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ACT ® OVERVIEW

ACT ® OVERVIEW . Seth Keene Stacey Schultz Paula Wilson. #1: Courses and Grades (especially AP) #2: Standardized Test Scores #3: Class Rank #4: Student Essay #5: Teacher/Counselor Recommendations #6: Extra-Curricular Activities.

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ACT ® OVERVIEW

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  1. ACT® OVERVIEW Seth Keene Stacey Schultz Paula Wilson

  2. #1: Courses and Grades (especially AP) #2: Standardized Test Scores #3: Class Rank #4: Student Essay #5: Teacher/Counselor Recommendations #6: Extra-Curricular Activities COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FACTORS(as ranked by the College Board)

  3. American College Testing • First Administered in Fall 1959 • Optional Writing Test added in 2005 • As of 2007, accepted at all 4-year colleges and universities History of the ACT®

  4. Test dates: September, October, December, February, April, and June • Registration Options: Online (recommended), Mail, or Phone (additional charge) • Cost: $34 or $49.50 with optional writing • Must register 5 weeks in advance of test date or pay $21 late fee (or $42 standby fee) REGISTRATION

  5. Check-in at SDSM&T Surbeck Center before 8:00am • Must present admission ticket and identification • 2hrs 55min (3hrs 25min with Writing) • 10-15 minute break between Math and Reading • IEP/504 can request accommodations • Only calculator, pencil (#2), and eraser allowed on desk. Cell phones, MP3 players, and food* are prohibited. A watch* is recommended. TEST DAY PROCEDURES

  6. ENGLISH: 75 questions/45 minutes • MATH: 60 questions/60 minutes • READING: 40 questions/35 minutes • SCIENCE: 40 questions/35 minutes • WRITING: 1 prompt/30 minutes TEST DESCRIPTIONS

  7. The English test consists of five prose passages, each one accompanied by 15 questions. • Questions may refer to underlined portions of the passage, a section of the passage, or the passage as a whole. ENGLISH TEST

  8. Usage/Mechanics Punctuation (10 questions) Grammar and Usage (12 questions) Sentence Structure (18 questions) • Rhetorical Skills Strategy (12 questions) Organization (11 questions) Style (12 questions) • NOTE: Spelling, vocabulary, and rote recall of rules of grammar aren't tested. ENGLISH TEST

  9. The Mathematics Test is designed to measure the mathematical skills students have typically acquired in courses taken by the end of 11th grade (Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, and Trigonometry). • Students aren't required to know complex formulas or perform extensive computations. • Calculators may be used on the Mathematics Test, but are not required as all problems can be solved without a calculator. MATH TEST

  10. Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra Pre-Algebra (14 questions) Elementary Algebra (10 questions) • Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry Intermediate Algebra (9 questions) Coordinate Geometry (9 questions) • Plane Geometry/Trigonometry Plane Geometry (14 questions) Trigonometry (4 questions) MATH TEST

  11. The Reading test is comprised of four passages (Prose Fiction, Social Studies, Humanities, and Natural Sciences). Each passage is accompanied by a set of 10 test questions. • Students must use reasoning skills to determine main ideas, locate and interpret significant details, understand sequences of events,make comparisons, comprehend cause-effect relationships, draw generalizations, and analyze the author's voice and method. • Questions do not test the rote recall of facts from outside the passage, isolated vocabulary items, or rules of formal logic. READING TEST

  12. Prose Fiction (10 questions) • Social Studies (10 questions) • Humanities (10 questions) • Natural Sciences (10 questions) READING TEST

  13. The Science test measures skills used in the natural sciences. The test presents seven sets of scientific information, each followed by 5 to 7 test questions. • Information is presented in one of three different formats: • Data representation: graphs, tables, and charts • Research summaries: descriptions of one or more related experiments • Conflicting viewpoints: expressions of several related hypotheses or views that are inconsistent with one another • Advanced knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics is not required as this test emphasizes scientific reasoning skills over recall of scientific content. SCIENCE TEST

  14. Data Representation (15 questions) • Research Summaries (18 questions) • Conflicting Viewpoints (7 questions) SCIENCE TEST

  15. The Writing test measures skills emphasized in high school English classes and in entry-level college composition courses. • The test consists of one writing prompt that will define an issue and describe two points of view on that issue. Students may adopt one or the other of the perspectives described in the prompt, or may present a third point of view on the issue. Scores will not be affected by the point of view taken on the issue. OPTIONAL WRITING TEST

  16. Each essay will be scored from 1 (low) to 6 (high) by two trained readers using a rubric. • Scores are added together, yielding a Writing score range from 2-12. • Writing score is combined with English score. OPTIONAL WRITING TEST

  17. Scores posted on-line three weeks after test date. Up to 8 weeks for delivery to colleges. • For $18 you can receive Test Information Release (Only available for December, April, and June test dates.) • Raw Score to Scale Score Conversions • See Tables 1 and 4 in Preparing for the ACT UNDERSTANDING SCORES

  18. Raw Scores: • English 60/75 • Math 40/60 • Reading 25/40 • Science 30/40 • Writing 7/12 • Scale Scores: • English 26 • Math 25 • Reading 23 • Science 26 • Combined Writing/English 24 • COMPOSITE: (25 + 23 + 20 + 24) ÷ 4 = 24.5 UNDERSTANDING SCORES

  19. National Averages: • 21.1 Composite; 7.3 Writing • South Dakota Averages: • 21.9 Composite; 7.7 Writing • Middle 50% of Applicants: • Ivy league, Notre Dame, Stanford: 29-34 • Major Public Universities: 25-30 • SD Board of Regents: • Minimum 18 Composite • $5000 Opportunity Scholarship for 24 or better WHAT IS A “GOOD” SCORE?

  20. #1 4+ Years of Math, Science, English • #2 ACT Preparation Course • #3 ACT Practice Workbook/Tests • Ideal Preparation Plan: • 10% Understanding Test • 80% Reviewing Weakest Skills • 10% Test-taking Strategies TEST PREPARATION

  21. Online/Self-Paced Courses: • ACT Online Prep ($19.95 for 1 year) • SD MyLife and My Student Edge (FREE) • Practice Tests • DSTEP, ASVAB, PSAT, SD Test-Outs • Preparing for the ACT (Archived editions online) • Practice Books • The Real ACT Prep Guide ($30.95) • Classroom Review Courses • Sylvan Learning Center • Keene Academy PREPARATION RESOURCES

  22. Pace Yourself (Announcements only made when 5 minutes/1 minute remain) • Read directions before test date • Read questions carefully (annotate) • Answer easy questions first • Answer EVERY question (no penalty for guessing) • Be precise in marking answer and don’t make notes on answer sheet TEST-TAKING TIPS

  23. Questions? • Reminders of upcoming test dates and registration deadlines • Information requests • Seth.Keene@k12.sd.us • Stacey.Schultz@k12.sd.us • Paula.M.Wilson@k12.sd.us • www.raiderscorner.com • GO ACE THE ACT®! CONCLUSION

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