Content/Skills Covered The ACT test Subject # of Questions How Long It Takes Content/Skills Covered Benchmark out of 36 English 75 45 min. grammar & usage, punctuation, sentence structure, strategy, organization, and style 18 Math 60 60 min. pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry 19 Reading 40 35 min. reading comprehension of what is directly stated or implied 20 Science interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving 21 Your skills in these subjects make a big difference—in school and, eventually, in your career. These scores are used by colleges for admittance and placement in introductory level classes.

Reading Success on the ACT Ene-Kaja Chippendale, Ph.D. Focus on Learning Center, Inc. 2012

The Reading Test The Reading Test measures your reading comprehension by focusing on skills such as: referring to details in a passage drawing conclusions inferences – what is implied by the text making comparisons and generalizations Each passage is followed by multiple-choice questions. To answer the questions, you don't need to know information outside the passages, vocabulary taken out of context, or rules of formal logic.

Some skills the Reading Test MIGHT assess you on: determine main ideas locate and interpret significant details understand sequences of events comprehend cause-effect relationships determine the meaning of context- dependent words, phrases, and statements analyze the author's or narrator's voice and method

Test Taking Strategies PACING: Look quickly at all the passages and determine the order for yourself easiest-hardest -Start with the easiest passage and work your way to the hardest!!! READING STRATEGIES: Start by reading the question stems ONLY – DO NOT look at the answers Underline any line numbers Look out for key words and circle them What topic are you looking for? Best, Most, Closest, Primary, Agree, Delete and Change Disagree, Least, Not, Delete and Weaken Next, read or skim the passage, underlining and annotating important information or lines that answer questions. Return to the questions, re-read the question stem and then read all the answers at least once.

Pacing: using time well The Reading test has 4 passages and 40 questions (35 minutes). The passages appear in the same order on all tests. Students have 8 minutes per passage to read and answer all of the questions. Students have NO time to waste. Prose Fiction Social Sciences Humanities Natural Science There are 10 questions for each passage

21 Must answer 22/40 correctly How to set a goal score If students want to earn a 21 Must answer 22/40 correctly Read 2 passages, guess on 2 This gives you 16 minutes per passage 26 Must answer 27-28/40 correctly Read 3 passages, guess on 1 This gives you 10-11 minutes per passage 31 Must answer 35/40 correct Read 4 passages, leave most difficult till last. Use your watch and divide the time evenly between the four passages.

Strategies for reading… Preview the test quickly and pick one or two passages to omit or, if your goal score is over 26, leave till last. Never automatically start with the first passage!

Always answer every question! Math and science students start with Passage IV (question #31). It is usually the most factual and direct text.   By omitting one passage, you will have 11 minutes for the remaining three passages and you will feel less rushed. By omitting two passages, you will have 16 minutes left per passage. Always answer every question!

Tip for guessing on the ACT! On the omitted passage(s), answer all 10 questions using the same letter space. Always answer every question!

Reading Strategies (p. 94 in Workbook) Preview the test and look for passages with the shortest questions first. Always work to YOUR strengths.           

Preview the questions in each passage and find the passage with shorter questions/answers. Do this passage first. If they all seem the same, go with your strengths; choose your best subject. 14. Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the fifth paragraph (lines 57-77)? F. Studies conducted in the 1980s that established a connection between customer loyalty and employee loyalty have since been challenged by investors G. Company profitability is doomed as long as corporate policies are conducive to a superficial treatment of customers. H. Company success is linked to practices that acknowledge the complex relationships among customers, employees, and investors. J. As a result of the complexity of the loyalty issue in business, an increasing number of companies are hiring consultants to devise profit strategies. Takes lots of time to read Takes less time to read 5. It is implied in the eighth paragraph (lines 39-59) that Lil applies Gordon’s theories about people’s appearances in spite of her: conscience. children. C. parents. D. education.

One ACT test gives direct line references for   If you don’t have enough time to read another passage, just do the line reference questions in the passage(s) you skipped. #29. “The author uses the term “architectural wonders” (line 12) to describe:” mark 29 by line 12 in the text. One ACT test gives direct line references for 7 of the 10 questions!

14. The author indicates that the common factor in the events and periods listed in lines 50 - 54 is that they: 14

15

If you finish early… Don’t stop! Read another passage, or try to do the line reference questions on the passage(s) that you skipped.

