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Test BasicsACT ScoresThe ACT is composed of four standard test sections:English Mathematics Reading Science ReasoningEach section is scored on a scale of 1-36. You will also receive a composite ACT score, which is the average of your four test scores. Test takes approximately 3 ? hours.All questions are worth the same amount.2015 National and State Averages for the ACTNational Average Composite Score: 21Kansas Average Composite Score: 21.9National Average English Score: 20.4Kansas Average English Score: 21.3National Average Math Score: 20.8Kansas Average Math Score: 21.6National Average Reading Score: 21.4Kansas Average Reading Score: 22.4National Average Science Score: 20.9Kansas Average Science Score: 21.8The Day of the TestYou must bring the following items to the test center on the day of the test:Your admission ticket Photo ID or a letter of identificationNumber Two pencils with good erasersA calculatorA watchACT Test Taking TipsAnswer every question; there is no penalty for wrong answers.Don’t Get Bogged Down by Hard Questions Answer Easy Questions first There is no order of difficulty Know the Instructions for Each Subject Test ahead of time. Know when the question is asking for the “best” answer or the “correct” answer.1. Choose the “best” answer in the writing, reading, and science sections.2. Choose the “correct” answer in the math section.Eliminate wrong answers through a process of elimination.Avoid Carelessness Read the questions and answers carefully Fill in bubbles completely and cleanly. Make sure you fill in your answer on the correct line. Odd-numbered answers are lettered A, B, C, D (plus E on the Math Test) Even-numbered answers are lettered F, G, H, J (plus K on the Math Test)Use Your Test Booklet as Scratch Paper. Recheck your work if you finish early.Use a good eraser.Use a calculator you are familiar with.Pay attention to the 5 minute warning.Do not continue working after time is called.ANSWER EVERY QUESTIONFind Your Comfort Zone:Use test taking strategies that you are comfortable with. Try out the techniques covered here on a practice test, but if it doesn’t work for you don’t try it on the test.Test Structure for the ACTEnglish – measures standard written English and rhetorical skillsQuestion TypeNumber of QuestionsUsage & mechanics40Rhetorical skills35 Time Allotted: 45 minutes 75 questions = 36 seconds per questionMathematics – measures mathematical skills students have typically taken up to the beginning of grade 12Question TypeNumber of QuestionsPre-Algebra (Arithmetic)14Elementary algebra10Intermediate algebra9Coordinate geometry9Plane geometry14Trigonometry4Time Allotted: 60 minutes 60 questions = 1 minute per questionReading - measures reading comprehensionQuestion TypeNumber of QuestionsProse fiction10Humanities10Social studies10Natural sciences10Time Allotted: 35 minutes 40 questions = 52.5 seconds per questionScience Reasoning – measures the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning and problem solving skills acquired in the natural sciencesQuestion TypeNumber of QuestionsData representation15Research summary18Conflicting viewpoint7Time Allotted: 35 minutes 40 questions = 52.5 seconds per questionEnglish TestThe English test consists of 75 questions. You have 45 minutes to complete the English section. That equals 36 seconds per question!Know the types of questions: usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills. Spelling, vocabulary, and rote recall of rules of grammar are not?tested. Usage / Mechanics areas tested include: 1. Punctuation 2. grammar/usage 3. sentence structure Rhetorical skills areas tested include: 1. writing strategy 2. organization 3. styleUsage/MechanicsPunctuation (10-15%). Questions in this category test your knowledge of the conventions of internal and end-of-sentence punctuation, with emphasis on the relationship of punctuation to meaning (for example, avoiding ambiguity, indicating appositives).Grammar and Usage (15-20%). Questions in this category test your understanding of agreement between subject and verb, between pronoun and antecedent, and between modifiers and the word modified; verb formation; pronoun case; formation of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs; and idiomatic usage.Sentence Structure (20-25%). Questions in this category test your understanding of relationships between and among clauses, placement of modifiers, and shifts in construction.Rhetorical SkillsStrategy (15-20%). Questions in this category test how well you develop a given topic by choosing expressions appropriate to an essay's audience and purpose; judging the effect of adding, revising, or deleting supporting material; and judging the relevance of statements in anization (10-15%). Questions in this category test how well you organize ideas and choose effective opening, transitional, and closing sentences.Style (15-20%). Questions in this category test how well you select precise and appropriate words and images, maintain the level of style and tone in an essay, manage sentence elements for rhetorical effectiveness, and avoid ambiguous pronoun references, wordiness, and redundancy.General English Test TipsWhen searching for sentence errors, start by reading the sentence or paragraph carefully, listening in your head; usually the word or phrase that contains an error will sound wrong. If no errors pop up, look for the four most common types of errors: Errors in the relationship between the verb and its subjectPronoun errorsSentence structure errorsAwkwardness, verbosity, and incorrect use of idioms? Read answer choices carefully to identify subtle differences between them.? Look at how the