Students, the ACT will be administered to all 11th graders on April 19th here at Carver. Please keep the following tips and advice in mind as the test approaches. Good luck!
BEFORE THE TEST
We have to prepare with purpose
for the ACT. It is not a normal test. It is a mental marathon. If we were
training for a real marathon, we would not do it by lifting weights or running
sprints. We would run longer and longer distances to build up endurance. We
need mental endurance to succeed on the ACT. It is a long test, and – to
prepare with purpose for it – we need to take practice tests under actual test
conditions. We then need to spend more time looking at the answers and
figuring out why we got them right and why we got them wrong. To just take
the tests without carefully reviewing the answers would be pointless. We also
need to take the test under actual test conditions so we are ready for the real
thing. Once we have analyzed the results of our practice tests, we need to use
what we learned in order to shore up our weaknesses. If we are missing a large
number of the same type of question, we need to remedy that problem by learning
the content underlying the questions. It is also important that we read for
30 minutes every day. What we read is not as important as the fact we are
reading. Reading will help our reading comprehension skills which will be
heavily tested on every section of the ACT. We must have a study plan and
goals. Only by preparing with purpose will we be able to succeed on the
actual test.
THE MORNING OF THE TEST
We need to be mentally
and physically prepared for the test. We need to get a good night of
sleep before the test. Cramming for the test will not help us, so we need to
just trust in our prior preparation and go to sleep early. We need to eat a healthy
breakfast. If we eat something unhealthy, we will feel weighed down and sick
during the test. We need to wear something light, but we need to bring a
sweater or jacket with us. Some testing rooms are very cold and others are very
hot. By layering our clothing, we will ensure that we will be comfortable
regardless of the temperature. We will arrive at school early and be ready
to test at 8:30 at the latest. We will hydrate before the test and then use
the restroom right before the test begins. We will not have drinks in the room
or another chance to use the restroom for a long time, so we need to make sure
we are not distracted on the test because we are thirsty or need to go to the
bathroom. We will bring our IDs but leave our cellphones in our locker or give
them to the monitor when we enter the room. If our cellphone goes off during
the test, we will be kicked out of the testing room and our score will be
invalid. Therefore, we cannot try to conceal our phone. We need to bring
extra pencils with us in case the two we are given break during testing. We
need to be quiet and listen very closely to the instructions given by the
monitor. If we do not follow directions carefully, we risk having our score not
count. Finally, we need to visualize ourselves doing well on the test. We need
to be in a confident mood. We need to keep telling ourselves we will beat
the test and get the score we want.
DURING THE TEST
We need to be prepared to take
the test with a positive attitude, and we should be confident because
we have strategies we can rely on. If we get a tough question early on, we
need to just forget about it and move on quickly. We cannot afford to miss a
question because we are worried about whether we got the last one right. We
also cannot afford to run out of time because we wasted too much time wavering
on a single question. We need to use process of elimination to ensure we
maximize the number of questions we get right. We need to read instructions and
question stems carefully to ensure we are answering the question asked and not
the one we think will be asked. We need to keep an eye on the clock and pace
ourselves. We need to answer EVERY question (when the monitor calls 1
minute left, we need to bubble in everything we did not get to yet). We need to
remember that we only need to get about half the questions right to do well on
the test, so there is no reason to freak out if we think we are struggling.
On each section of the test, we
need to follow the strategies we practiced with our teachers and tutors:
On the first section, English,
we have 45 minutes to answer 75 questions. We need to remember to
carefully read the passage and the question stem and then predict the answer
before looking at the answer choices. We need to select the answer that most
closely matches our prediction and not waste time with wrong answer traps. We
should remember that the people who made the test are trying to trick us. We
cannot fall into their trap. We need to also remember that – when we are not
sure of an answer – the shortest answer is usually the correct one. We
should not waste time on questions that are designed to delay us, and we should
instead focus on getting as many easy questions right as we can.
On the second section, Math,
we have 60 minutes to answer 60 questions. We need to try to remember to
approach the questions using common sense. Sometimes we can discern the answer
without having to do any math. When we do have to do math, we should rely on
the strategies we learned in math class. We should plug in the answers when
we need to in order to solve a question. We should always draw figures and
scenarios that are described to us in word problems. We should rely on the
figures that are provided to us and treat them as if they are drawn perfectly
to scale (because they almost always will be).
On the third section, Reading,
we have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. We need to follow the
strategy we practiced, whether that is annotating as we read, reading just the
first and last paragraph, or another strategy we have figured out is best for
us. We need to read for main ideas and not get bogged down by details that
we will probably not be asked about. We need to read the question stems
carefully as they will tell us where to find answers and give us context clues
that will help us pick the correct answer. We should predict the answer when we
can. We should pace ourselves so we can finish all four passages.
On the fourth section, Science,
we have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. We need to rely on the
strategies we have learned to interpret graphs and charts. We need to remember
that each question will give us a hint as to where we can find the answer. We
should not get bogged down by the reading passage at the beginning of each
question set. Instead, we should skim it quickly for its main ideas and then
examine the charts and graphs. We should not worry about the content and any
vocabulary we do not understand. We
should annotate in our booklet so we can remember what each chart/graph
represents.
On the fifth and final section, Writing,
we have 40 minutes to write one essay. We should carefully read the
prompt and three perspectives and annotate in our booklet. We should spend
at least 10 to 15 minutes outlining our essay before we start writing. We
should pick one of the perspectives that is given and never make up our own or
blend them. Our first paragraph should state which perspective we chose,
provide our general reasoning for picking that perspective, and give at least
two specific examples of why our perspective is best. In the second and third
paragraphs, we should attack the two other perspectives. We should admit they
have strengths, but we should ultimately show how their weaknesses make them
less persuasive than our perspective. Finally, we should have a conclusion
where we sum everything up.
AFTER THE TEST
We should relax and try to
momentarily wipe the test from our minds. We should go and have fun and not
discuss test questions with our peers because there is nothing we can do
about it at that point and talking about it may make us lose confidence. Once
we get our results, we should analyze them closely and use what we learn to
prepare better for the next ACT test. We will get the score we want and
achieve our dream of going to college because we will be well-prepared and have
a positive, confident attitude.
After you have completed the project and gotten my approval, please post the Google Docs link to your project in the comments below. Your post should have the following format:
