ACT
Test Strategies to Raise Your Score
Prep smarter, score higher—guaranteed or your money back!
1-800-KAP-TEST | kaptest.com/college

Agenda
• Get to know the ACT
• Learn strategies for success
• Prep smarter, not harder

But First—Let’s Say Hello!
• Grade?
• Taken the ACT?
• Math vs. Reading?
• Dream school?
Tina

Top Factors in College Admissions
1a) Grades in College Prep Courses
 Advanced Placement
 International Baccalaureate
 Dual-enrollment courses
Source: National Association of College Admissions Counseling, “2010 State of College Admission”

Top Factors in College Admissions
1b) Strength of Curriculum
 Rigor
 Relevance
 Quantity
Source: National Association of College Admissions Counseling, “2010 State of College Admission”

Top Factors in College Admissions
2) Admissions Test Scores
 SAT
 ACT
 AP & Subject Tests
Source: National Association of College Admissions Counseling, “2010 State of College Admission”

Top Factors in College Admissions
3) High School GPA
 Overall
 Don’t fall behind
 Don’t lose focus
Source: National Association of College Admissions Counseling, “2010 State of College Admission”

The ACT at-a-Glance
SECTION FORMAT/ TIME QUESTION TYPES
English
1 Section
1 Section
Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice Math
Reading
Science
Writing
Total:
1 Section
1 Section
1 Section
4–5 Sections
2 hrs, 55 minutes
3 hrs, 25 minutes
Multiple Choice
FORMAT/ TIME
Multiple Choice
Essay (Optional)
Multiple Choice
Essay
SCORE
1–36
1–36
1–36
1–36
1 – 36
2 – 12
1–36
MD 2014
Averages
22.1
22.5
23.0
22.1
7.1
22.6

The ACT at-a-Glance
Understanding ACT Scoring
• Correct Answer: +1 point
• Omitted Question: 0 points
• Incorrect Answer: 0 points
Test Day Tip:
Answer every question. If you don’t know the answer, guess!

Reading your Score Report
1. Overall Results
2. Section Breakdown

The ACT Writing Test Unraveled
About the ACT Writing Test
• 40-minute essay
• Optional, but highly recommended
• Scored on a 0–6 scale by two graders on 4 categories: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language
Use and Conventions.
. Grades are then added to get a total score out of 36

The ACT Writing Test Unraveled
About the ACT Writing Test
• Students are given three perspectives on an issue and asked to :
• “evaluate and analyze” the three perspectives,
• “state and develop” their own perspective, and
• “explain the relationship” between their perspective and the given perspectives.

The ACT Essay Unraveled
To get that high score you deserve…
DO:
 Answer the assignment question
 Use detailed and relevant examples
 Construct a strong thesis
 Organize the essay well
 Use smooth transitions
 Use vivid imagery
 Proofread! (Spelling, grammar, and punctuation)
 Be clear, coherent, and concise

The ACT Essay Unraveled
To get that high score you deserve…
DON’T:
 Lose your central argument
 Use flowery and artificial language
 Use clichés
 Repeat yourself
 Use slang or abbreviations

Test Score Comparison
ACT
Composite
Score
36
35
34
30
29
28
27
33
32
31
26
25
24
School Type
HARVARD
JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND -
COLLEGE PARK
ACT
Composite
Score
19
18
17
16
23
22
21
20
15
14
13
12
11
School Type
TOWSON UNIVERSITY

Kaplan Backsolving Method
Backsolving
• Try out the answer choices to find the right one.
• Start with (C) unless the problem asks for the smallest or largest value.
When do you Backsolve?
• When you’re asked for a value
• When the answer choices are simple numbers

Ratios
Of the participants at a certain conference, 1/3 are veterinarians; 1/2 are zoologists; and the remaining 12 are trainers. Each participant specializes in only one field. What is the total number of participants at the conference.
A. 36
B. 48
C. 60
D. 72
E. 76
Veterinarians  1/3 (60) = 20
Zoologists  1/2 (60) = 30
+ Trainers  12
62

Ratios
Of the participants at a certain conference, 1/3 are veterinarians; 1/2 are zoologists; and the remaining 12 are trainers. Each participant specializes in only one field. What is the total number of participants at the conference.
A. 36
B. 48
Veterinarians  1/3 (72) = 24
Zoologists  1/2 (72) = 36
C. 60
D. 72
E. 76
+ Trainers  12
72

The Kaplan Method for Math
1. What is the question?
2. What information are you given?
3. What can you do with this information?
4. Are you done yet?

Logic
64 teams compete in a tournament. Two teams play in each game, and teams that lose are immediately eliminated from the tournament. What is the minimum number of games that must be played in order to have only one undefeated team?
32 vs. 32 = 32 Games
16 vs. 16 = 16 Games
8 vs. 8 = 8 Games
4 vs. 4 = 4 Games
2 vs. 2 = 2 Games
1 vs. 1 = 1 Game
= 63 Games

Logic
64 teams compete in a tournament. Two teams play in each game, and teams that lose are immediately eliminated from the tournament. What is the minimum number of games that must be played in order to have only one undefeated team?
Use your critical-thinking skills!
# of winners = 1
# of losers = 63
63 games had to be played

Writing: Relative Pronouns
The letter is addressed to him .
Objective Pronoun = her, him, them, or us
Subjective Pronoun = she, he, they, or we
WHOM
WHO

Writing: Relative Pronouns is also in my math class.
bright green hair.

College Prep Timeline
Freshman Year
• Extracurricular activities
• Prep for AP/Honors
Sophomore Year
• PSAT in October
• Take AP and SAT Subject Tests after completing courses
• Summer prep for PSAT

College Prep Timeline
Junior Year Senior Year
• PSAT in October for National Merit • Take SAT and/or ACT for the last time
• Focus on academics—this is the critical year!
• Take required SAT Subject Tests
• Request letters of recommendation
• Research admissions requirements for chosen schools
• Fill out FAFSA and research scholarships
• Prepare for SAT and/or ACT
• Visit schools
• Take required SAT Subject Tests

It’s All About You!
Consider Your…
• Goals
• Timeline
• Schedule
• Learning preference

Prep smarter, not harder.
How do you learn best?
Online?
In the classroom?
One-on-One?

Good News. Every Kaplan Program…
• Uses data to customize learning for you
• Includes reports for students and parents
• Is guaranteed to raise your score!

Prep smarter, not harder.
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2 full-length practice tests
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Score higher with Kaplan
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Why should their prep be?
Trust a Kaplan-certified tutor to give you the tools and confidence you need to get into your top-college choices.
Why Kaplan Premier Tutoring?
 Tutors who know the tests inside and out
 Tailored to fit your goals and schedule
 A personalized program designed to build upon your strengths while making significant strides in weaker areas

ACT Classes near Wootton

It’s simple to get started!
• Guarantee a seat today by :
• Picking a class
• Filling out the Enrollment Form
• Get Started!
• Materials will arrive in 7-10 days
• Start pre-work with our online resources now!

For more information please call or visit our website.
1-800-KAP-TEST | kaptest.com/college
Tina Craun, 240-447-7592, tina.craun@kaplan.com