Meeting and Mastering the ACT | p. 1 |
Get to Know the ACT | p. 3 |
Understand the ACT | p. 3 |
ACT Contents and Format | p. 4 |
The ACT English Test | p. 5 |
Usage and Mechanics | p. 5 |
Rhetorical Skills | p. 5 |
The ACT Math Test | p. 6 |
Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra | p. 6 |
Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry | p. 6 |
Plane Geometry/Trigonometry | p. 7 |
The ACT Reading Test | p. 7 |
Social Studies/Natural Sciences | p. 8 |
Prose Fiction/Humanities | p. 8 |
The ACT Science Reasoning Test | p. 8 |
Data Representation | p. 8 |
Research Summaries | p. 9 |
Conflicting Hypotheses | p. 9 |
Nuts and Bolts: The ACT Test Booklet and Answer Sheet | p. 9 |
How the ACT Is Scored | p. 10 |
How College Admissions Offices Use the Act Score | p. 10 |
Registering for the ACT | p. 12 |
Calculating the Testing Fee | p. 12 |
When Should You Take the ACT? | p. 12 |
Where Should You Take the ACT? | p. 13 |
A Look Ahead: What You Need to Do the Day of the ACT | p. 13 |
Special Registration Situations | p. 14 |
Financial Hardship | p. 14 |
Non-Saturday Testing | p. 14 |
Physical Accommodations | p. 14 |
Extended Test Time | p. 15 |
Homebound or Confined Students | p. 15 |
How to Contact the ACT Office | p. 15 |
Summary: What You Need to Know About the ACT | p. 17 |
If You Had to Take the ACT Today: The ACT Self-Evaluation Test | p. 19 |
Taking the ACT Self-Evaluation Test | p. 19 |
The ACT Self-Evaluation Test | p. 23 |
Answer Key | p. 69 |
Explanatory Answers | p. 71 |
What This First Score Means | p. 84 |
English | p. 86 |
Math | p. 87 |
Reading | p. 87 |
Science Reasoning | p. 88 |
Tracking Your Progress | p. 88 |
Mastering the ACT: Your Plan for Success | p. 89 |
Creating Your ACT Study Plan | p. 89 |
If You Have Three Months or More to Prepare | p. 90 |
If You Have Four to Six Weeks to Prepare | p. 91 |
If You Have Two Weeks to Prepare | p. 92 |
Minimizing Test Anxiety | p. 93 |
A Visualization Exercise | p. 93 |
A Relaxation Exercise | p. 93 |
An Exercise in Silliness | p. 94 |
Ten Strategies for Scoring Higher on the ACT | p. 94 |
Summary: What You Need to Know About Making Your Study Plan | p. 96 |
Strengthening Your Act Subject Skills | p. 97 |
The ACT English Test | p. 99 |
What to Expect on the ACT English Test | p. 99 |
Strategies for Success on the ACT English Test | p. 101 |
Skim the Passage Before Reading | p. 101 |
Read the Whole Sentence | p. 102 |
Listen for the Mistake | p. 102 |
Correct the Mistake on Your Own First | p. 102 |
Look for Common Mistakes | p. 103 |
Remember That Shorter Is Usually Better | p. 103 |
Don't Add a New Mistake | p. 104 |
Find the Right Sequence by Finding the First Item | p. 104 |
Expect a Single Idea per Paragraph | p. 105 |
Don't Worry About Tiny Details | p. 106 |
Avoid the Repetition of Ideas | p. 106 |
Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do's and Don'ts | p. 107 |
Practice Exercises | p. 109 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 123 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 127 |
Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT English Test | p. 127 |
The ACT Math Test | p. 129 |
What to Expect on the ACT Math Test | p. 129 |
Strategies for Success on the ACT Math Test | p. 132 |
Know What's Really Being Asked | p. 132 |
Keep Moving Within the Problem | p. 133 |
Estimate | p. 134 |
Try One of the Choices | p. 135 |
Turn Word Problems into Equations | p. 135 |
Change Quantities into the Unit of the Answer | p. 138 |
Consider Diagrams "Treasure Maps" to the Solution | p. 138 |
If There's No Diagram, Draw One | p. 139 |
Read the Graph Before You Read the Questions | p. 140 |
Avoid Long Calculations | p. 142 |
Don't Over-Rely on Your Calculator | p. 142 |
Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do's and Don'ts | p. 142 |
Practice Exercises | p. 145 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 151 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 154 |
Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT Math Test | p. 155 |
The ACT Reading Test | p. 157 |
What to Expect on the ACT Reading Test | p. 157 |
A Closer Look at ACT Reading Questions and Their Format | p. 157 |
Learn the Directions | p. 158 |
