<p>Portions copied from the ACT inc website: What you need to study.</p>
<p>English (45 minutes, 75 total questions)</p>
<p>Usage/Mechanics:</p>
<p>--Punctuation (13%). These questions test your understanding of the standard uses of punctuation, with an emphasis on using punctuation to more clearly convey intended meaning.
--Grammar and Usage (16%). These questions test your ability to work with different parts of speech (e.g., verb form, pronoun case) and your understanding of how different parts of speech relate to one another (e.g., subject-verb agreement, modifier agreement). Idiomatic usage is also tested.
--Sentence Structure (24%). These questions test your understanding of how the elements of a sentence (e.g., modifiers, phrases, clauses) relate to one another.</p>
<p>Rhetorical Skills:</p>
<p>--Strategy (16%). Questions in this category test how well you develop a given topic by choosing expressions appropriate to an essay's audience and purpose; judging the effect of adding, revising, or deleting supporting material; and judging the relevance of statements in context.
-- Organization (15%). Questions in this category test how well you organize ideas and choose effective opening, transitional, and closing sentences.
--Style (16%). Questions in this category test how well you select precise and appropriate words and images, maintain the level of style and tone in an essay, manage sentence elements for rhetorical effectiveness, and avoid ambiguous pronoun references, wordiness, and redundancy.</p>
<p>In a nutshell:
Comma placement, semi-colon usage, subject-verb agreement, revising, context relevance, noticing and omitting repeated statements (like "...faced dangerous peril from..." Omit dangerous), sentence balance (word/verb choice based on previous/proceeding portion of a list sentence)</p>
<p>Quick Tips:
As stated on this guide-- [Act</a> - English guide.pdf<a href="PDF%20download%20link">/url</a>, it is best to pick the simplest answer choice.</p>
<pre><code> EX: "...Now that the Navajo code is no longer used, the code talkers, whose >secret work< saved American lives, can finally receive public recognition for their actions..."
A. NO CHANGE B. hush-hush actions C. concealed, hidden efforts J. doings, kept under wraps
</code></pre>
<p>--The correct answer to the example is A. NO CHANGE because it is the simplest answer and will help the sentence flow smoother.</p>
<p>Mathematics (60 minutes, 60 total questions)</p>
<p>Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra</p>
<p>--Pre-Algebra (23%). Questions in this content area are based on basic operations using whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers; place value; square roots and approximations; the concept of exponents; scientific notation; factors; ratio, proportion, and percent; linear equations in one variable; absolute value and ordering numbers by value; elementary counting techniques and simple probability; data collection, representation, and interpretation; and understanding simple descriptive statistics.
--Elementary Algebra (17%). Questions in this content area are based on properties of exponents and square roots, evaluation of algebraic expressions through substitution, using variables to express functional relationships, understanding algebraic operations, and the solution of quadratic equations by factoring.</p>
<p>Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry</p>
<p>--Intermediate Algebra (15%). Questions in this content area are based on an understanding of the quadratic formula, rational and radical expressions, absolute value equations and inequalities, sequences and patterns, systems of equations, quadratic inequalities, functions, modeling, matrices, roots of polynomials, and complex numbers.
--Coordinate Geometry (15%). Questions in this content area are based on graphing and the relations between equations and graphs, including points, lines, polynomials, circles, and other curves; graphing inequalities; slope; parallel and perpendicular lines; distance; midpoints; and conics.</p>
<p>Plane Geometry/Trigonometry</p>
<p>--Plane Geometry (23%). Questions in this content area are based on the properties and relations of plane figures, including angles and relations among perpendicular and parallel lines; properties of circles, triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids; transformations; the concept of proof and proof techniques; volume; and applications of geometry to three dimensions.
--Trigonometry (7%). Questions in this content area are based on understanding trigonometric relations in right triangles; values and properties of trigonometric functions; graphing trigonometric functions; modeling using trigonometric functions; use of trigonometric identities; and solving trigonometric equations.</p>
<p>Additional content:
--At least 1 question of Logarithms, 1+ related to circle sectors and arcs, at 1+ on Imaginary Numbers (i = square root of -1), perhaps a question where you need to know the degrees of a shape to answer (degree formula: (numbers of sides-2) * 180°), and 1+ midpoint. Every question counts.</p>
<p>Quick Tips:
--I found studying and understanding SOH CAH TOA (a mnemonic for sine, cosine, and tangent) helps with trig questions...even if you have no clue as to how it works.
