The ACT Test standardized college entrance exam is now as widely accepted as its more famous counterpart, the SAT. This gives students applying to colleges and universities a valuable option, especially as the tests tend to favor different performance sets of students. Unlike the SAT, ACT exam scoring does not penalize for incorrect answers. This engages a unique set of test-taking strategies.
ACT Test Skills
The ACT test design focuses on overall knowledge and preparation for college-level subjects. The SAT focuses more on problem-solving skills. Adding to or strengthening your subject knowledge base goes much further in improving ACT scores. This gives you clear benchmarks for progress.
The reading section of the ACT poses multiple choice questions in four different types of content: prose fiction, social studies, humanities and natural sciences. Preparation for an ACT exam should always focus a bit on each of these areas for comfort during the exam. The order of these sections remains consistent, so students excelling in one topic area can always start with that sections and build confidence.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT adds a science evaluation. If you excel in science, this certainly gives you an advantage. However, even good science students find that brushing up on vocabulary and theories will help. This is especially true if it’s been a year or two since taking specific coursework.
While ACT administrators consider the writing portion optional, many colleges and universities do not. Exam scoring includes structure, grammar and punctuation. If writing is not your strongest skill, work on those commas and dependent clauses now to leave the best impression.
ACT test dates typically occur six times throughout the year. This allows students plenty of opportunities to prepare and improve scores. If you’d like to learn more about test preparation before your next exam date, contact us today.
