Strategies for Success on the ACT Part I Ms. Sharon Jaeschke Prairie Valley Sources: Cracking the ACT by The Princeton Review and “Zapping the ACT” by the ZAPS Learning Company

What makes the ACT Test Tough… Time-limited Test Questions are not necessarily organized from easiest to hardest Every question is worth the same amount (one point) no matter how long it takes to get the correct answer Most students find that some questions require them to completely guess, and this can cause test anxiety

You can use those characteristics to your advantage though… You have all of the correct answers in front of you on the ACT! There is always a one in four or five chance of being correct There are specific strategies that have been proven to result in higher scores because of the multiple choice format We will learn: The Princeton Review Method and the ZAP Learning Company Method

The ACT is a timed test so… Wear a watch to the test Cell Phones cannot be used or seen (thus you cannot use them for the time, calculator, etc.) At the start of every test, consider writing down the time of completion on the front cover of the test booklet It is supposed to be announced when there is five minutes remaining in the test

On Test Day… Be on time to the testing center…it always starts at 8 AM and you can not be admitted once the actual testing begins (the door opens at 7:30 or sooner) Bring these items with you: Your admission ticket (print it off when registering) Driver’s License or Photo ID Sharpened No. 2 Lead Pencils (not mechanical) Calculator that does trig functions

Consider the length of the ACT The initial directions for the answer sheet and test takes approximately 30 minutes The tests take 45 (English), 60 (math), 35 (reading), and 35 (science) minutes with a couple minutes of direction in between. There is a break after the math test for about 10 minutes. During this time you can have snacks or drinks, but not in the testing room. If taking the writing test, it is last, and those not taking it are allowed to leave.

Because of the length of the ACT… Get a good night’s sleep for at least a few days before (8 hours or more) Eat a balanced breakfast on the day of the test Feel free to bring snacks or drinks in a backpack or purse, you just can’t consume them in the test room (wait until break when you get to leave the room) Pace yourself throughout the test, don’t let yourself get too frustrated during one test so it affects you on the following ones. Remember they are averaged equally for your composite.

General Tips on the ACT in regard to it being multiple choice… There is not identifiable pattern of correct answers All choices are equally likely to occur (This is not always true on teacher-created tests.) For you as an individual, the difficulty of items is generally random

The ACT questions always have multiple choices so… NEVER, EVER, for any reason, leave any blanks on the ACT For all of the subtests on the ACT: If you know the answer, answer the question If you don’t know the answer, “ZAP” or Zero In and Pick by trying to eliminate wrong answers Even if you can’t eliminate wrong answers, you still choose an answer, or guess

Try answering this question… Which President added a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine? William Henry Harrison William Howard Taft Theodore Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson Does anyone know the answer? Can you eliminate any choices?

What if these were the choices… Which President added a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine? Ronald Reagan Hillary Clinton Theodore Roosevelt George Bush Now can you eliminate choices? Why did the question get easier?

But it could get even easier for you… Which President added a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine? Celine Dion Homer Simpson Theodore Roosevelt Shaquille O’Neal What makes this the easiest version? Can you see why reading the choices is sometimes as important as reading the question?

Realize… Purpose of these sessions are to help you learn a method and try it out You won’t know if a method helps you until you try it When you take the actual ACT, only you will know what works best for you -use whatever will help you the most – the results are yours!

What’s Next? In following sessions: we will learn strategies for each exam and practice with drills for each