Strategies for Success on the ACT Reading Test | p. 159 |
The Three-Step Method: Preview, Read, Review | p. 159 |
Concentrate on Main Ideas | p. 161 |
See How the Ideas Are Connected | p. 163 |
Begin with the Type of Passage You Like Best | p. 165 |
Don't Pick the First Answer That Sounds Either Good or Familiar | p. 166 |
Don't Pick an Answer Just Because It's True | p. 166 |
Define Words by Their Context | p. 167 |
Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do's and Don'ts | p. 167 |
Practice Exercises | p. 169 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 180 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 183 |
Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT Reading Test | p. 183 |
The ACT Science Reasoning Test | p. 185 |
What to Expect on the ACT Science Reasoning Test | p. 185 |
The Science Reasoning Questions and Their Format | p. 186 |
Strategies for Success on the ACT Science Reasoning Test | p. 190 |
The Three-Step Method: Preview, Read, Review | p. 190 |
Look for the Main Idea | p. 191 |
Know the Four Most Common Question Types | p. 197 |
Don't Get Lost in Numbers, Jargon, or Details | p. 199 |
Success Strategy Roundup: A List of Do's and Don'ts | p. 200 |
Practice Exercises | p. 201 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 210 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 212 |
Summary: What You Need to Know about the ACT Science Reasoning Test | p. 212 |
Master Act Subject Reviews | p. 215 |
English Review: Grammar | p. 217 |
Mastering Verbs | p. 217 |
A Verb Must Agree with Its Subject in Number | p. 217 |
The Tense of the Verb Must Accurately Show the Sequence of Events | p. 219 |
Always Use the Past Participle of a Verb with the Helping Verb to Have | p. 220 |
Mastering Modifying Phrases | p. 221 |
A Modifying Phrase Must Modify a Word or Phrase in the Same Sentence | p. 221 |
A Modifying Phrase Must Be Next to What It Modifies | p. 222 |
Mastering Adjectives and Adverbs | p. 222 |
An Adjective Cannot Be Used in Place of an Adverb | p. 223 |
Use a Comparative Adjective or Adverb to Compare Two Things; Use a Superlative for Three or More | p. 223 |
Do Not Confuse the Adjective Good, the Adverb Well, and the Adjective Well | p. 224 |
Mastering Pronouns | p. 224 |
A Pronoun Must Have a Clear and Logical Antecedent | p. 225 |
A Pronoun Must Agree with Its Antecedent in Number | p. 225 |
Use Second- and Third-Person Pronouns Consistently | p. 225 |
Mastering Connecting Clauses | p. 226 |
The Conjunction Between Clauses Must Be Logical | p. 227 |
Use a Semicolon (;) to Connect Two Independent Clauses | p. 227 |
Avoid Run-on Sentences | p. 227 |
Avoid Sentence Fragments | p. 228 |
Mastering Punctuation | p. 228 |
Use a Colon (:) to Introduce a List or a Restatement | p. 228 |
Use Commas to Separate Items in a List of Three or More Words | p. 229 |
Use a Pair of Commas to Set Off a Parenthetical Phrase | p. 229 |
Don't Use Commas to Separate Sentence Elements that Naturally Belong Together | p. 230 |
Use the Apostrophe (') Correctly When Forming a Possessive or a Contraction | p. 230 |
Mastering Grammar and Logic | p. 231 |
Items in a List Must Be Grammatically Parallel | p. 231 |
Two Things Being Compared Must Be Grammatically Parallel | p. 232 |
Mastering the Use of Idioms | p. 232 |
When Idiomatic Paired Phrases Are Used, Always Complete the Idiom | p. 232 |
Use the Right Idiomatic Preposition | p. 233 |
Learn to Distinguish Between Easily Confused Words | p. 233 |
Master the Ability to Identify Wordiness | p. 234 |
Avoid Verbosity | p. 234 |
Avoid Changing the Meaning When Editing | p. 235 |
Avoid Redundancy | p. 235 |
Avoid the Passive Voice When Possible | p. 236 |
Practice Exercises | p. 236 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 253 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 258 |
Additional Resources for Review | p. 258 |
Math Review: From Arithmetic Through Geometry | p. 259 |
Arithmetic | p. 259 |
Numbers and the Number Line | p. 259 |
Laws of Arithmetic and Order of Operations | p. 260 |
Divisibility Rules | p. 262 |
Divisibility in Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication | p. 263 |
Comparing Fractions | p. 264 |
