1. 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.

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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 21 Must answer 22/40 correctly
How to set a goal score
If students want to earn a
Must answer 22/40 correctly
Read 2 passages, guess on 2
This gives you 16 minutes per passage
Must answer 27-28/40 correctly
Read 3 passages, guess on 1
This gives you minutes per passage
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.

8. 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!

9. 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!

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

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

12. 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.

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

15. 15

16. 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.

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

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

19. 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.

20. 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

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

22. 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.
has a great timer that you can download and pull on top of your powerpoint presentation.

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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 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.

26. 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 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

27. 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.
has a great timer that you can download and pull on top of your powerpoint presentation.

28. 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).