ACT Exam & Test Preparation Online in India & Dubai
The ACT® is a commonly used entrance test by higher education institutions to determine admissions decisions. Its purpose is to assess a student's readiness for college and provide a standardized source of information for all applicants. Admissions officers evaluate ACT® scores in conjunction with other factors, such as high school GPA, course selection, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, essays, and interviews. The significance of ACT® scores in the college application process varies across universities.
ACT® Format
The ACT® is divided into four sections: English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science, with an optional Writing Test. Some schools may require the Writing Test, so check with them before taking the ACT®. The ACT® test has a total of 215 multiple-choice questions.
Section 1: English
- 75 multiple-choice questions
- Time: 45 minutes
- Topics Covered: grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetorical skills are also assessed
- Five passages
- Questions are essentially based on information from a particular paragraph or the entire passage
- Skills like rhetorical ability and usage mechanics (which assesses understanding of grammatical rules including usage, punctuation, and sentence structure) are assessed through this section
In this section it is necessary to be really time efficient and quick while answering the questions.
Keep in mind the secret to promptness: Practice, practice, and more practice!!
Some tips to keep in mind while preparing for this section-
In each passage you try, pay attention to the style of writing.
You must carefully observe the tone and emphasis of the text, as well as other writing elements.
Pay attention to questions without underlined divisions because they indicate that you will receive information about a portion of the entry or the section as a whole.
Consider the differences between each answer choice and the others. Numerous questions on the exam will require you to write in more than one way.
Choose the best response. Before choosing the response that best responds to the question, look over and consider all of the possible responses.
To improve your rhetorical skills, focus on comprehending the meaning and purpose of a passage.
To master punctuation, practice using semicolons, dashes, commas, and other punctuation marks correctly.
To improve your grammar usage, learn the rules for subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, verb tense, pronoun use, and adverb placement.
To improve your sentence structure, pay attention to sentence construction, modifiers, and parallelism.
To improve your style, focus on using language that emphasizes the quality and flow of your writing. Use an active voice, avoid repetition, and vary your sentence structure to keep your writing engaging.
Section 2: Mathematics
This section has 60 questions and a time period of 60 minutes. A calculator is allowed for this section.
The syllabus and some details about it are as follows-
Pre-algebra- 20-25% of the questions aim at this topic. Questions on this will consist of number problems, multiples/factors/primes, divisibility, percents, fractions, square roots, ratios, mean/median/mode, probability, place values, absolute values, exponents, series, simple descriptive statistics
Elementary algebra- 15-20% of the questions aim at this topic. Questions on this will consist of substitution, simplifying expressions, solving linear equations, inequalities, multiplying binomials, solving quadratic equations
Intermediate algebra- 15-20% of the questions aim at this topic. Questions on this will consist of solving systems of equations, functions, matrices, logarithms, inequalities, sequences and patterns, complex numbers.
Coordinate geometry- 15-20% of the questions aim at this topic. Questions on this will consist of number lines, graphing inequalities, distance and midpoints, slope calculation, parallel/perpendicular lines, line equation, conic sections.
Plane geometry- 20-25% of the questions aim at this topic. Questions on this will consist of lines and angles, triangles, polygons, circles, 3-D geometry, volume, properties of circles, triangles, and parallelograms.
Trigonometry- 5-10% of the questions aim at this topic. Questions on this will consist of solving triangles, trigonometric identities and graphs, graphing trigonometric functions, and solving trigonometric equations.
Some tips-
- Questions in this section can be tricky. It is suggested that you read the questions carefully to determine the appropriate response.
- To avoid bringing a prohibited calculator with you, keep up with the most recent information regarding the types of calculators that are permitted. However, the exam contains simple mathematical problems that can be solved with a single hand.
- Practice mathematics on a daily basis to improve fundamental skills. Be thorough with the fundamentals: Multiplication and division of numbers with two to three digits, as well as large number addition and subtraction.
Section 3: Reading
The passage here will consist of 4 sections with 40 questions in total. The areas in focus here are – civil science, societies, education, and literary fiction. The exam assesses you in different fields- inferences and conclusions, logical reasoning, interpretation etc.
- Detailed questions in this section assess your understanding og an individual line within a paragraph
- Function questions assess your understanding of the position of a concept within the text
- Read all the passage(s) cautiously and at least twice.
- Skim through the questions and the responses and then read the passage once more to search for answers.
Section 4: Science
There are 7 passages in this section for 40 multiple-choice questions. The paragraphs consist of charts, lists, and sketches. The skills needed to succeed in this field are more about how well you interpret the scientific method than just how well you remember facts and figures. Some of the fields that the questions in the science section are asked from are Biology, Chemistry, Earth/ Space Sciences(e.g Geology, Astronomy, and Meteorology and Physics.
