2. Preparing for the test Be rested and comfortable. Learn ahead of time where and when it will be held, and what materials to bring. Arrive early to avoid last-minute pressure.

3. Avoid worried test-takers. Extreme nervousness, called test anxiety, will interfere with your work. Remember, test anxiety is contagious and unproductive. Preparing for the test (continued):

4. Reducing Test Anxiety: Keep a positive attitude. Decide to do your best, and don't worry about what you don't know.

5. Concentrate on the test. Pay close attention to one question at a time. Reducing Test Anxiety (continued):

6. During the Test: If you don’t know an answer…GUESS! You can’t hurt your score by guessing. When you’re guessing, do so quickly. A fast guess is just as good as a slow guess. Never for any reason, leave any blanks on the ACT. If you leave blanks on this test, you are throwing away points.

7. Test Taking Strategies Learn the section directions now. Use the time saved during the test to work on questions. Answer easy questions first. Mark skipped questions in your exam book so you can quickly return to them later.

8. Strategy Example Easy problems take 1 minute Medium problems take 2 minutes Hard problems take 5 minutes 10 problems 30 minutes

9. Strategy Example In Order Easy Problems First ProblemDifficultyTime 1Easy29 2Hard24 3Hard19 4Hard14 5Hard9 6Medium 7Easy 8 9Medium 10Medium ProblemDifficultyTime Left 1Easy29 7Easy28 8Easy27 6Medium25 9Medium23 10Medium 2Hard 3 4 5

10. Overall Test Tactics You can write in the test book: cross out wrong answers; do scratch work. Avoid stray marks on the answer sheet. A machine scores your test and can't distinguish between a correct answer and a careless doodle. Mark only one answer per question. Keep checking that you are placing your answer in the correct section and number on the answer sheet.

11. Overall Test Tactics Don't spend too much time on any one question. Practice, practice, practice! Remember that the ACT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests. Keep track of the time you're allotted for each one and how much time remains. Bring a watch to the test center. You can't be guaranteed that there'll be a working clock there.

12. Overall Test Tactics Don't change an answer unless you're sure you made an error. Read the words in the question carefully. Be sure to answer the question asked and not the question you recall from a practice test. Know the Question Types to Expect on the ACT 60 math multiple-choice questions 60 minutes to complete

13. OVERALL TEST TACTICS: ========================= ========================= ========================= ========================= ========================= === MATH Section - STANDARD MULTIPLE CHOICE: Read the question well. Be sure to select the best answer for the variable, value, or expression that is requested! Learn in advance all of the critical definitions, formulas, and concepts that appear in common questions. Remember to use the test booklet for scratch work, as well as for marking up any diagrams/graphs. Don't get carried away with detailed calculations. Look for a trick or a shortcut if the question seems time consuming. When a question contains a weird symbol, just substitute the accompanying definition when figuring out the best answer choice. MATH Section - QUANTITATIVE COMPARISONS: Don't ever guess at Choice E. There are only four choices! Always consider values that are fractional (between 0 and 1), zero, negative, or non-integer. Factor out, then cancel, any common expressions or quantities in both Columns A and B. Remember that you are just trying to make relative comparisons. Questions are simpler and should take less time than the Standard Multiple Choice. Look closely. The answer is often apparent without any calculations. Write on any diagrams to help clarify any values, angles, sides, etc. Compare; don't solve! Simplify one or both sides whenever possible before comparing. Math - Multiple Choice Read the question well. Be sure to select the best answer for the variable, value, or expression that is requested! Learn in advance all of the critical definitions, formulas, and concepts that appear in common questions. Remember to use the test booklet for scratch work, as well as for marking up any diagrams/graphs. Early questions in this section are easier. Spend less time on them. Don't get carried away with detailed calculations. Look for a trick or a shortcut if the question seems time consuming. When a question contains a weird symbol, just substitute the accompanying definition when figuring out the best answer choice.

14. Questions?