Welcome to Brandon High School’s STAR /ACT Prep

The ACT The test measures academic achievement It does NOT measure your intelligence or ability This means, you can increase your score by preparing for this test

High school courses ACT recommends for all students EnglishFour years MathematicsFour years (including Algebra I and above) Science Three years (including Biology, Chemistry, Physics) Social Studies Three years ArtsOne year OtherForeign language, visual and performing arts, computer science, etc.

EVERY STUDENT CAN PERFORM WELL ON THE ACT! - Students don’t have to get every question right in order to get a good score on the ACT! - Think about the following : - a 50% on an English Class test may be a failing grade, it is an 18 on the ACT, and many colleges will accept that score!!! -A 60% on a History Class test may be a D-, but on the ACT it’s a 22! -Now colleges aren’t only accepting you, but they’re giving you scholarships!

- Life-long Skills - Workplace Skills -Test scores that reflect true skill ability - Scholarships -College Success GOALS! All students, even those not attending college, need the skills the ACT exam reinforces !

What is the ACT? A multiple choice standardized exam that is supposed to measure your knowledge of some of the subjects taught in high school. The test takes 3.5 hours with one break The test is divided into 4 different tests (called sections) always given in the same order

The Four Sections English Test ( 45 minutes-75 questions) Math Test (60 minutes-60 questions) Reading Test (35 minutes-40 questions) Science and Reasoning Test (35 minutes- 40 questions) Optional Writing Test (30 minutes)

Each question on the ACT is worth one point. The most difficult question is worth the same point value as the easiest question ALWAYS find the easy questions to answer first and save the difficult questions for last This strategy allows your to make the best use of the allotted time EACH QUESTION IS IMPORTANT!

GENERAL TEST-TAKING TIPS Pace Yourself (Announcements only made when 5 minutes/1 minute remain) Read directions before test date Read questions carefully (annotate) Answer easy questions first Answer EVERY question (no penalty for guessing) Be precise in marking answer and don’t make notes on answer sheet Don’t panic! Work the entire time.

Correct Answer: +1 point Omitted Question: 0 points Incorrect Answer: 0 points Answer every question. If you don’t know the answer, guess! Answer every question. If you don’t know the answer, guess! Understanding ACT Scoring The ACT at-a-Glance

The ACT at a GlanceSECTION FORMAT/ TIME QUESTION TYPES SCORE 2014 Averages 1 Section 45 minutes 75 Questions in 5 Passages 40 Usage/Mechanics; 35 Rhetorical Skills 1 Section 60 minutes 60 Questions, Each with 5 Answer Choices 24 Arithmetic/Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra;18 Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry; 14 Plane Geometry; 4 Trigonometry 1 Section 35 minutes 40 Questions in 4 Passages 10 Prose Fiction; 10 Social Studies; 10 Humanities; 10 Natural Sciences 1 Section 35 minutes 40 Questions in 7 Passages 15 Data Representation (3 passages); 18 Research Summary (3 passages); 7 Conflicting Viewpoints (1 passage) 1 Section 30 minutes 1 Essay (Optional) Total 4-5 Sections 2 hours, 55 minutes 3 hours, 25 minutes (including the Writing Test) 215 Multiple Choice 1 Essay English Test Reading Test Writing Test – Science Test Math Test

ACT English Information ACT English Grammar 75 multiple choice questions; 45 minutes, 36 seconds per question Question given in conjunction with a passage Sentence Structure, Grammar and Usage, Punctuation, Rhetorical Skills The English section tests not only obscure grammar rules but also punctuation errors as well ACT expects students to know what they want—It’s more than just pure grammar! In a series of 3 or more items, put a comma before the “and” Shorter sentences are preferred to longer sentences

ENGLISH TIPS Read the entire passage first (roughly 1.5 minutes). Focus on grammar and revision skills, not comprehension. Answer diction and grammar questions first; they are usually the easiest to answer quickly. Listen for errors as you read the answer choices. You can often hear an error as you say a sentence in your head. Read ALL answers carefully; answers often look similar, sometimes differing only by a comma. “NO CHANGE” is the correct choice about 25% of the time.

