1. Everything you didn’t want to know about preparing for the tests…
ACT and SAT PREP
Everything you didn’t want to know about preparing for the tests…

2. ACT
The ACT® test assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.
The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
The Writing Test measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

3. SAT
SAT tests students' knowledge of subjects that are necessary for college success: reading, writing, and mathematics.
The SAT assesses the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college—skills that students learned in high school.

4. ACT and SAT: Purpose For students:
To advise students about their academic standing statewide and nationwide
To identify academic areas of strength and weakness
For colleges and universities
To determine a student’s potential academic performance/success in college

5. ACT: Test Structure English Section
Measures standard written English and rhetorical skills
75 questions
45 minutes

6. ACT: English section
The test consists of five prose passages, each one accompanied by multiple-choice test questions. Different passage types are included to provide variety.
Questions ask about an underlined portion, a section of the passage, or the passage as a whole.
Many questions include "NO CHANGE" to the underlined portion or the passage as one of the choices.

7. ACT: Test Structure Mathematics Section
Measures mathematical skills students have typically acquired in courses taken up to the beginning of grade 12.
60 questions
60 minutes

8. ACT: Mathematics Section
The test presents multiple-choice questions that require reasoning skills to solve practical problems in mathematics.
Students need knowledge of basic formulas and computational skills to answer the problems, but are not required to know complex formulas and perform extensive computation.
Calculators are permitted but not necessary.

9. ACT: Test Structure Reading Section Measures reading comprehension
40 questions
35 minutes

10. ACT: Reading Section
Questions ask students to use referring and reasoning skills to:
determine main ideas
locate and interpret significant details
understand sequences of events
make comparisons
comprehend cause-effect relationships
determine the meaning of context-dependent words, phrases, and statements
draw generalizations
analyze the author's or narrator's voice and method

11. ACT: Reading Section
The test comprises four prose passages that are representative of the level and kind of reading required in first-year college courses; passages on topics in social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction, and the humanities are included.

12. ACT: Test Structure Science Section
Measures the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in the natural sciences.
40 questions
35 minutes

13. ACT: Science Section
The test presents seven sets of scientific information, each followed by a number of multiple-choice test questions. The scientific information is presented in one of three different formats:
data representation (graphs, tables, and other schematic forms)
research summaries (descriptions of one or more related experiments)
conflicting viewpoints (expressions of several related hypotheses or views that are inconsistent with one another)

14. ACT: Science Section The questions require students to:
recognize and understand the basic features of, and 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

15. ACT: Test Structure Writing Section
Measures writing skills emphasized in high school English classes and in entry-level college composition courses.
1 prompt
30 minutes

16. ACT: Writing Section
The test consists of one writing prompt that will define an issue and describe two points of view on that issue.
You are asked to respond to a question about your position on the issue described in the writing prompt.
In doing so, you may adopt one or the other of the perspectives described in the prompt, or you may present a different point of view on the issue.
Your score will not be affected by the point of view you take on the issue.

17. ACT: Testing Tips
Carefully read the instructions on the cover of the test booklet.
Read the directions for each test carefully.
Read each question carefully.

18. ACT: Testing Tips
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.

19. ACT: Testing Tips
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.

20. ACT: Testing Tips – Important
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.
Answer first and last questions in English and Math sections. The first and last questions in these sections are generally easier than the middle questions.

21. ACT: Website

22. ACT: Scores
ACT scores range from 11 to 36 Highest score is a 36 What is a good score? “21”!

23. What’s The difference between ACT and SAT scores?
The ACT score has the four sections scores averaged into a composite score.

24. ACT: Sample Score Report
Search for sample score report

25. SAT: Test Structure Critical Reading Section
70 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section)
Reading comprehension, sentence completions, and paragraph-length critical reading

26. SAT: Critical Reading
Sentence completion questions test your vocabulary and your understanding of sentence structure. (9 questions)
Passage-based reading questions test your comprehension of what is stated in or implied by the passage, not your prior knowledge of the topic. (8 questions)

27. SAT: Test Structure Mathematics Section
70 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section)
Multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses

28. SAT: Mathematics Section
Multiple-choice questions
(44 questions)
Student-produced response questions appear without answer choices. You'll use your answer sheet to "grid in" your solution.
(10 questions)

29. SAT: Test Structure Writing Section
60 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 10-minute section)
Multiple choice questions (35 min.) and student-written essay (25 min.)

