2 answers
Dakota
Student
North Platte, Nebraska
3
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ACT study schedule?
As a sophomore, I plan on taking the ACT this year. I am hoping to score a 25 or higher. What practice/study schedules work best? What times? How long? How many practice tests? etc.
Thanks!
#JULY20
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2 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1591
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Dakota applying to college is a demanding process, and for many students, taking the ACT is usually one of the more challenging steps. Fortunately, a good ACT prep book can help alleviate a lot of your concern and worry surrounding the test and help you achieve your best possible score.
The ACT is a standardized test designed to measure college readiness. There are 5 sections divided by subject that contain questions that require use of your reasoning, problem solving and critical reading skills. The ACT sections are:
• English – 75 multiple-choice questions – 60 minutes;
• Math – 60 multiple-choice questions – 60 minutes;
• Reading – 40 multiple-choice questions – 35 minutes;
• Science – 40 multiple-choice questions – 35 minutes; and
• Writing (optional) – Essay – 40 minutes
HOW THE ACT IS SCORED
The scale score range for each of the multiple-choice tests is 1-36, and the average of these four scores makes up the composite score (rounded to the nearest whole number). Your writing will be scored on a scale of 1-6 by two reviewers, and then those scores will be combined to give your total writing score (anywhere from 2-12). You will also get a STEM score that provides a composite of your science and math scores, and an ELA score that is made up of your scores from the English and reading (and writing, if applicable) sections.
ACT TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
• Start at the beginning, but don't be afraid to skip questions. Move on from questions that are too difficult or will take too long.
• Remember that each question is worth the same amount. Prioritize questions you can answer, so that there is time to return to unanswered ones.
• Use formulas and let your calculator work for you in the math section. Practice so that you know what you need to work out by hand and what your calculator can help you with.
• Set and follow an answering pace. Stay on track by checking the time every 10 questions or so. For example, the English section gives 45 minutes to answer 75 questions, which works out to around 17 questions every 10 minutes.
• Leave some time to revisit skipped questions. Remember those questions you skipped on your first pass? Allocate time to go back and answer them.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
The best way to feel confident on test day is to practice as much as you can. Practice smart by focusing on the material that you need to improve. You can do this by keeping track of the questions you get wrong; go back and discover why you got these questions wrong and how you can get it right next time. Another good practice tip is to time yourself for every practice test you take. This will help you figure out proper pacing and prepare you for test day.
Hope this Was Helpful Dakota
Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of ACT Practice Problems
Barron's ACT, 3rd Edition: With Bonus Online Tests
Barron's ACT 36 with Online Test: Aiming for the Perfect Score
ACT Prep Plus 2019: 5 Practice Tests + Proven Strategies + Online
Cracking the ACT with 6 Practice Tests, 2019 Edition: 6 Practice Tests + Content Review + Strategies
The ACT is a standardized test designed to measure college readiness. There are 5 sections divided by subject that contain questions that require use of your reasoning, problem solving and critical reading skills. The ACT sections are:
• English – 75 multiple-choice questions – 60 minutes;
• Math – 60 multiple-choice questions – 60 minutes;
• Reading – 40 multiple-choice questions – 35 minutes;
• Science – 40 multiple-choice questions – 35 minutes; and
• Writing (optional) – Essay – 40 minutes
HOW THE ACT IS SCORED
The scale score range for each of the multiple-choice tests is 1-36, and the average of these four scores makes up the composite score (rounded to the nearest whole number). Your writing will be scored on a scale of 1-6 by two reviewers, and then those scores will be combined to give your total writing score (anywhere from 2-12). You will also get a STEM score that provides a composite of your science and math scores, and an ELA score that is made up of your scores from the English and reading (and writing, if applicable) sections.
ACT TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
• Start at the beginning, but don't be afraid to skip questions. Move on from questions that are too difficult or will take too long.
• Remember that each question is worth the same amount. Prioritize questions you can answer, so that there is time to return to unanswered ones.
• Use formulas and let your calculator work for you in the math section. Practice so that you know what you need to work out by hand and what your calculator can help you with.
