Presented by Grace Malek Fall 2011

 EXPLORE includes four multiple-choice tests:  Your skills in these subjects will make a big difference—in school and, eventually, in your career.  Once you know what each test covers, your EXPLORE test results can show you where you're strong or weak. SubjectNumber of Questions How Long It Takes English4030 minutes Math3030 minutes Reading3030 minutes Science2830 minutes

 Usage/Mechanics  punctuation  grammar and usage  sentence structure  Rhetorical Skills  strategy  organization  style  The test consists of five prose passages, each one accompanied by multiple-choice test questions. Different passage types are included to provide variety.  Some questions refer to underlined portions of the passage and offer several alternatives to the underlined portion. You must decide which choice is most appropriate in the context of the passage.  Some questions ask about an underlined portion, a section of the passage, or the passage as a whole. You must decide which choice best answers the question posed.  Many questions include "NO CHANGE" to the underlined portion or the passage as one of the choices.  The questions are numbered consecutively. Each question number corresponds to an underlined portion in the passage or to a box located in the passage. 

 The EXPLORE Math Test measures your mathematical reasoning. The test focuses on your ability to reason in math rather than on how well you have memorized formulas or can do involved computations.  Questions on the test cover four areas—knowledge and skills, direct application, understanding concepts, and integrating your understanding of concepts—in pre- algebra, elementary algebra, geometry, and statistics and probability. 

 The EXPLORE Reading Test measures your ability to understand written material from different school subjects including:  Prose Fiction Short stories or excerpts from short stories or novels  Humanities Excerpts from memoirs and personal essays, and from works on architecture, art, dance, ethics, film, language, literary criticism, music, philosophy, radio, religion, television, and theater  Social Sciences Excerpts from works on anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.  The skills measured include referring to details in the passage, drawing conclusions, and making comparisons and generalizations. The test does not cover information outside the passages, vocabulary taken out of context, or formal logic.  Each passage is accompanied by a set of multiple-choice test questions. These questions do not test the rote recall of facts from outside the passage, isolated vocabulary items, or rules of formal logic. Instead, the test focuses on the complementary and supportive skills that readers must use in studying written materials. 

 The Science Test  The EXPLORE Science Test measures your scientific reasoning skills and your ability to understand scientific information and draw conclusions from it.  Six sets of scientific information are presented in one of three formats: ◦ data representation (graphs, tables, and other forms), ◦ research summaries (descriptions of several related experiments), or ◦ conflicting viewpoints (two or more hypotheses that are inconsistent with one another).  Materials for this test are drawn from : ◦ the life sciences, ◦ Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and meteorology), and ◦ physical sciences.  The test emphasizes your scientific reasoning skills rather than how well you can recall scientific facts, or your skills in mathematics or in reading  You are not permitted to use a calculator on the Science Test.  The questions require you to: ◦ recognize and understand the basic features of concepts related to the provided information ◦ examine critically the relationship between the information provided and the conclusions drawn or hypotheses developed ◦ generalize from given information and draw conclusions, gain new information, or make predictions

 Tips for Taking the ACT  Carefully read the instructions on the cover of the test booklet.instructions  Read the directions for each test carefully.  Read each question carefully.  Pace yourself—don't spend too much time on a single passage or question.  Pay attention to the announcement of five minutes remaining on each test.  Use a soft lead No. 2 pencil with a good eraser. Do not use a mechanical pencil or ink pen; if you do, your answer document cannot be scored accurately.  Answer the easy questions first, then go back and answer the more difficult ones if you have time remaining on that test.  On difficult questions, eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, then make an educated guess among those remaining.  Answer every question. Your scores on the multiple-choice tests are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for guessing.  If you complete a test before time is called, recheck your work on that test.  Mark your answers properly. Erase any mark completely and cleanly without smudging.  Do not mark or alter any ovals on a test or continue writing the essay after time has been called. If you do, you will be dismissed and your answer document will not be scored.  If you are taking the ACT Plus Writing, see these Writing Test tips.Writing Test tips