30. SAT: Writing Section
The SAT® begins with an essay. You'll be asked to present and support a point of view on a specific issue. Because you have only 25 minutes, your essay is not expected to be polished—it is meant to be a first draft.

31. SAT: Writing Section
The SAT writing section also includes three types of multiple-choice questions:
Improving sentences (25 questions)
Identifying sentence errors (18 questions)
Improving paragraphs (6 questions)

32. SAT: Writing Section
The multiple-choice sections measure your ability to:
communicate ideas clearly and effectively
improve a piece of writing through revision and editing
recognize and identify sentence-level errors
understand grammatical elements and structures and how they relate to each other in a sentence
recognize correctly formed grammatical structures
clearly express ideas through sentence-combining and use of transitional words and phrases
improve coherence of ideas within and among paragraphs

33. SATII: Subject Tests
The SAT Subject Tests measure your knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, and your ability to apply that knowledge.
The SAT Subject Tests are the only national admissions tests that give you the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of content in specific subjects, such as English, history, mathematics, science, and various foreign languages.

34. SAT: Testing Tips
Answer easy questions first. The easier questions are usually at the start of the section, and the harder ones are at the end. The exception is in the critical reading section, where questions are ordered according to the logic and organization of each passage.
Make educated guesses. If you can rule out one or more answer choices for multiple-choice questions, you have a better chance of guessing the right answer.
Skip questions that you really can't answer. No points are deducted if an answer is left blank.

35. SAT grading ¼ point is deducted for every wrong answer
1 point is given for each correct answer

36. SAT: Testing Tips
Limit your time on any one question. All questions are worth the same number of points. If you need a lot of time to answer a question, go on to the next one. Later, you may have time to return to the question you skipped.
Keep track of time. Don't spend too much time on any group of questions within a section.

37. SAT: website

38. SAT: Scores
SAT scores range from 2400 to 510 Highest score is a 2400 What score do you want? “540” or better on each section even for County College

39. SAT Most colleges only use the Reading and Math for admission
The writing section is used for English placement in college

40. SAT: Sample Score Report
Using a search engine, search for sample sat score report. Click on Page 1 of 6 Score Report. It is a sample score report provided by the Princeton Review.

41. www.act.org Search for act and sat score concordance
ACT/SAT Concordance
Search for act and sat score concordance

42. ACT and SAT: Test Day Tips
Get a good night’s sleep
Eat breakfast. Take snacks for the break.
New rule – don’t bring your cell phone.
Bring a watch for time keeping.

43. ACT and SAT: Test Day Tips
Bring appropriate photo ID
Bring admission ticket.
Bring several no. 2 pencils (no mechanical pencils or pens)
Bring approved calculator (allowed but not necessary)
*You will have to up upload a photo when you register

44. ACT and SAT: When to Take?
Spring of junior year
Last chance for seniors: November

45. ACT and SAT: How Many Times?
Check with guidance to do a comparison between PSAT and SAT
Statistics show that on average students improve 1-2 points on the ACT and points on the SAT.

46. ACT: Test Dates 2013/2014 ACT: Fees
Registration Deadline
(Late Fee Required)
February 8, 2014*
January 10, 2014
January 11–24, 2014
April 12, 2014
March 7, 2014
March 8–21, 2014
June 14, 2014
May 9, 2014
May 10–23, 2014
ACT: Fees
ACT test with no writing section $35.00
ACT test with writing section $50.50
Fees include score to student, score report to high school, and four score reports to colleges and universities of student’s choice
HHS School Code:

47. SAT: Test Dates SAT: Fees SAT test includes writing section $50
Test date December 7, 2013 January 25, 2014 March 8, 2014 May 3, 2014 June 7, 2014
SAT: Fees
SAT test includes writing section $50
SAT subject tests $23
Fees include score to student, score report to high school, and four score reports to colleges and universities of student’s choice
Fee waivers available: see your campus counselor for qualifications

48. Know your scores individually NOT TOTAL SCORE!

49. Go to the high school website
Check out the guidance page
Click on the college planning link on the left
Check out the college planning calendar for your junior year
Look at the ACT/SAT Comparison link
Look at the college open houses dates