Arithmetic with Fractions | p. 265 |
Fractions, Decimals, and Percents | p. 268 |
Averages | p. 269 |
Algebra | p. 270 |
Signed Numbers | p. 270 |
Laws of Exponents | p. 272 |
Ratio, Proportion, and Variation | p. 273 |
Solving Linear Equations | p. 275 |
Solving Linear Inequalities | p. 276 |
Solving Two Linear Equations with Two Unknowns | p. 277 |
Word Problems with One or Two Unknowns | p. 279 |
Monomials and Polynomials | p. 280 |
Combining Polynomials and Monomials | p. 281 |
Factoring Monomials and the Difference of Squares | p. 282 |
Operations with Square Roots | p. 283 |
Trinomial Factoring and Quadratic Equations | p. 284 |
The Quadratic Formula | p. 285 |
Complex Numbers | p. 286 |
Higher Roots and Fractional Exponents | p. 287 |
Functions | p. 288 |
Exponentials and Logarithms | p. 290 |
Geometry | p. 291 |
Angles, Complements, and Supplements | p. 291 |
Properties of Triangles | p. 292 |
The Pythagorean Theorem | p. 293 |
The Area of a Triangle | p. 294 |
Isosceles and Equilateral Triangles | p. 295 |
Special Right Triangles | p. 297 |
Vertical Angles Are Equal | p. 298 |
Parallel Lines and Transversals | p. 299 |
Rectangles, Parallelograms, and Other Polygons | p. 300 |
Basic Properties of Circles | p. 303 |
The Area and Circumference of a Circle | p. 304 |
Volumes | p. 306 |
Right Triangle Trigonometry | p. 307 |
Coordinate Geometry | p. 310 |
The Midpoint Formula | p. 310 |
The Distance Formula and Equations for Circles | p. 311 |
Slope of a Line | p. 312 |
Equations of Lines | p. 313 |
Systems of Equations with Non-Unique Solutions | p. 314 |
Parabolas and Quadratic Equations | p. 315 |
Trigonometric Graphs | p. 317 |
Other ACT Math Topics | p. 319 |
The Addition Principle for Counting | p. 319 |
The Multiplication Principle for Counting | p. 320 |
Probability | p. 321 |
Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions | p. 321 |
Matrices | p. 323 |
Practice Exercises | p. 325 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 333 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 337 |
Additional Resources for Review | p. 337 |
Reading Review: Vocabulary | p. 339 |
Master Strategies for Building Your Vocabulary | p. 339 |
Learn a Few Words Every Day | p. 339 |
Actively Use What You've Learned and Learn What You Use | p. 340 |
Learn to Recognize Root Words | p. 340 |
How to Use Your ACT Word List | p. 341 |
Words Most Likely to Appear on the ACT Test | p. 341 |
Prefix and Suffix Tables | p. 380 |
Practice Exercises | p. 382 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 397 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 401 |
Additional Resources for Review | p. 401 |
Science Reasoning Review: Understanding Data | p. 403 |
How to Read Tables, Graphs, and Charts | p. 403 |
An In-Depth Review of Tables | p. 404 |
Variables and Trends | p. 405 |
An In-Depth Review of Graphs | p. 405 |
Bar Graphs | p. 407 |
Line Graphs | p. 408 |
Scatter Graphs | p. 410 |
Interpolation and Extrapolation | p. 411 |
The Dangers of Extrapolation | p. 413 |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Graphs | p. 414 |
A Simple Guide to the Scientific Method | p. 417 |
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning | p. 417 |
Starting with a Hypothesis | p. 418 |
Testing a Hypothesis | p. 419 |
What You Need to Know About Variables | p. 421 |
The Role of the Control | p. 422 |
How to Read Research Summaries | p. 422 |
Understanding How Scientists Compare Conclusions | p. 425 |
The Scientific View of Complex Systems | p. 426 |
How Scientists Identify Significant Factors | p. 426 |
How to Read Conflicting Viewpoints Passages | p. 427 |
Scientific Terms and Concepts Most Likely to Be on Your ACT | p. 429 |
How to Use Your Scientific Terms List | p. 429 |
Scientific Terms and Concepts Glossary | p. 430 |
Practice Exercises | p. 444 |
Answer Keys and Explanations | p. 458 |
Are You Ready to Move On? | p. 461 |
Additional Resources for Review | p. 461 |
Three Full-Length Practice Act Exams | p. 463 |
Life After the Act | p. 653 |
Applying to the College of Your Choice | p. 655 |
Finding Financial Aid | p. 665 |
Choosing the Right College | p. 679 |
Using Other Study Aids | p. 689 |
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