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TERMS OF USE
Introduction
About the ACT
Structure of the ACT
How to Use This Book
General Test-Taking Information and Strategies
What to Do on Test Day
What’s Next?
PART VI Appendices
Appendix A Glossary of Mathematics Terms and Formulas
Appendix B Glossary of Scientific Terms
Appendix C Quick Review Sheet
General Test-Taking Strategies
Math Concepts and Strategies
Science Concepts and Strategies
Appendix D Additional Resources
ACT, Inc.
Textbooks and Human Resources
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Steven W. Dulan has been helping students prepare for success on the ACT
and other standardized exams since 1989. He attended the Thomas M.
Cooley Law School on a full honors scholarship after achieving a 99th
percentile score on his Law School Admission Test (LSAT). In fact, Steve
scored in the 99th percentile on every standardized test he has ever taken.
While attending law school, Steve continued to teach standardized test prep
classes (including ACT, SAT, PSAT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT) an average
of thirty hours each week, and tutored some of his fellow law students in a
variety of subjects and in essay exam-writing techniques. Since 1997, Steve
has served as president of Advantage Education®, a company dedicated to
providing unparalleled test preparation. Thousands of students have
benefited from his instruction, coaching, and admissions consulting and
have gone on to their colleges of choice. Steve’s students have gained
admission to some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, and
received many scholarships of their own. A few of them even beat his ACT
score!
Amy Dulan put her analytical skills and nurturing personality to work as an
ACT coach after receiving a psychology degree from Michigan State
University in 1991. During forays into the corporate world over the next
several years, Amy continued to tutor part time, eventually helping to found
Advantage Education® in 1997. Since then, Amy has worked with
thousands of high school students in both private and classroom settings,
helping them to maximize their ACT scores. Her sense of humor and down-
to-earth style allow Amy to connect with her students and make learning
fun.
The techniques included in this book are the result of Steve’s and Amy’s
experiences with students at all ability and motivation levels over many
years.
“After working with Steve I was able to crack the ACT and got a 36
composite score! His help made all the difference in getting those last few
points for a perfect score!”
C. S. (Student)
There are three major changes to ACT that will be available beginning with
the September 2020 test date.
ONLINE TESTING
First, the ACT will be available as an online test at select locations.
The sections, question types, timing, and scoring will remain the same.
So, all the information and practice material in this book will still be
relevant and helpful. The online test may be more comfortable for some
students. For others, it might prove more stressful and distracting. Colleges
will not know whether you take the online or paper test. This is strictly a
matter of personal preference. The scores for online tests will be available
as quickly as two days later. This is significantly faster than the paper test
and may be helpful for students who are up against application deadlines.
The online test will be given at specified locations on ACT computers. It
will not be available for home testing or on your own laptop, even at a
testing center. Scratch paper will be available, and the testing software will
include highlighting tools. You will be able to go back and change answers
if there is time remaining in the section.
Some students prefer the comfortable environment of working on a
computer screen. Others prefer to have the ability to mark on the page with
their pencils as they work through the material. We advise you to try both
environments before making your decision. The Official Beginner’s Guide
for ACT (a publication of ACT, Inc.) includes access to an online practice
test so that you can see for yourself which option is best for you.
SUPERSCORING
Second, ACT will report a “superscore” for those who take more than one
ACT. About one-third of all institutions currently allow superscoring. The
change is that, now, ACT will automatically report the best score on each of
your English, Math, Reading, and Science sections across all of the ACTs
you take, and calculate your hypothetical composite score as though each of
your best section scores were on the same full ACT. Colleges and
universities will still each decide how to handle this information. Some will
not consider the superscore in making admission decisions. Be sure to
check with the schools and programs you are applying to for more
information.
SECTION RETAKES
Third, if you have taken one complete, or “full-battery,” ACT at any time
since 2016, you may choose to retake individual sections. You may retake
one, two, or three sections as an online test at select locations on any of the
seven annual national test dates beginning with September 2020. You may
NOT take individual sections as paper-and-pencil exams. In our opinion,
this is the most exciting change. It means that, with proper planning, you
could take your “full-panel” ACT on one day, and then do the writing
section as a stand-alone test at a later date without the fatigue that is a major
factor for many students. Some students will benefit from the reduced
fatigue and stress when retaking only one, two, or three sections rather than
an entire ACT exam.
One additional change is that ACT is removing the limit on retakes. In
the past, a student could “only” take a lifetime maximum of 12 ACT exams.
That limit is being rescinded starting in September 2020. However, with
nearly 50 years combined ACT prep experience, the authors of this book
have never met anyone who even came close to the 12-exam limit. We feel
that this change is not significant for most test-takers.
See www.act.org/morechoices for more information.
INTRODUCTION
Study Tip
Your score will improve with
practice! Decide when you are going
to take the ACT and allow sufficient
practice time leading up to the test.
We recommend six to eight weeks of
preparation before the test.
As you work with the practice questions in this book, be aware that most
of them are simulated to match actual ACT items. If you work through all
of the material provided, you can rest assured that there won’t be any
surprises on test day. Be aware, though, that ACT exams are sensitive to
factors such as fatigue and stress; in addition, the time of day that you take
the practice tests, your surroundings, and other things going on in your life
can have an impact on your scores. Don’t get worried if you see some
variations because you are having an off day or because the practice test
exposed a weakness in your knowledge base or skill set. Just use the
information that you gather as a tool to help you improve.
In our experience, the students who see the largest increases in their
scores are the ones who put in consistent effort over time. Try to keep your
frustration to a minimum if you are struggling with the practice tests and
aren’t doing as well as you had hoped. Similarly, try to keep yourself from
becoming overconfident when you have a great practice-testing day.
There is an explanation for each of the practice questions in this book.
You will probably not need to read all of them. Sometimes you can tell right
away why you answered a particular question incorrectly. We have seen
countless students smack themselves on the forehead and say, “Stupid
mistake.” We try to refer to these errors as “concentration errors.” Everyone
makes them from time to time, and you should not worry when they occur.
There is a good chance that your focus will be a little better on the real test
as long as you train yourself properly with the aid of this book. You should
distinguish between concentration errors and any holes in your knowledge
base or understanding. If you have the time, it is worth reading the
explanations for any of the questions that were at all challenging for you.
Sometimes students get questions correct for the wrong reason, or because
they guessed correctly. While you are practicing, you should mark any
questions that you want to revisit and be sure to read the explanations for
them.
GENERAL TEST-TAKING
INFORMATION AND STRATEGIES
Now it’s time to take a look at some general test-taking information and
strategies that should help you approach the ACT with confidence. We’ll
start by discussing the importance of acquiring the skills necessary to
maximize your ACT scores, and finish with some tips on how to handle
stress before, during, and after the test. Additional chapters in this book
include strategies and techniques specific to the ACT Mathematics and
Science Tests.