Let’s look at an example passage and some questions.

Look at the question stems FIRST Why does Scott primarily avoid the help of others? “Orthopedic” in paragraph one most nearly means:

Excerpt from Anne Walker’s “A Matter of Proportion,” a short science-fiction story published in 1959 (public domain). In this excerpt, one character tells another about an injured man who is planning a secret operation: On the way, he filled in background. Scott had been living out of the hospital in a small apartment, enjoying as much liberty as he could manage. He had equipment so he could stump around, and an antique car specially equipped. He wasn’t complimentary about them. Orthopedic products had to be: unreliable, hard to service, unsightly, intricate, and uncomfortable. If they also squeaked and cut your clothes, fine! Having to plan every move with an eye on weather and a dozen other factors, he developed an uncanny foresight. Yet he had to improvise at a moment’s notice. With life a continuous high-wire act, he trained every surviving fiber to precision, dexterity and tenacity. Finally, he avoided help. Not pride, self-preservation; the compulsively helpful have rarely the wit to ask before rushing in to knock you on your face, so he learned to bide his time till the horizon was clear of beaming simpletons. Also, he found an interest in how far he could go.

Reading Practice I Do, We Do Why does Scott primarily avoid the help of others? He has found that he is usually better off without it. He does not want to rely on other people for anything. He is doing experiments to test his own limits. He is working on a secret operation and cannot risk discovery. He does not realize that he needs assistance. Answer: A

Reading Practice I Do, We Do “Orthopedic” in paragraph one most nearly means: Uncomfortable. Dangerous. Corrective. Enhanced. Complicated. Answer: C

Directions YOU-DO This is a timed test. You may not have any more time on any portion of the test. Scan the passages and choose the order in which you will answer them, as well as deciding if you want to skip one of the passages. Read each question and answer choice carefully. Once you have chosen an answer, fill in the coordinating bubble on your answer document. If you finish early, you may go back and recheck your work. Once time is called, I will collect your answer document and question packet. Reading test – 30 minutes I suggest giving two separate answer documents and two separate question packets so they can’t work ahead. As students are testing, please give them a start time and stop time as well as a visual timer. www.Onlinestopwatch.com has a great timer that you can download and pull on top of your powerpoint presentation.

The English Test Usage/Mechanics Rhetorical Skills •punctuation •use of strategy •grammar and usage •organization •sentence structure •style (in writing) The test consists of five prose passages, each accompanied by a number of multiple- choice questions. Different passage types are included to provide variety. Some questions refer to underlined portions of the passage and offer several alternatives to the underlined portion. You must decide which choice is most appropriate in the context of the passage. Some questions ask about an underlined portion, a section of the passage, or the passage as a whole. You must decide which choice best answers the question posed. Many questions include "NO CHANGE" to the underlined portion or the passage as one of the choices. You receive a total score for the English test and separate scores (called "subscores") for Usage/Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills. Question Types # of Questions Usage/Mechanics 40 Rhetorical Skills 35

ACT English Test Question Types Usage/Mechanics Questions  (total of 40 questions) Skills/Content Tested Examples # of Questions Punctuation commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, dashes, periods, question marks, and exclamation points 10 questions Grammar & Usage subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, pronoun forms and cases, adjectives, adverbs, verb forms, comparative and superlative modifiers, and idioms 12 questions Sentence Structure subordinate or dependent clauses, run-on or fused sentences, comma splices, sentence fragments, misplaced modifiers, shifts in verb tense or voice, and shifts in pronoun person or number 18 questions Rhetorical Skills Questions  (total of 35 questions) Strategy adding, revising, or deleting sentences; how a sentence fits with the purpose, audience, and focus of  a paragraph or the essay as a whole Organization opening, transitional, and closing phrases or statements; order and focus of sentences or paragraphs 11 questions Style writing style, tone, clarity, and effectiveness; eliminating ambiguity, wordiness, and redundant material; clarifying vague or awkward material

