1. Seth Keene Stacey Schultz
ACT® PREPARATION
Seth Keene
Stacey Schultz

2. What is the “required” score for admission to your 1st choice school?
Are you applying for scholarships with ACT score requirements?
In addition to a composite score goal, set a goal for each test and sub-score.
Set the bar high, but make it reachable!
GOAL SETTING

3. UNDERSTANDING SCORES Converting Raw Scores to Scale Scores (Math)
Raw % Scale
UNDERSTANDING SCORES

4. WHAT IS A “GOOD” SCORE? National Average Middle 50% of Applicants:21
Middle 50% of Applicants:
Ivy league, Notre Dame, Stanford: 29-34
Major Public Universities: 25-30
SD Board of Regents:
Minimum 18 Composite
$5000 Guaranteed for 24 or better*
WHAT IS A “GOOD” SCORE?

5. TEST DATES 1st: Winter/Spring of Junior Year
2nd: Summer of Junior Year
3rd: Fall/Winter of Senior Year
TEST DATES

6. TEST PREPARATION #1 4+ Years of Math, Science, English
#2 ACT Preparation Course
#3 Practice Workbook/On-line Resources
Ideal Preparation Plan:
10% Understanding Test
80% Reviewing Skills
10% Test-taking Strategies
TEST PREPARATION

7. PREPARATION RESOURCES
Online/Self-Paced Courses:
ACT Online Prep ($19.95 for 1 year)
SD MyLife and My Student Edge (FREE)
Practice Tests
DSTEP, ASVAB, PSAT, SD Test-Outs
Preparing for the ACT (Archived editions online)
Practice Books
The Real ACT Prep Guide ($30.95)
Classroom Review Courses
Sylvan Learning Center
Keene/Schultz
PREPARATION RESOURCES

8. ENGLISH TEST 75 QUESTIONS/45 MINUTES Usage/Mechanics: 40 Questions
Punctuation
Grammar and Usage
Sentence Structure
Rhetorical Skills: 35 Questions
Strategy
Organization
Style
ENGLISH TEST

9. MATH TEST 60 QUESTIONS/60 MINUTES Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra
Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry
18 Questions
Plane Geometry/Trigonometry
MATH TEST

10. READING TEST 40 QUESTIONS/35 MINUTES Prose Fiction: 10 Questions
Social Studies: 10 Questions
Humanities: 10 Questions
Natural Sciences: 10 Questions
READING TEST

11. SCIENCE TEST Data Representation: 15 questions
40 QUESTIONS/35 MINUTES
Data Representation: 15 questions
Research Summaries: 18 questions
Conflicting Viewpoints: 7 questions
SCIENCE TEST

12. 1 PROMPT/30 MINUTES WRITING TEST
The test consists of one writing prompt that will define an issue and describe two points of view on that issue.
Students may adopt either of the perspectives described in the prompt, or may present a third point of view on the issue.
Scores will not be affected by the point of view taken on the issue.
WRITING TEST

13. Questions?
Reminders of upcoming test dates and registration deadlines
Information requests
CONCLUSION