sentence uses period / or commas.? Pay attention to apostrophes.? Eliminate any two answers that have the same meaning (synonyms). There can only be one answer so two answers that mean the same are automatically eliminated.? “When in doubt, take it out.” Often, the shortest choice is the answer because questions often test for redundancy, verbosity (more words than needed), and irrelevance.? Avoid Redundancy – the fewer words the better. EX: the tiny, little girl was jumping rope.? Trust your ear — if it sounds weird, it’s probably wrong.? Come up with your own answer before looking at the answer choices.? Be careful on question stems that say “not” or “except.” ? Be aware of connotations (idea or feeling a word invokes: discipline, home).? Look for the “best” answer among the choices offered.? Re-read each sentence with your answer to see if the sentence makes sense.English Test – PassagesThe test consists of five?essays or?passages, each of which is accompanied by a sequence of multiple-choice test questions. Different passage types are employed to provide a variety of rhetorical situations.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.Focus on underlined portions of sentences. Quickly skim through sentences that have no underlined portions.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.The questions are numbered consecutively. Each question number refers to a correspondingly numbered portion underlined?in the passage or to a corresponding numeral in a box located in the passage.English Test – DELETEYou will sometimes see the answer choice “DELETE the underlined portion.” Delete is the right choice when it eliminates redundancy or irrelevant statements. Example: It is important to be cautious and carefully plan your class schedule each semester. The sentence is grammatically correct, but it is redundant. The underlined portion is not necessary to the sentence. DELETE is correct more than half of the time!English Test – NO CHANGEMany questions offer "NO CHANGE" to the passage as one of the choices. Just because a portion is underlined doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with it. Example: The old man often fished the river that flowed past his cabin door. No changes are required to this sentence. Some answers they offer you are there to trip you up. They might offer the wrong tense of past – passed.Mathematics TestThe mathematics test consists of 60 questions. You have 60 minutes to complete the Math section. That equals 1 minute per question!Know the types of questions: pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry.Pre-Algebra/Elementary AlgebraPre-Algebra (20-25%). Questions in this content area are based on basic operations using whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers; place value; square roots and approximations; the concept of exponents; scientific notation; factors; ratio, proportion, and percent; linear equations in one variable; absolute value and ordering numbers by value; elementary counting techniques and simple probability; data collection, representation, and interpretation; and understanding simple descriptive statistics.Elementary Algebra (15-20%). Questions in this content area are based on properties of exponents and square roots, evaluation of algebraic expressions through substitution, using variables to express functional relationships, understanding algebraic operations, and the solution of quadratic equations by factoring.Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate GeometryIntermediate Algebra (15-20%). Questions in this content area are based on an understanding of the quadratic formula, rational and radical expressions, absolute value equations and inequalities, sequences and patterns, systems of equations, quadratic inequalities, functions, modeling, matrices, roots of polynomials, and complex numbers.Coordinate Geometry (15-20%). Questions in this content area are based on graphing and the relations between equations and graphs, including points, lines, polynomials, circles, and other curves; graphing inequalities; slope; parallel and perpendicular lines; distance; midpoints; and conics.Plane Geometry/TrigonometryPlane Geometry (20-25%). Questions in this content area are based on the properties and relations of plane figures, including angles and relations among perpendicular and parallel lines; properties of circles, triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids; transformations; the concept of proof and proof techniques; volume; and applications of geometry to three dimensions.Trigonometry (5-10%). Questions in this content area are based on understanding trigonometric relations in right triangles; values and properties of trigonometric functions; graphing trigonometric functions; modeling using trigonometric functions; use of trigonometric identities; and solving trigonometric equations.General Math Test Tips? As soon as you find the right answer, mark it and move on -- there are no ''degrees of rightness'' to be considered. Marking up diagrams or sketching simple drawings when none are available can help you ''see''?the answers. The questions generally focus on mathematical reasoning, not your ability to perform calculations; if you find yourself spending too much time figuring the problem out, then you've probably overlooked a simple shortcut.? Answer the easy questions first. You can always come back to the difficult ones.? Questions tend to get more difficult near the end of the test.? Look for quick ways to solve problems, not just the way you were taught in class.? Go through the questions in two passes.1. Use the first pass for questions that are easier/faster for you.2. During the second pass, tackle