Mapping ACT English Editing five short passages 75 questions - 45 minutes – 9 minutes Per passage Usage - Mechanics Skills 40Q 53% Rhetoric Skills 35Q 47% Punctuation 10Q 13% Grammar and Use 12Q 16% Sentence Structure 18Q 24% Strategy 12Q 16% Organization 11Q 15% Style 12Q 16% Comma Semicolon End-stop Dashes Hyphens quotes Tense Subject-verb agreement Pronoun use Adverb vs. adjective Double negative Idioms Possessives comparisons Run-on Comma splice Fragment Coord conjunction Parallelism Misplaced modifiers Clauses Subordination Split construction Unintended meaning Appropriate support Main idea Audience Effective: Opening sentence Concluding sentence Paragraph development Sentence-level structure Paragraph-level structure Conciseness Ambiguity Low-level usage Shifting point of view ®

ACT Math Information 60 multiple choice questions; 60 minutes 1 minute per question! Algebra I and II, Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry This is 7th-11th grade math It’s the wording in the question that makes this section difficult Only four Trig problems, but two can be done without having even learned Trig! They are out to intimidate you!

MATH TIPS Draw a picture if one is not provided. Figures given are not drawn to scale, so mark them with given measures or symbols. Know the following translations: of means multiply and per means divide. Know the area and perimeter formulas for triangles, rectangles, and circles, and how to find the volume and surface area of a box. If a problem is given in terms of fractions, decimals, or percents, consider using an alternate form to find the answer.

Mapping ACT Mathematics 60 questions - 60 minutes Direct use of math facts or formulas 32Q53% Word Problems 16Q 27% Pre-Algebra 14Q 23% Elementary Algebra 10Q 17% Intermediate Algebra 9Q 15% Geometry 14Q 23% Coordinate Geometry 9Q 15% Trigonometry 4Q 7% Inference or decision making 12Q 20% ®

ACT Reading Information Reading 40 multiple choice questions; 35 minutes, less than 1 min to answer each question There are 4 types of passages you will encounter on the ACT. 1. Prose Fiction: Most interesting to read, but often the hardest questions! Most time-consuming! 2. Social Sciences: politics, history 3. Humanities: arts, culture 4. Natural Science: Typically the easiest!

READING TIPS Read the passage actively (3 minutes); underline or circle any key points. Read with awareness of the author’s goal, tone, and theme. If a question refers to a specific line of the passage, read one line above and below the indicated line to better understand the context. Save difficult questions (such as inferring) for last and answer easier questions (such as vocabulary) first. Note: It is best to finish one passage completely before going on to the next.

Mapping ACT Reading 4 Passages – 40 Questions – 35 Minutes Read 750 words Prose/Fiction 08:45 10Q25% Read 750 words Humanities 08:45 10Q 25% Specific Detail Sequence Cause/Effect Comparison Author’s Voice Main Idea Generalization Conclusion Words in Context Read 750 words Social Science 08:45 10Q 25% Read 750 words Natural Science 08:45 10Q 25% Explicit Questions 14Q35% Implicit Questions 26Q 65% ®

ACT Science Information Instead of calling it Science Reasoning, think of it as Technical Reading. Basic understanding of the scientific method will help you Not much science knowledge is needed Read and understand charts and graphs Opposites – when a student encounters 2 answer choices that are direct opposites, one will almost always be the correct answer.

SCIENCE TIPS If a passage seems difficult, skip it; data representation passages are often the easiest. When reading passages, aim at a general understanding on the first reading and do not dwell on a specific aspect of data. If the passage contains conflicting viewpoints, consider similarities and differences between the scientists’ arguments. When reading tables and charts, focus on labels, trends in data, and maximum or minimum values. Look for connections between multiple data representations.

Understand 7Q 17.5% 7 passages - 40 questions - 35minutes 3 passages Data Representation 15Q 37% 1 Passage Conflicting Viewpoint 7Q18% 3 passages Research Summary 18Q45% Identify data points Identify units/labels Identify trends Identify variables Identify controls Extrapolate Interpolate Predict generalize Hypothesize Conclude Compare evaluate Mapping ACT Science Reasoning Analyze 20Q 50% Generalize 13Q 32.5%

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College Scholarships are waiting for you!! Raise your ACT test scores and you could qualify for: THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SCHOLARSHIPS!!!

What Do Colleges Think? Facts: Nearly all schools accept the ACT. 89% of schools use SAT or ACT test scores in making admissions decisions*.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACT…. ID=37060