English Practice I Do, We Do A Microscope in the Kitchen I grew up with buckets, shovels, and nets waiting by the back door; hip-waders hanging in the closet; tide table charts covering the refrigerator door; and a microscope was sitting on the kitchen table. Having studied, my mother is a marine biologist. Our household might have been described as uncooperative. Our meals weren’t always served in the expected order of breakfast, lunch, and supper. NO CHANGE waiting, by the back door, waiting by the back door, waiting by the back door would sit sitting Sat 1 2 Answers: 1. A 2. C 1. The best answer is A. It provides the best punctuation for the underlined portion. The phrase "waiting by the back door" describes the noun nets and is essential because it tells which nets the narrator "grew up with." Therefore, no comma should be placed after nets. The semicolon after the word door is appropriate because semicolons are used between items in a series when one or more of these items include commas. The best answer is NOT B because the first comma after waiting is unnecessary. In addition, the appropriate punctuation after door should be a semicolon (not a comma). Semicolons are used between items in a series when one or more of these items include commas. The best answer is NOT C because the appropriate punctuation after door should be a semicolon and not a comma. Semicolons are used between items in a series when one or more of these items include commas. The best answer is NOT D because the punctuation, in this case a semicolon, is missing after the word door. It is needed to set off the first of this sentence's three items in a series. 2. The best answer is C. The verb form sitting is best here because it creates a parallel structure for all three items in the series: "nets waiting," "hip-waders hanging," "a microscope sitting." The best answer is NOT A because the phrase was sitting makes the third item in the series not parallel with the first two items. The best answer is NOT B because the phrase would sit makes the third item in the series not parallel with the first two items. The best answer is NOT D because the verb sat makes the third item in the series not parallel with the first two items.

English Practice I Do, We Do NO CHANGE As my mother’s interest is science, she is My mother’s occupation is that of My mother is Choose the answer that provides the best introduction to the rest of the paragraph. There seemed to be no explanation for why Mom ran our household the way she did. Our household didn’t run according to a typical schedule. Mom ran our household in a most spectacular manner. A Microscope in the Kitchen I grew up with buckets, shovels, and nets waiting by the back door; hip-waders hanging in the closet; tide table charts covering the refrigerator door; and a microscope was sitting on the kitchen table. Having studied, my mother is a marine biologist. Our household might have been described as uncooperative. Our meals weren’t always served in the expected order of breakfast, lunch, and supper. Answers: 3. D 4. C 3. The best answer is D. It offers the clearest, most concise wording for this sentence. "My mother is a marine biologist," is a clear statement that avoids unnecessary or confusing words. The best answer is NOT A because the phrase "Having studied" at the beginning of the sentence is wordy and unnecessary. It is obvious to the reader that a marine biologist would have studied in the past. The best answer is NOT B because the phrase "As my mother's interest is science" adds meaningless words to the sentence. It is obvious to the reader that a marine biologist would have an interest in science. The best answer is NOT C because the phrase "occupation is that of" adds unnecessary words to the sentence. It is obvious to the reader that marine biology is the mother's occupation. 4. The best answer is C. This is a good introductory sentence because the rest of the paragraph explains how the narrator's household "didn't run according to a typical schedule." The paragraph goes on to say that "meals weren't always served in the expected order" and that the mother operated according to the tides, which were not on a typical household schedule. The best answer is NOT A. This is a poor introductory sentence because the paragraph provides no evidence that indicates the narrator's household was uncooperative. The best answer is NOT B. This is a poor introductory sentence because the paragraph does explain why the mother ran the household in an untypical manner: Everything depended on the tides. The best answer is NOT D. This is a poor introductory sentence because there is no evidence that suggests the narrator's household was run in a "most spectacular manner." The household schedule may have been atypical, but atypical does not indicate spectacular. 3 4

Directions YOU-DO This is a timed test. You may not have any more time on any portion of the test. Read each question and answer choice carefully. Once you have chosen an answer, fill in the coordinating bubble on your answer document. If you finish early, you may go back and recheck your work. Once time is called, I will collect your answer document and question packet. There will be two sections of this test: English – 15 questions in 9 minutes Reading – 10 questions in 9 minutes I suggest giving two separate answer documents and two separate question packets so they can’t work ahead. As students are testing, please give them a start time and stop time as well as a visual timer. www.Onlinestopwatch.com has a great timer that you can download and pull on top of your powerpoint presentation.

Exit Slip- Self Assessment On your index card, write your name, and answer these reflection questions. Which test (English or Reading) do you think you did the best on? Explain why. How was the time limit? Did you have enough time? Did you feel rushed? Explain. Give yourself a grade based on your effort (A, B, C, D, or F).