What is ACT?
In the US, applicants to colleges take the ACT (American College Assessment), a standardized exam. It evaluates the knowledge and abilities of high school pupils in the subjects of English, math, reading, science, and writing (optional). A thorough guide to the ACT is provided here, covering everything from registration to test-taking strategies.
Test Format
The ACT has five sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science which are compulsory, and a Writing section which is optional for the students. It is a multiple-choice test. The entire test lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes, with timers for each section. Moreover, there is a 40-minute writing section that is optional. The ACT is graded on a scale of 1 to 36, and the composite score is calculated as the mean of the four test results.
ACT Syllabus and Structure
English
Multiple-choice questions on the ACT English test cover the complete range of editorial abilities without requiring students to comprehend complex grammar jargon. The ACT English syllabus, which consists of 75 questions and requires 45 minutes to complete, is based on sentence construction and rhetorical skills.
Math
The ACT Math section has 60 questions and takes 60 minutes to complete. Students are given a time constraint of one minute for each question as a result. In ACT Math, the calculator is allowed, but only in certain circumstances.
The six components that make up the ACT Math curriculum span a wide range of subjects which includes Pre- Algebra, Elementry Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, Coordinate Geometry, Plane Geometry, and Trigonometry.
Reading
One of the most important parts of the ACT test is the reading portion, which consists of various reading passages and measures your analytical and presence of mind skills. Topics from social studies, general science, literary studies, and current events are covered in the ACT reading sections. The same 36 points apply to this section as they do to the others. There are four passages totaling about 800 words each, 40 questions overall, and a 35-minute time restriction.
If you would like to know more about how to boost your ACT Reading scores, please have a look at the effective tips that we are suggesting to our students: Check here.
Below is a quick summary of the ACT Reading curriculum:
Prose fiction
It is made up of passages from longer works or short stories. Most of the passages are contemporary, encourage variety, and are frequently focused on family relationships.
Social Science
Some examples of social science subjects include anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
Humanities
Personal essays or memories are frequently found in nonfiction sections in the humanities. Among the subjects addressed are theatre, radio, television, and the arts, including architecture, art, dance, ethics, film, language, literary critique, music, and philosophy.
Natural Science
Some of the topics covered in natural science include anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, medicine, meteorology, microbiology, natural history, physiology, physics, technology, and zoology.
Science
There are 40 questions on the ACT Science exam, and you have 35 minutes to find the answers. There are several science passages on the test, and each one concentrates on one of the following topics: physics, chemistry, earth/space sciences, or biology. One of three formats—Data Representation, Research Summaries, or Conflicting Viewpoints—is used to illustrate each passage.
Although the passages and queries center on scientific subjects, they don’t demand that students remember any particular scientific details. Instead, using the different paragraphs, graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams that each passage contains, students are asked to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate the information.
Writing (Optional)
There is an opportunity to take the ACT writing test. Whether to require the ACT writing test scores for admission and/or course placement is a decision that is left up to the individual colleges and universities. Depending on the requirements of the institutions they are considering, students will decide whether or not to take the writing exam.
How to do the registration?
Create an account on the official ACT website in order to apply for the ACT. You will be required to fill out personal information, choose a test date and place, and pay the registration fee during the registration procedure. Pick a date that works for you because the ACT is usually offered six times a year in the United States.
Here’s the step-by-step guide on how to do the registration: Check here.
Test Taking Tips
Learn about the ACT’s subject matter and question formats
Each ACT section evaluates a distinct set of skills and knowledge. so, how to get ready for the ACT How to prepare for the ACT Math will vary from how to prepare for English, and so on.
You should also familiarise yourself with the specific question forms and styles that the ACT uses before test day. Otherwise, even if you understand the queries, they might confuse you!
Be aware of your limitations
You’ll want to create a baseline of your own abilities once you have a general understanding of what and how the ACT tests. Finding your flaws will help you focus your preparation so that you can overcome them.
The best way to create a baseline is to complete an entire, timed ACT practice exam.
Select a goal score
Set a target score for how much you want to progress after getting a sense of your starting skill level. Your target score should be a number that you can realistically reach in the allotted period. It is entirely reasonable to see a 1-2 point increase from your baseline after a month. A six-point increase in that time period? Not really. Remember that gaining more points will require more effort from you.
Organize your study time
The following stage is to establish a regular study schedule. To prevent scrambling right before the test, it’s best to allocate a set number of hours per week to studying. Therefore, divide the total number of prep hours you believe you’ll need by the number of weeks until the exam to get an idea of how many hours you should prepare each week. As a result, if you have 12 weeks until the exam and you need to study 80 hours, you should aim to study for 6 hours and 40 minutes each week.
Methods for practice tests
To succeed on the ACT, you need to acquire the best test-taking techniques. Knowledge alone won’t cut it. The term “strategy” refers to things like mastering the art of eliminating incorrect responses, making educated guesses when necessary, time management, and other section-specific advice. You’ll be able to develop your own, unique strategy for each section of the test with the help of professional advice on the most effective approaches.
On ACT test day, be prepared!
Make sure to follow all of your best test-taking strategies to give yourself the best chance of succeeding on test day! Therefore, get plenty of rest the night before, eat a healthy breakfast that is high in protein, and remember to include pencils and a reliable calculator in your luggage.
Score Reporting
After taking the ACT, your results will be made accessible online in about two weeks. You have the option to submit up to four colleges your test results for free. Additionally, you can pay a fee to submit your scores to additional colleges. You can retake the ACT if you’re not happy with your result.
Here’s the list of the 5 top colleges that accept the ACT Scores: Check here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the ACT is a significant standardized exam used in the United States for college admissions. You can improve your odds of getting a good score and getting into your dream college by being aware of the registration procedure, test structure, content, and test-taking strategies.
