ACT® MATH PREPARATION AND TIPS
GOAL SETTING
 What is the “required” score for admission to your 1st choice school?
 Are you applying for scholarships with ACT score requirements?
 In addition to a composite score goal, set a goal for each test and sub-score.
 Set the bar high, but make it reachable!
AVERAGE ACT SCORES FOR:
 Air Force 29
 Colorado College 28
 School of Mines 27
 Fort Lewis 19
 Metro State 18
 Regis 21
 UC Boulder 23
 University of Denver 25
 UNC 20
 Western State 19
 CSU 22
TEST DATES
1st: April/June of Junior Year
2nd: September/October of Senior Year
3rd: December/February of Senior Year
TEST PREPARATION
 #1
4+ Years of Math, Science, English
 #2
ACT Preparation Course
 #3
Practice Workbook/On-line Resources
 Ideal Preparation Plan:
10% Understanding Test
80% Reviewing Skills
10% Test-taking Strategies
PREPARATION RESOURCES
 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
WHAT TO BRING
 Pencils
 Calculator
 Identification and Registration
GENERAL TEST-TAKING TIPS
 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
 Don’t panic! Work the entire time.
MATH TEST PREP
60 QUESTIONS/60 MINUTES
(1 question per minute)
 Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra
24 Questions
 Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry
18 Questions
 Plane Geometry/Trigonometry
18 Questions
MATH TIPS
 Draw a picture if one is not provided. Figures given are not drawn to scale,
so mark them with given measures or symbols.
 Know the following translations: of means multiply and per means divide.
 Know the area and perimeter formulas for triangles, rectangles, and circles,
and how to find the volume and surface area of a box.
 If a problem is given in terms of fractions, decimals, or percents, consider
using an alternate form to find the answer.
MATH TIPS
 If the question and/or answer set are given in terms of variables only,
substitute simple numbers to help determine the answer.
 Most answers are listed from least to greatest, so you can use a technique
called backsolving to find the correct answer.
 Do not overuse your calculator! The test is written so that every problem
can be solved without a calculator. Set up the problem in your test booklet
first and take a moment to consider what a reasonable answer would be
before using the calculator.
PRE-ALGEBRA TOPICS
 Fractions, percentages
 Probability
 Factors, primes
 Divisibility
 Absolute value
 Exponents and roots
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
ALGEBRA TOPICS
 Substitution
 Solving equations
 Inequalities
 Simplifying expressions
 FOIL
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA
 Solving and factoring quadratics
 Systems of equations
 Functions
 Matrices
 Logarithms
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
COORDINATE GEOMETRY
 Coordinate plane
 Distance
 Slope
 Parallel and perpendicular lines
 Equation of a line
 Graphing a line
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
QUESTION 6
PLANE GEOMETRY
 Angles and lines
 Circles
 Triangles
 Polygons
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2
QUESTION 3
QUESTION 4
QUESTION 5
TRIGONOMETRY
 SOHCAHTOA
 Solving triangles
 Trig identities
QUESTION 1
QUESTION 2