“ACT Math 1 Tips & Tricks”
A great message from me to my students
First of all, to get a general overview about your exam; this is what ACT talking about M1:
Students can show what they know and can do using algebra and geometry typically learned through the first years of
secondary school. The topics measured on the assessment range from solving equations to drawing conclusions from
data, from finding areas and volumes to making judgments about proof. The 1-hour test contains 50 multiple-choice
questions: approximately 30 questions assessing Algebra I topics and 20 questions for geometry topics. Calculators are
encouraged, and a reference sheet provides common formulas.
I’ll start by giving you a worries and ideas to fix these worries, since I know your stressful psychology:
•WORRY #1 I don’t know all the tricks to the test, and I wish I knew what choice they like the best.
•BIG IDEA #1 There are no games on the ACT, and there is always one definitive answer to each question.
•WORRY #2 I haven’t learned everything I need to do well on this. I know what I have to do to do well in
school, but I am a bad test taker.
•BIG IDEA #2 The test is more about thinking than knowledge.
•WORRY #3 These questions don’t make any sense—I have to read them over and over to understand. I
hate it when I get it down to two answers and they both look right.
•BIG IDEA #3 Give more focus to the questions than the answers.
•WORRY #4 I can’t do the test quickly enough to finish everything in time. I feel like this is all or nothing—
either I’ll do well enough to accomplish my goals, or I’m going to do terribly.
•BIG IDEA #4 Do what you can, do it well, and don’t do too much.
Overthinking a question can be one of the most frustrating things about taking the ACT Math. It is very common for us
to get in a cycle like this:
We don’t see how to do the problem right away → We assume the problem must be hard → Since we assume it’s
hard, we can’t see how to do it → Since we can’t see how to do it, we assume it’s hard → Cycle goes on and on…
Bad Belief VS Good Belief: Bad Belief #4
Bad Belief #1
There are REALLY TOUGH MATH CONCEPTS on the ACT that I’ve
never learned.
Bad Belief #2
I don’t KNOW how to do it.
Bad Belief #3
I should save time by DOING THINGS IN MY HEAD.
Bad Belief #4
I need to JUMP ON MY CALCULATOR right away to save time.
Bad Belief #5
IF I DON’T SEE IT RIGHT AWAY, THERE IS NO HOPE.
Good Belief #1
I have the tools—I just need to put the right ones to use.
Good Belief #2
Let me FIGURE IT OUT.
Good Belief #3
I should WRITE IT ALL OUT SO I CAN MAKE CONNECTIONS.
Good Belief #4
Problems involve MORE THINKING THAN COMPUTATION—I will
use my calculator when needed.
Good Belief #5
I WILL GIVE MYSELF PERMISSION TO NOT SEE IT RIGHT AWAY.
SOURCE: Barron’s ACT Study guide
0799979173
@mohadsam96
ACT Math 1 Course
T. Mohammad Samer
FAQs about ACT exams; here is how this is going on by getting the answer from different type of people:
What Should I Do About Guessing?
What’s the Point of the ACT?
RELAXED: “I’ll just randomly guess.”
STRESSED: “I have to get it right.”
RIGHT: “I will do what I can do and do it well—I will guess
on everything else.”
RELAXED: “The ACT is stupid. Who cares?”
STRESSED: “The ACT assesses everything about my academic
abilities. How I do on this is a measure of how I measure up as a
person.”
RIGHT: “The ACT gives a fair assessment of my general
academic abilities but says nothing about me as a person.”
How Should I Think While Taking the Test?
RELAXED: “I’m thinking about my friends or the weekend
ahead. I’m figuring out my strategies as I go.”
STRESSED: “I can’t stop thinking about how I’m doing and
comparing myself to others, trying to remember what to
do. My mind is cluttered.”
RIGHT: “My strategies and timing are internalized. I’m able
to focus on the task at hand with a clear and clean mind.”
How Will Where I’ve Gone to High School Impact How I
Will Do?
RELAXED: “My school and teachers weren’t good, I have no
reason to succeed. I might as well not even try.”
STRESSED: “My school and teachers have been excellent. I
should know how to do every single problem that comes
my way, and if I don’t, there’s something wrong with me.”
RIGHT: “The ACT is more about figuring things out than
having been taught specific information. I’m going to think
my way through things instead of assuming that I should
have been taught exactly how to do a specific problem.”
Does the Test Change Much?
RELAXED: “It’s always the same. No big deal.”
STRESSED: “They are going to trick me, I need to take it on
a certain date.”
RIGHT: “The ACT is generally predictable, but since it is
assessing my critical thinking ability, I will need to have
flexibility and creativity in my thought process. The test is
curved, so a score from one test means the same as a score
from another.”
Should I Get Advice from Other People?
RELAXED: “I don’t need to think about stress or talk to
anyone else.”
STRESSED: “I talk to people about the ACT all the time. I’m
so confused with what strategies I should use. Everyone
else seems to have it together.”
RIGHT: “I should think about what has worked for me
elsewhere (sports, religion, life), and also ask for tips from
parents and good friends. What works for one person may
not work for me. An experienced tutor can sometimes be
good at helping me figure out what will work.”
0799979173
@mohadsam96
How Does the ACT Affect Your Chances of Getting Into
School?
RELAXED: “The ACT doesn’t matter.”
STRESSED: “If I don’t do well on the ACT, I’m not getting into
college and I will be a complete failure.”
RIGHT: “The ACT is about one fourth to one third of what
admissions officers consider. It is the easiest admission
measure to quantify, but it is only a component of what is
considered.”
How Often Should I Take the ACT?
RELAXED: “Take the test once and be done with it.”
STRESSED: “Take it six or seven times.”
RIGHT: “Two to four times is probably good.”
How Are My Parents/Guardians Affecting My Performance?
RELAXED: “I don’t care what my parents think.”
STRESSED: “I feel like if I don’t do well, I will be a
disappointment to my parents.”
RIGHT: “My parents had a very different system when they
applied—easier to get in, less expensive. If they can understand
how things have changed and how much pressure there is, it
will help me out.”
How Much Should I Practice?
RELAXED: “I won’t do anything to prepare.”
STRESSED: “I can only get better by doing dozens and dozens of
tests.”
RIGHT: “Rigorous academic coursework, review of key content,
learning optimal strategies, and realistic practice will make a
big difference in the end.”
What Should I Do Leading Up to the Test?
RELAXED: “Who cares how much sleep I get or what I eat?”
STRESSED: “I need to prep up to the last second.”
RIGHT: “I will do long-term preparation focused on improving
my critical thinking.”
ACT Math 1 Course
T. Mohammad Samer