questions that will take more time for you to complete.? When in doubt, try multiple strategies.1. Look at the answers and plug them in (start with the middle answer).2. Substitute numbers for variables.3. Reason out the answer by viewing the question as a logic puzzle rather than a math problem.? Make sure you understand exactly what each question is asking.? If you are going to use a calculator – be sure you know how to work it BEFORE the test date.? Think before computing. Most of the calculations are fairly simple and actually do not require the use of a calculator. ? Answer the question they ask you. Sometimes the question requires multiple steps to get to the answer – be sure to do all the steps.? Check the choices. Sometimes the choices give you a clue how to proceed.? Test the answers. You can eliminate some of the wrong answers this way. Answers are arranged in either ascending or descending order. If you are ‘trying out’ answers it makes sense to begin in the middle. If the middle answer is too small or too large, then you’ll immediately know which other answers to focus on.? Use ‘stand-ins’ You can sometimes simplify your work on a given problem by using actual numbers as ‘stand-ins’ for variables.? Simplify the question. Some of the questions will involve new operations that you have never seen. Read the whole question and you’ll find that the new operation is defined for you. Apply the definition and the rest is easy math.? Round off and “guesstimate” freely to make the numbers easier to use.? For word problems, build an equation that will yield the answer you want.? Break down each problem into parts and translate each part into a numerical expression.? For geometry problems, look at the diagram for clues.? Draw pictures – it really helps visualize the problem.? Avoid lengthy calculations and working with big numbers.? Use your calculator to perform quick/simple calculations.Reading TestThe Reading Test consists of 40 questions. You have 35 minutes to complete the Reading Test. That equals 52.5 seconds per question!There is virtually NO prior knowledge tested on the reading test. The passages are well edited and correct in terms of grammar, punctuation and overall structure. The Reading Test is based on four types of passages: social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction, and humanities. Each passage has 700-900 words followed by 10 questions. With four passages and 35 minutes you have about 8 or 9 minutes per passage. That is 8 or 9 minutes to read the passage and answer 10 questions. Some students choose to tackle 3 passages and spend a little extra time getting them right and then guessing on the final passage. They choose which passages based on the subject matter they are more comfortable reading about: social studies, natural science, prose fiction or humanities. Do what is comfortable to you.Social Studies (25%). Questions in this category are based on passages in the content areas of anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.Natural Sciences (25%). Questions in this category are based on passages in the content areas of anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, medicine, meteorology, microbiology, natural history, physiology, physics, technology, and zoology.Prose Fiction (25%). Questions in the Literary Narrative category are based on intact short stories or excerpts from short stories or novels, or passages from memoirs and personal essays. Questions in the Prose Fiction category are based on intact short stories or excerpts from short stories and novels.Humanities (25%). Questions in this category are based on passages?in the content areas of architecture, art, dance, ethics, film, language, literary criticism, music, philosophy, radio, television, and theater. Questions may be based on?passages from memoirs and personal essays.General Reading Test TipsUse the three-stage method (previewing, reading, and reviewing) to get the most out of each reading passage. Focus on the big ideas in each passage, not the small details. Look for connections among ideas in each passage. To help you find answers quickly, take notes as you read, marking the main ideas or connections with your pencil.? Read the question first – not the answers but the question. Then read the passage.? Quickly skim the reading to get a general sense of the passage.? Sometimes you don’t need to read the entire passage to answer the questions.Answer the questions that refer to specific words or sentences first (make sure to read around the sentences to understand the context).2. Move on to the questions that require you actually to read the paragraphs.? The test has four types of passages: prose fiction, humanities, social studies and science.? Know which type of passage is easiest for you, and do that one first.? When reading science and social studies passages, focus on main ideas (usually but not always expressed in the first or last sentences of paragraphs); don’t get bogged down by details.? For literature and humanities/arts passages, focus on the development/voice of the narrative.? Mark up the main ideas as you read.? Look back to the passage for reference as you answer questions.? Don’t pick the first choice that sounds good.? Don’t pick an answer simply because it sounds familiar.? There are 2 types of questions: referring and reasoning.? Referring questions mean the info is clearing stated in the passage? Reasoning questions mean you take the stated or implied info and answer complex questions.? The reading test involves the following skills: identifying and interpreting details finding main ideascomparing and contrastingunderstanding cause and effectidentifying generalizationsunderstanding