If you are looking for information about ACT, it means that you are planning to enroll yourself in one of the courses offered by universities in the United States. Students in the senior year or grade 11 and 12 often appear for this test to obtain a scorecard to be submitted, along with their GDP score, to the colleges and universities they have applied to.
Given below are some facts about ACT:
After learning about the pattern and making up your mind to appear for the exam, the question that comes in most students’ minds is “How to prepare for the ACT?” and there is no single answer to this question. However, there are certain suggestions that may help students in preparing well at their own pace:
Understanding the pattern of the exam is the first step in preparation. This includes the skills you will be tested for, the number and types of questions, and an idea of what is expected from the student.
For the university and the course that you have applied for, you can find out the ACT average test score by going through the details of their previous admission procedure. This will help you to prepare yourself accordingly.
Every student has a different pace and pattern of preparation. Identifying your own strengths and weaknesses help in taking your preparations in the right direction. For example, a student might be weak in Math but good in Science. Therefore, spending more time in improving the weak area and polishing the strong areas helps in overall preparations.
Practice tests and preparation materials are available online on the ACT and other websites, and with coaching centers that prepare students for the ACT. It is advised to take the practice test under the same conditions of time, which conditions students for actual exam situation and helps them to handle anxiety better.
The ACT test challenges the curriculum based-learning of the students in the areas of English, Math, and Science. The detailed structure of the exam in terms of the number of questions, types of questions, skills tested, and time allotted has been discussed in the table given below:
| Section Name | Number of Questions | Duration | Type of Questions | Skills Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 75 questions | 45 minutes | Multiple choice questions with four options to choose from, mechanics and rhetorical skills questions | Grammar usage; punctuation, sentence structure, organization, style, and strategy |
| Math | 60 questions | 60 minutes | Multiple choice questions with five options to choose from | Algebra: pre, elementary and intermediate, coordinate and plane geometry, and trigonometry |
| Reading | 40 questions | 35 minutes | Multiple choice questions with four options to choose from, referring and reasoning questions | Reading comprehension of what is directly implied and stated |
| Science | 40 questions | 35 minutes | Multiple choice data representation, four-choice, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoint questions | Evaluation, analysis, interpretation, reasoning, and problem solving |
| Writing (Optional) | 1 essay | 40 minutes | Essay prompt | Writing skills |
In addition to preparing well and expecting a good score, students must remember that even though certain examinations and tests get them to the courses and universities of their choice, their life is much more than just a score. These academic courses and universities are a part of life, not the entire life. Do your best and leave the rest!
If this article has helped you plan ahead for the ACT exams 2020, be sure to share it to help others who might be looking to take the exams.
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