1. MATH & SCIENCE

3.  Pre-Algebra  Elementary algebra  Intermediate algebra  Coordinate geometry  Plane geometry  Trigonometry

4.  The stem is usually the very last sentence of a long word problem  On long word problems, looking at the question stem is a way to preview what the question is asking

5.  For every answer choice you eliminate, you increase your chance of getting the question right.  On each ACT question, you can eliminate a few choices, increasing the likelihood you will get the answer right

6.  You have 60 min to answer 60 questions.  It is usually best to plan on using only 25 min for the first 30 questions, leaving extra time for the more difficult questions on the last half of the test

7.  Be sure to bring a calculator  Be sure to put fresh batteries in it  It is best to not have to use the calculator on every question.

8.  Answer every question on the math section  There is no penalty for guessing or for wrong answers  Never leave any answer blank on your scantron sheet

9.  Use the provided diagrams to make the known information and to estimate lengths and angle measures  If the ACT does not provide a diagram, draw your own.

10.  These to strategies work well together. ◦ Plug & Chug: Plug the answer choice back into the problem to find the correct answer or at least eliminate the incorrect ones ◦ Plug in ‘c’: Plug in the answer choice C first. All ACT Math answers are listed in numerical order, either smallest to largest or vice versa. So if answer choice C is too big or small, you can eliminate the other 2 choices that would also be too big or too small, just leaving 2 answer choices.

11.  Use easy numbers like 2 or 3 when plugging in answers.  Do not use 1 or 0 as they often lead to more trouble than they are worth.

12.  A calculator can be your best friend or worst enemy on the ACT.  Use the same calculator on the test that you use for math class.  Do NOT try out a new, unfamiliar calculator on the day of the test.

13.  If the ACT uses more than one chart or graph for a question, it will say so. However you must notice this.  Take extra care with these questions because making one mistake early on could lead to getting several questions that follow wrong.

14.  Try to eliminate as many answers as possible. Then make an educated guess and move on. DON’T LEAVE ANY ANSWER BLANK!  Don’t spent time on a question and then leave it blank, planning on returning to it later. Many students accidentally forget to return to these questions.

15.  Generally speaking, you will find significantly easier questions toward the beginning of the test and more difficult questions toward the end.  The math section of the ACT is the only section that uses this format.

17.  Pattern and trend  Hypothesis  Logic

18.  Inspect: Quickly inspect the charts, graphs, and tables. Get a general idea of where everything is  Questions: Complete one question at a time, marking key words and clues  Match: Match the information in the question to the appropriate chart, graph or table  Read: You may have to read the passage if the question states, based on the information. The introductory passage is a good place to start

19.  You should look for patterns and trends within the charts, graphs, and tables.

20.  The data representation passages will ask you to interpret charts, graphs, and tables.  Occasionally, there will be scatter plots and diagrams to inspect as well  The question will often mention the figure or table that contains the answer. Make sure you are looking in the right place for the answer.  Read axis labels and column headings.  Look for trends in the data, and draw arrows to illustrate them.  Remember to look at the information in the keys.

21.  To answer a long hypothesis question: 1.Isolate the hypothesis and decide if it is true or false. 2.Cross out all yes or no answers 3.Pick the answer that matches the data

22.  A research summary passage presents descriptions of one or more experiments or studies. ◦ The questions ask you to understand, evaluate, and interpret the design and procedure of the experiments or studies.  Pay close attention to the table and figures.  Identify any patterns or trends.  Identifying relationships between variables is also useful.

23.  To answer logic questions, focus on connecting the information.  Find patterns, trends, and directions.  Restating the question or breaking it down into many parts may help.  If the question talks about the design of the experiment, you may need to read a bit of the passage  You may need to use the process of elimination to answer these questions.

24. ◦ It usually does not provide charts, graphs, or tables. ◦ It is the only passage that you MUST read in order to find the answer  It is imperative to use an effective reading strategy on this passage ◦ Skim: skim the introductory paragraph, finding the topic ◦ First view: Quickly but actively read the first viewpoint, taking mental note of the main idea and supporting information

25.  Second view: Do the same as you did for the first view, but pay special attention to the differences from the first view. ◦ Typically there are only two views. On occasion, the opposing views passage will have more than two viewpoints.  Read through the questions. Look back to the viewpoints when you need to, use as much logic as possible.

26.  Simple word match– Look for the words in the passages to find the answer.  Define the viewpoint– These require a bit of inferential thinking. Remember to be logic and straightforward. Determine the differences and similarities between the viewpoints.

27.  Always use the correct chart, graph, or table.  Many questions tell you exactly where to find the information!

28.  Focus on the charts, graphs, and tables whenever possible.  Being familiar with the scientific process and with some science definitions will help. However, the information you need to answer the questions correctly is provided in the passage or in the charts, graphs, and tables.

29.  Each science question will provide a hint or two for you to follow.  If possible let the question guide you to the correct location of information. If the question is not clear on where to look, use the answer choices to guide you.

30.  Answering except questions can be confusing.  First, eliminate all answers that are true.  This leave you with only one answer choice, which is the correct answer.

31.  To find the correct answer about a chart or graph, pay attention to ◦ Lables ◦ Column headings ◦ Graph legends ◦ captions

32.  Plug and chug is a useful technique for solving manipulation questions.  Remember to pay close attention to labels and headings

33.  To answer a pattern and trend question, focus on interpreting the information directionally.  Look for relationships between variables. As A increases, does B also increase? As C decreases, does D also increase? Draw lines and arrows to show patterns and trends.  When analyzing data in tables, drawing a quick sketch of how the data would be represented as a graph may be helpful

34.  You must still check to be sure the last answer is correct  Do not blindly pick the last answer without checking

35.  You have 35 minutes to complete the 7 passages and 40 questions  That gives you approximately 5 minutes per passage. However, some passages will take a bit less time while others will take a bit more.  Don’t rush, but be conscious of your time  You do not have enough time to dwell at length on questions  If you become stuck, take your best guess and move on. Guessing on one or two is better than leaving many questions blank

36.  What does inversely related mean? ◦ Inversely related: 2 things are inversely related if one increases as the other decreases  What does directly related mean? ◦ Directly related: 2 things are directly related if they both increase or both decrease

37.  Varied: different, diverse ◦ Ex: We try to eat a more varied diet  Variable: a quantity that could be one of many values ◦ Ex: The recession is due to unemployment and other economic variable

38.  Dependent variable: The variable affected by the changing independent variable. ◦ It is usually being measured in an experiment  Independent variable: The variable that a researcher changes when conducting an experiment