the meaning of words from contextunderstanding the sequence of eventsmaking conclusions about voice and methodunderstanding what is directly statedunderstanding statements with implied meanings? Read loosely or in an open book format. Typically students read for a closed book format meaning you don’t get to use the book during a test. You are not going to need to memorize the passages. You only need to pull out info that you are sure is important. ? Read for the main idea or the big picture. The main idea has 3 parts: topic – what is the passage about scope – what aspect of the topic is being discussed purpose – why was the passage written? The first sentence is not always the topic sentence. When you come across words you think might be topic words – circle them.? Don’t get stuck on a word you don’t know. Keep going because chances are that you won’t need to know the word to answer the questions.? Refer back to the passage as often as you need to and skip around the 10 questions for each passage if you need to.? Try to think of the answer in your mind BEFORE you have looked at the answer choices. The answers are written to try to confuse you so have an idea of your answer before you look at the choices.? Use the process of elimination when nothing else works.? Question types on the reading test:Main idea / point of viewSpecific detailsConclusion / inferenceExtrapolationVocabularyScience TestThe Science Test consists of 40 questions. You have 35 minutes to complete the Science Test. That equals 52.5 seconds per question!The content of the Science Test includes biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth/space sciences (for example, geology, astronomy, and meteorology). Advanced knowledge in these subjects is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses is needed to answer some of the questions. The test emphasizes scientific reasoning skills over recall of scientific content, skill in mathematics, or reading ability.The scientific information is conveyed in one of three different formats:Data Representation (30-40%). This format presents graphic and tabular material similar to that found in science journals and texts. The questions associated with this format measure skills such as graph reading, interpretation of scatterplots, and interpretation of information presented in tables.Research Summaries (45-55%). This format provides descriptions of one or more related experiments. The questions focus upon the design of experiments and the interpretation of experimental results.Conflicting Viewpoints (15-20%). This format presents expressions of several hypotheses or views that, being based on differing premises or on incomplete data, are inconsistent with one another. The questions focus on the understanding, analysis, and comparison of alternative viewpoints or hypotheses.? The Science Test has seven passages followed by 4 to 7 multiple choice questions. With 7 passages and 35 minutes you have about 5 minutes per passage to read and answer the questions.Some students choose to tackle a set number of passages and spend a little extra time getting them right and then guessing on the final passage. They choose which passages based on the subject matter they are more comfortable reading about: social studies, natural science, prose fiction or humanities. Do what is comfortable to you.The questions require you to:recognize and understand the basic features of, and concepts related to, the provided informationexamine critically the relationship between the information provided and the conclusions drawn or hypotheses developedgeneralize from given information to gain new information,?draw conclusions,?or make predictions General Science Test Tips? Look at the questions before you read the experiment summaries or graphs/charts.? Most questions require you to interpret a graph or chart.? Don’t get lost in numbers, jargon, or details. Focus on the main ideas first, and see how many questions you can answer by looking at graphs/charts.? Look at graphs and tables carefully to identify the following:1. what labels mean2. what the table shows3. trends4. units of measurement? Answers might not be in the same measurement units used in the graphs and tables.? Look for patterns:1. extremes2. critical points (points of change)3. variation (the way two things change in relation to each other)? Know the types of passages and develop strategies for each.1. data representation2. research summaries3. conflicting viewpoints? Use the same three-stage method (previewing, reading, reviewing) for each science reasoning passage. In data representation passages, focus on what is being measured, relationships among variables, and trends in data. Don't be confused by irrelevant information or technical terminology -- most science reasoning passages have them, and they can almost always be ignored.? There will be math BUT you are not permitted to use a calculator on the Science Test.? The test assumes that students are in the process of taking the core science course of study (three years or more) that will prepare them for college-level work and have completed a course in Earth science and/or physical science and a course in biology.? All science questions have been written with the scientific method in mind.Where to Find Free Practice ACT Tests tests can be found by googling: free practice ACT testsKansas City, Kanas Public Library has a collection of test prep books for you to check out. All have multiple practice tests.Kansas City, Kansas Public Library also has a free database called Learning Express Library that includes free practice tests.208788015049500 ................
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