--It is best to skip difficult/long questions until you finish with easier questions. This way, you will be able to answer as many questions as possible without running out of time and missing a couple questions of elementary math.</p>
<p>Reading (35 minutes, 40 total questions)</p>
<p>--Prose Fiction (25%). Questions in this category are based on intact short stories or excerpts from short stories or novels.
--Social Studies (25%). Questions in this category are based on passages in the content areas of anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.
--Humanities (25%). Questions in this category are based on passages from memoirs and personal essays and in the content areas of architecture, art, dance, ethics, film, language, literary criticism, music, philosophy, radio, television, and theater.
--Natural Sciences (25%). Questions in this category are based on passages in the content areas of anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, medicine, meteorology, microbiology, natural history, physiology, physics, technology, and zoology.</p>
<p>Different strategies--</p>
<p>--Skim to answer: Those who follow this strategy do not initially read the passage, but after reading each question they skim the context for key words in question or key lines. Only those who are apt in skimming and answering without an overall understanding can do this. (Which is not many) Not suggested.</p>
<p>--First and last paragraph and skim if needed.</p>
<p>--Read whole passage: I personally support this strategy. Most testers truly need to have a general understanding to answer questions. When you read it in entirety, you may notice a statement or topic that many would easily miss skimming. Many may be thinking: well it takes too long to read it and will not be able to finish. This is okay. Despite this obvious setback, the fact that you will have an easier time -correctly- answering questions remains a plus. While some may have to guess the answers for up to a whole passage, this remains the best choice in my opinion.</p>
<p>Tips:
--The best thing about the ACT is that it is so predicable. On the Reading test, the passages will always be in this order: Prose fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and then Natural Science. (Refer to above to see what each includes. Ex: Prose fiction will be a story.) You can take a practice test to see which one of those subjects you have a difficult time on, and on the real test, you could skip that passage and continue onto others until/if you have time to go back to it. It is better not to strain yourself on something you don't understand than to trudge through it just because it is the next passage.</p>
<p>Science (35 minutes, 40 total questions)</p>
<p>--Data Representation (38%). This format presents graphic and tabular material similar to that found in science journals and texts. The questions associated with this format measure skills such as graph reading, interpretation of scatterplots, and interpretation of information presented in tables, diagrams, and figures.
--Research Summaries (45%). This format provides descriptions of one or more related experiments. The questions focus on the design of experiments and the interpretation of experimental results.
--Conflicting Viewpoints (17%). This format presents expressions of several hypotheses or views that, being based on differing premises or on incomplete data, are inconsistent with one another. The questions focus on the understanding, analysis, and comparison of alternative viewpoints or hypotheses.</p>
<p>Ugh man, Science. It's so different from what you expect. Like, seriously different. I was expecting maybe like questions about cells, or anatomy, or biology...but then I got hit with data and graphs.</p>
<p>The first time I took the ACT, I had only completed 1 practice test booklet.. I wasn't quite comfortable with the Science portion when I took the test...so I ended up freaking out and got a 22. Now, with a few practice tests/tests under my belt, I feel more apt with answering.
--Therefore, my #1 tip is to expose yourself to the Science test.
--#2 tip: (some may need to ignore this tip) Do not read the passages unless the questions require it. Do not read the experiment summaries unless the questions require it (like if it says, "...Based on the model presented by Student 3, if all 6 genes...", only then should you actually read it.) And in the same way, it is not necessary to glance at the graphs until a question requires it.</p>
<p>Why skip most until later? Well, you only have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. That means 1.14 questions a minute. It is a waste to read and try to understand text that you may not even need. In the long run, it's like my tip for the mathematics test, skip until needed.</p>
<p>For practice tests and guides, refer to my thread <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/act-preparation/1487172-act-test-practice-study-guides-downloadable.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/act-preparation/1487172-act-test-practice-study-guides-downloadable.html](<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/view/?pl91xlrgcpa9op4%5DAct">http://www.mediafire.com/view/?pl91xlrgcpa9op4)</a>.</p>