• Set and follow an answering pace. Stay on track by checking the time every 10 questions or so. For example, the English section gives 45 minutes to answer 75 questions, which works out to around 17 questions every 10 minutes.
• Leave some time to revisit skipped questions. Remember those questions you skipped on your first pass? Allocate time to go back and answer them.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
The best way to feel confident on test day is to practice as much as you can. Practice smart by focusing on the material that you need to improve. You can do this by keeping track of the questions you get wrong; go back and discover why you got these questions wrong and how you can get it right next time. Another good practice tip is to time yourself for every practice test you take. This will help you figure out proper pacing and prepare you for test day.
Hope this Was Helpful Dakota
Doc recommends the following next steps:
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1738
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Dakota!
"when" to study is a question that only you can answer! Study when your brain is most receptive to learning! Are you a night owl or an early bird? There's your answer.
Schedule: jumping to the end. Remember to take a day of rest the day prior to the exam. No studying. Eat well, Exercise, Sleep well. All important.
Study regularly. Try to set aside 45 minutes a day. That will give you to 20 minute study sessions, and a five minute break. If you have lots of free time, Do two such sessions a day, morning and evening, for example, each one 45 minutes. How? I like flashcards. Sometimes pictures. depends what I am studying. Do a practice test to get an idea of what your scores are, and that will tell you where you need to improve.
Now, this seems counterintuitive. I have learned that I can increase my scores easier if I study my strong subjects! That is, I can spend a little time studying vocabulary and get far better results than had I spent that time studying science. However, you don't want to totally blow off those subjects either.
A test taking tip. When you walk in the door, accept that there WILL be something on that test that you don't know. If you absolutely have no idea, take your best guess and move on. If you can, try to narrow it down first before guessing. There's no sense in stressing over stuff you don't know!
How to take a BEST guess: There is no penalty for guessing. Therefore, leave no question unanswered! The best way to guess when you have no clue is to always use the same letter! For example, I walk into the test with the letter "B" in my head. Today, all guesses will be B. If I guess at 10 questions, all with the letter B, 2-3 of them will likely be correct. Now, if I can narrow it down, I never know in advance what my options will be. So, I decide, in advance, to always choose whichever option is furthest to the left. This really reduces the stress level! When I am almost out of time, I zip through all unanswered questions and mark them with a B (or whatever your chosen letter is)
The way I look at test -taking, the objective is to win without cheating. Do whatever you can to give yourself a better score!
Good luck!
"when" to study is a question that only you can answer! Study when your brain is most receptive to learning! Are you a night owl or an early bird? There's your answer.
Schedule: jumping to the end. Remember to take a day of rest the day prior to the exam. No studying. Eat well, Exercise, Sleep well. All important.
Study regularly. Try to set aside 45 minutes a day. That will give you to 20 minute study sessions, and a five minute break. If you have lots of free time, Do two such sessions a day, morning and evening, for example, each one 45 minutes. How? I like flashcards. Sometimes pictures. depends what I am studying. Do a practice test to get an idea of what your scores are, and that will tell you where you need to improve.
Now, this seems counterintuitive. I have learned that I can increase my scores easier if I study my strong subjects! That is, I can spend a little time studying vocabulary and get far better results than had I spent that time studying science. However, you don't want to totally blow off those subjects either.
A test taking tip. When you walk in the door, accept that there WILL be something on that test that you don't know. If you absolutely have no idea, take your best guess and move on. If you can, try to narrow it down first before guessing. There's no sense in stressing over stuff you don't know!
How to take a BEST guess: There is no penalty for guessing. Therefore, leave no question unanswered! The best way to guess when you have no clue is to always use the same letter! For example, I walk into the test with the letter "B" in my head. Today, all guesses will be B. If I guess at 10 questions, all with the letter B, 2-3 of them will likely be correct. Now, if I can narrow it down, I never know in advance what my options will be. So, I decide, in advance, to always choose whichever option is furthest to the left. This really reduces the stress level! When I am almost out of time, I zip through all unanswered questions and mark them with a B (or whatever your chosen letter is)
The way I look at test -taking, the objective is to win without cheating. Do whatever you can to give yourself a better score!
Good luck!
Thanks Kim!
I found this super helpful! Much appreciated.
Dakota