Tips and information on this section-
While practicing for this section, focus on improving your ability to collect and analyze data
The data representation questions will be testing you on your ability to understand graphs and data presented in tables, as well as your ability to utilize the suggested material
Research summaries test you on your knowledge of the methods-of-examines and related proceeds as defined in the text
Conflicting viewpoints determine your capacity to analyse divergent perspectives. The challenges rotate around a basic idea, and you need to critique the two
Section 5: Writing (optional)
The ACT® writing test is a 40-minute essay portion that evaluates a student’s writing abilities. The test requires students to write an essay using a pencil on lined paper provided to them. The writing prompt given to the students focuses on describing a difficult issue and presenting three distinct viewpoints on it.
The purpose of the ACT® writing test is to enhance the English and reading tests. The results of these tests provide undergraduate colleges with information about students’ comprehension of standard written English conventions and writing ability. In addition, all four multiple-choice tests must be taken in the same session before the writing test can be taken.
Candidates are required to read the given prompt and write an essay in which they can express their own viewpoint. You should analyze the connection between your perspective and one or more other perspectives in the essay you write. Competitors are permitted to take on a viewpoint from the brief, to some extent or completely. In addition, candidates are permitted to develop their own perspectives. The perspective you choose will have no effect on your ACT® score.
The ACT® writing test score is rarely requested by colleges. Therefore, candidates ought to consider the requirements of the colleges to which they are applying before deciding whether or not they are required to take the test.
List of Colleges that Require the Candidates’ ACT® scores:
Below is the list consisting of some of the top universities that still require applicants to submit their ACT® scores:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT):
- MIT values writing and communication skills highly and expects candidates to be proficient in writing clear, eloquent, and well-organized arguments supported by data and coherent ideas. While the ACT® writing section is optional, MIT requires all students to fulfill a communication requirement throughout their undergraduate program.
Georgetown University (DC):
- Candidates are required to submit an official score report. Georgetown only considers the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections of the ACT® and does not use the new ACT® super score optional reports.
University of Florida:
- If you take the ACT® more than once, they combine your highest subsection scores from all test dates for the same exam because of their superscore system.
Georgia Institute of Technology:
- Strong academic scores are necessary to increase your chances of admission to this school, which has a high admissions rate. You will have a very good chance of getting in if you can get a score of 34 on the ACT® or higher. However, you won’t be able to get in if you score 31 or lower on the ACT®.
University of Georgia:
- University of Georgia utilizes the superscoring method for the ACT®.
Florida State University:
- FSU does not have an absolute ACT® requirement, but they really want at least a 26 in order to be considered. It also requires the candidate to give the ACT® writing section.
University of Tennessee:
- The University of Tennessee utilizes the superscoring method, which means that the highest section scores from each test are used to calculate the composite score for application review, resulting in a more competitive application.
Note: Some universities have removed the ACT® score requirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below you’ll find information on the universities that no longer require the ACT® scores while evaluating candidates’ applications.
- Stanford University
- Harvard University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Princeton University
- University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
- California Institute of Technology
- Columbia University
- Brown University
- Boston University
- Cornell University
- University of Arizona
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Southern California
- University of Rochester
- University of Wisconsin – Madison
- Virginia Tech
- Duke University
- Emory University
- North Carolina State University
- Purdue University
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Syracuse University
- University of Texas at Dallas
Registration for the ACT® Exam:
The ACT® is not given at a specific time. The exam mainly includes questions from the academic material studied till the 11th grade. Therefore, students prefer to normally take the ACT® exam in the second half of 11th grade. When it comes to the application process to colleges, most students find having their ACT® results handy. Furthermore, taking the exam in 11th grade gives you plenty of time to prepare and retake the exam if your initial score isn’t good.
If you haven’t already done so, you can register for the exam on the ACT® website. If you haven’t previously done this and if this is your first ACT® attempt, you’ll need to create an account on the ACT® website to register for the exam.
We recommend you to choose a location close to you to avoid any exam day chaos while you’re on the way to the exam in the morning.
Make sure you allow yourself enough time to prepare before you choose a date. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the test, schedule it at least three months in advance to allow yourself enough time to study.
Tips for ACT® Preparation:
- Make a schedule for your studies.
- Use practice questions and tests to sharpen your skills.
- Recognize and address your flaws.
Contact Us:
Rostrum Education offers the most up-to-date and thorough ACT® study resources. Learn from our qualified teachers, who have the knowledge and experience to help you reach your ACT® preparation goals. Book a free consultation with us to learn more about the coaching.
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