Helpful ACT Information

The ACT should be considered a gateway to opportunity.

Tips for the ACT:

The ACT is not a sprint, it is a marathon!

Code RED for ACT success:

• R is for rest.  Get a good night's rest before taking the ACT.  It's a LONG test!
• E is for eat.  Eat something before taking the ACT.  It's a long test!
• D is for dress in layers. It could be cold or hot in the room.  You need to be comfortable because....it's a long test!

English:  There are 75 questions to be answered in 45 minutes.  Do not be verbose or redundant in your answers.  "When in doubt, leave it out!"  The Benchmark score is 18.

Math:  There are 60 questions to be answered in 60 minutes.  Do the math 😜, that is one problem per minute!  Use the "Two pass method" in order to attempt every problem before running out of time.  The first pass it to go through all of the problems and answer the easy ones first.  Some of the easiest problems are at the end of the test.  The second pass involves going back through the test to try to work the others.  Don't spend too much time on any one problem.  Geometry skills make up a good portion of the test.  The benchmark score is 22.

Reading:  There are four sections with 10 questions each.  35 minutes are allowed to complete the 40 questions.  The sections do not have to be completed in the order presented so consider concentrating on doing three sections REALLY well.  Then bubble in answers for the fourth section if time is running out.  The benchmark score is 22.

Science:  There are 40 questions to be completed in 35 minutes.  There are typically 6 sections with 5 to 7 questions in each.  The sections do not need to be completed in order.  Take a few seconds to study the graphs/charts before reading the questions.  This test is mostly science reasoning and not recall, therefore practice is the best way to improve the Science score.  Reading directions on practice tests will help save time on test day.  The benchmark score is 23.

ACT Test Prep Options:

ACT Kaplan Online Prep Live offers students the benefits of ACT Online Prep, plus an interactive teaching experience from Kaplan Test Prep including engaging instruction, live learning, archived sessions for on-demand reviewing, and real questions and sample materials from previous ACT tests. It is available for free to students who register for a national test date with a fee waiver. 

ACT with Writing or Without?

Scores from the writing component of the ACT range from 2-12 and stand alone.  They do not factor into the composite score.  Some colleges require a writing score, but many do not.  Research college requirements to determine whether or not to take the test with writing.