ACT or SAT Which test to take? Christine Williams, M.Ed

 ACT Inspire Program (Formerly the PLAN test)  PSAT Exam  ACT  SAT  Differences between ACT and SAT  Testing Dates  Test Taking Strategies

 ACT Inspire is for grades 3-8 and then lower high school grades (9 & 10). It is normed for grade 10.  PSAT is for grades 10 & 11; however the student must take it during grade 11 to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. It is normed for grade 11.

 Includes four multiple choice tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science  There is a Writing Section (30 minutes)  The test lasts about four hours and 10 minutes  On-line or written forms  Highlights gaps between what students have learned and what they need to learn  Provides an estimated ACT Score  College Readiness Estimator  Study guide for the ACT  For more information:

 Includes four multiple choice sections: Two Critical Reading and Two Math problem solving  There is a writing section (30 minutes)  The test lasts two hours and ten minutes  It is scored on a range from 20 to 80; mid to high 40s is the average score.  Receive feedback on strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study  Creates a study guide for the SAT  Qualify for National Merit Scholarship (test must be taken during the junior year)  Receive information from colleges  For more information:

Who takes the ACT/SAT?  The ACT/SAT is typically taken by High school Juniors and Seniors preparing for college.  Most students take the ACT/SAT for the first time the Spring of their Junior year, and again the fall of their Senior year.  All colleges accept the ACT/SAT as part of their college entrance requirements (in conjunction with your high school GPA, class rank and extracurricular activities).

What sections are there? What information is covered?

ACT There are 4 sections:  English (usage/mechanics & rhetoric) Mathematics (Algebra, Geometry & trigonometry) Reading (reading comprehension) Science Reasoning (data representation, research & conflicting viewpoints) Writing (optional essay response) How is this scored? Each of the sections is scored individually between 1 and 36 points. For your composite score (out of 36), the scores from each of the 4 primary sections are averaged together and rounded to the nearest whole number.

How do I get my scores? Scores are available online ( ) 3-8 weeks after your testing date. If you took the writing portion, your scores will not be released until all portions of your test have been scored (typically 5-8 weeks after you took the test). Do I need a specific score to pass? There is no set pass/fail score for the ACT Depending on which college you are applying for and the degree/program you want to get into, different scores may be required. Colleges typically post the ‘average’ scores their students receive that get in to that school or the minimum score you need to apply for a certain program.

Where can I get more information? There you can register, take practice tests, view your scores, and develop your plan to improve your scores.

 ACT (no writing) $36.50  ACT (with writing) $52.50  Late registration fee $23.00 additional  Standby registration fee $45.00 additional  Test date change $22.00  Test center change $22.00  Test information release $19.00 Source: ACT

SAT There are 3 sections:  The critical reading section includes reading passages and sentence completions. The mathematics section includes questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability. The writing section includes a short essay and multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage. How do I get my scores? Scores are available online ( ) 5 weeks after your testing date.

 Each of the sections is scored individually between 200 and 800 points.  Your raw scores are calculated for each section based on the number of questions you got correct or incorrect, or that you omitted.  Correct Answers- +1 point for questions you get correct  Incorrect Answers--1/4 point subtracted for incorrect multiple-choice 0 points subtracted for incorrect student-produced response (math section)  Omitted-0 points subtracted for questions you don't answer  Additional sub scores reported for the essay (ranging from 2-12) and for multiple-choice writing questions (on a scale).  Raw scores are converted to scale scores.

 There is no set pass/fail score for the SAT; though 500 on a section is considered average or the mean.  Depending on which college you are applying for and the degree/program you want to get into, different scores may be required.  Colleges typically post the ‘average’ scores their students receive that get in to that school or the minimum score you need to apply for a certain program.

