According to Mrs. Hebda Middle School Gifted Facilitator USD 231

 Notice it doesn’t say STUDY!  You haven’t taken any high school classes yet, so think of this more as a pre-test.  So, RELAX!!  My goal is to help you develop an understanding of the ACT in 6 easy steps

 Being asked to take the ACT is a very big honor, and you should be proud of yourself.

 Don't think that just because you are taking the ACT, you have to study like crazy to get a good score. You are taking a test meant for people 4-6 years older than you. They have learned more, so you shouldn't try to compare yourself to them. This is just an opportunity to see how you do on an upper- level test.

 All the preparation you need to do is in this presentation.  The software courses have new editions coming out every year. You should wait and buy the prep software when you’re in high school.  When you take the test again in high school, your junior high scores will be deleted.

 High school juniors and seniors only have a year or two to take the test. You're in 7th grade, so you have a ton of time and the test shouldn't be a huge deal for you.  Plus, if you’re calm and remember these tips, you’ll do better.

 Don't spend ten minutes on a question, because there will probably be some that you don't know, especially on the math section.  If you're taking the ACT, guess on every question you don't know. Don't leave any blank.

 As you can see, the averages of 7 th graders on these tests are not that high.  ACT: Mathematics: 17 English: 17 Reading: 17 Science: 18 Composite: 17

 Try to take the test at a large school. There may be other 7th or 8th graders that are taking the test with you.  Or, better yet, take it at the same time/place as a friend! There are several breaks and you’ll have someone to hang out with.  Looking at a practice test can’t hurt! In fact, it will help you to understand what type of questions are on the test.   Do what you would normally do for state assessments – get plenty of sleep, eat a good breakfast, and drink water.

 You have this test PEGged!  P = Pace yourself  E = Easy questions first  G = Guess

 P = Pace Yourself  Give yourself checkpoints (halfway, one-third, etc) and check the time to see if you need to speed up or slow down  Test monitor will tell you how long you get for each section and also when there are 5 minutes left  English Section: 45 minutes  Math Section: 60 minutes  Calculator is allowed  Reading Section: 35 minutes  Science: 35 minutes  Writing (optional): 30 minutes

 E = Easy questions first  This is a high school test, so you won’t know ALL the answers.  Don’t spend too much time on a difficult question, you can skip it and come back if you have time.

 G = Guess  It is important to answer ALL questions, even if you are unsure. A blank answer is scored as incorrect, whereas if you fill in an answer, you have a 1 in 4 chance of getting it right.  Use good multiple choice strategies! Read all choices before answering Use the process of elimination Rule out unreasonable answers (esp. in math)

 It will take a while to get your scores. Be patient.  When you get the scores, remember, this was just practice! You’ll be amazed how much your score will improve in high school when you have taken all of the classes tested on the ACT.

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