 English  Be aware of the writing style used in each passage.  Consider the elements of writing that are included in each underlined portion of the passage. Some questions will ask you to base your decision on some specific element of writing, such as the tone or emphasis the text should convey.  Be aware of questions with no underlined portions—that means you will be asked about a section of the passage or about the passage as a whole.  Examine each answer choice and determine how it differs from the others. Many of the questions in the test will involve more than one aspect of writing.  Read and consider all of the answer choices before you choose the one that best responds to the question.  Determine the best answer.  Reread the sentence, using your selected answer.  Mathematics  Read each question carefully to make sure you understand the type of answer required.  If you choose to use a calculator, be sure it is permitted, is working on test day, and has reliable batteries. Use your calculator wisely.Use your calculator wisely  Solve the problem.  Locate your solution among the answer choices.  Make sure you answer the question asked.  Make sure your answer is reasonable.  Check your work.  Reading  Read the passage carefully.  Read and consider all of the answer choices before you choose the one that best responds to the question.  Refer to the passage when answering the questions.  Science  Read the passage carefully.  Refer to the scientific information in the passage when answering the question.  Read and consider all of the answer choices before you choose the one that best responds to the question.  Note conflicting viewpoints in some passages.

 EXPLORE is the first part of a testing system that goes on to include PLAN and the ACT.  Typically, students take EXPLORE in the 8th or 9th grade, PLAN as 10th graders, and the ACT as juniors or seniors.  All three test you in English, math, reading, and science. However, the material tested in each program gets more difficult.  This is why the top scores are different. ProgramGrade LevelComposite Score Range EXPLORE8 and 91 to 25 PLAN101 to 32 ACT11 and 121 to 36

  Check out all the downloads from this link!!!

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 The EXPLORE Student Score Report gives information about your knowledge, skills, interests, and plans. You can use this information as you plan your high school coursework and begin thinking about college and work.  Your report tells you how you did on the EXPLORE tests and how your scores compare to those of other students across the nation.  It contains information about your educational and career plans, interests, high school coursework plans, and the amount of help you think you need in seven areas.

 What Do My Scores Mean?  Your scores are between 1 (the lowest score you can receive) and 25 (the highest score you can receive) even though you answered a lot more than 25 questions on the EXPLORE test!  Your Composite Score is simply the average of your test scores in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science (rounded to a whole number).  The two scores directly under English tell you how well you did in these two areas of English:  Usage/Mechanics—punctuation, grammar and usage, and sentence structure  Rhetorical Skills—your understanding of the use of strategy, organization, and style in writing  These scores only range from 1 to 12. Added together they do NOT necessarily equal your English Test score.

 Next to your scores, you'll find the percent of students scoring at or below your score. This shows you how your scores compare to those of students across the country who took EXPLORE.  The example above shows 73% next to the student's English score. This means she scored as high as or higher than 73% of students in her grade across the U.S. who took EXPLORE at about the same time.  The other percents show how you scored relative to other students who took EXPLORE in your school, your school district, and your state.

 After EXPLORE, you might take PLAN next to see if you're learning what you need to know for college.  Students who take PLAN usually do so in the tenth grade.  Your EXPLORE scores can be used to predict how you are likely to do if you take PLAN as a tenth grader and keep working hard.  The Estimated PLAN Composite Score Range is a prediction about how you are likely to score on PLAN if you take the right courses and work hard in those courses.  You can use these predicted or estimated scores to see if you are on track to achieve the scores you want when you take the ACT later in high school. (See EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT.)EXPLORE, PLAN, and the ACT  Keep in mind that these scores are only estimates, not guarantees. Improving your study habits and taking more challenging courses are likely to improve your PLAN and ACT scores.

 The back of your Score Report describes the skills and knowledge you already probably have.  You'll also see some ideas for improving even more in the different subject areas. The suggestions are based on your scores and can help you do better.  You will definitely want to discuss these ideas with your counselors, teachers, and parents so that you can work together to get the most from your courses and be "college ready."

 When you took EXPLORE, you answered questions about your educational and career plans.  This information can help you learn more about careers, clarify your goals, and begin to plan your future—including your high school courses and, perhaps, a college education.

 Your EXPLORE results give you an early clue as to whether you will be ready for college-level work if you keep doing the same things in school.  ACT has also developed College Readiness Benchmark Scores. If you meet these benchmark scores, you are on your way to having the skills you will need by the time you finish high school.  The checkmarks show whether you scored above, at, or below the benchmark scores.  Students who score at or above the College Readiness Benchmark Scores for EXPLORE in English, math, and science will probably do well in these subjects in high school and college if they keep up with their coursework.  Students scoring at or above the reading benchmark are on their way to having the reading skills they will need in all of their high school and college courses.

 It's not too soon to begin exploring possible careers!  Your EXPLORE Score Report helps you start by focusing on a few career areas.  Exploring careers is easier if you have a good map. Launch the World-of-Work Map at right to begin exploring careers and occupations that might be right for you.

Happy Testing!!!