 SAT $52.50  SAT Subject test $26.00  Late registration fee $28.00 additional  Waitlist fee $46.00 additional  Test date change $28.00  Test center change $28.00  Test information release $11.25 Source: SAT

ACT/SAT CODE

 More curriculum based  Faster paced; students may run out of time  No penalty for guessing  Writing is optional; though recommended  Longer overall by almost 50 minutes  More difficult vocabulary; higher level thinking  Penalty for random guessing  No science except for the reading content  ACT SAT

 Carefully read the directions for each test.  Carefully read test questions.  Pace yourself-don’t spend too much time on a single passage or question  Pay attention to the five minute announcement  Answer the easy questions, then go back and work on the more difficult ones.  On difficult questions, eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can  Answer every question. On the ACT, there is no penalty for guessing.  Use only a No. 2 pencil

 Read the phrase and each choice as if it were a separate true-false statement. Then determine whether the choice is true or false. As you determine choices to be false, mark through them.  In some cases, two choices may seem correct. Reread the statement to identify slight differences in meaning and choose the best answer.  Look for answers that are grammatically correct. For example, using “an” indicates an answer beginning with a vowel. Select answers that match the statement for being plural or singular.  Look for root words in the answers that are similar to words in the phrase of the question.  If there is a wide range, choose a middle value. ACT specific  Be aware of the writing styles used in each passage  Consider the elements of writing in each of the underlined portions of the passage  Be aware of questions with no underlined portions  Refer to the scientific information in the passage when answering the question  Note conflicting viewpoints in some passages

 Concentrate on significant ideas and their supporting information  Reduce large amount of information to the main ideas  Understand the key words  Stay focused  Use specific examples  Vary your sentence structure and word choice  Do some planning  Carefully consider the prompt  Decide what perspective you are going to take  Write down ideas  Come up with opposition to it  Organize your thoughts End with a strong conclusion ACT specific  Do not skip lines or write in the margins  Write neatly, legibly with a No. 2 pencil

 Report to your assigned test center by 8:00 am  Bring a printed copy of your test ticket. You will not be admitted without one.  Bring acceptable photo identification. You will not be allowed to test without photo verification.  You may use a permitted calculator on the Mathematics portion of the test only. You may not share calculators.  Students taking the ACT (no writing) with normal time should be dismissed about 12:15 pm; students with the writing portion are normally dismissed about 1:00 pm. Source: ACT

Where/When do I sign up? You can sign up online ( OR for any testing centerwww.actstudent.orgwww.act.org OR you may sign up with your counselor for the dates offered at your school.

Students receive:  Two full practice tests with complete scoring using real ACT test questions  Two practice essays for the ACT Writing Test, with real-time scoring  Comprehensive content review for each of the ACT’s four required tests  Diagnostic test and personalized study plan  Anywhere, anytime access via the Internet Source: ACT

 Review ACT Aspire and PSAT results with your child  Determining which or both tests your child will be taking in the future  Access both(or either) or for free test prep and to view sample questionswww.actstudent.org  Enroll your student in the free online ACT Prep Program through either high school  Establish a score range expectations for both(or either) test(s)  Encourage your student to set up a weekly study time for the online ACT Prep Program.

 [i] ACT. [/i](n.d.). Retrieved from  [i] ACT Aspire. [/i](n.d.). Retrieved from  [i] Author Stream; ACT or SAT Presentation. [/i](2013). Retrieved from presentation/ presentation/  [i] PDF Crop; ACT SAT Testing. [/i](2013). Retrieved from mhzY29sbGVnZXByZXAub3JnL3Jlc291cmNlL3Jlc21nci9XZWJfVGVtcGxhdGVfSlEvQU NULVNBVC1URVNUSU5HcHJlc2VudGF0aW9uLnBkZltid25dQUNUIFNBVCBURVNUSU 5H mhzY29sbGVnZXByZXAub3JnL3Jlc291cmNlL3Jlc21nci9XZWJfVGVtcGxhdGVfSlEvQU NULVNBVC1URVNUSU5HcHJlc2VudGF0aW9uLnBkZltid25dQUNUIFNBVCBURVNUSU 5H  [i] SAT. [/i])n.d.). Retrieved from  [i] Test Anxiety Management; Utah State University. [/i](n.d.). Retrieved from  [i] Test Anxiety Tips. [/i](2013). Retrieved from  [i] “Test-Time” Strategies for Students, Parents, and Teachers. [/i](n.d.). Retrieved from