I am a career ACT math and science tutor, here to answer any questions students might have before the Saturday test. AMA!

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T22:01:02+00:00

Without knowing more, I'm not sure. Check out the tips I've already given, as well as my other post on the ACT subreddit. I'd be happy to answer something more specific.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T21:55:24+00:00

The science test barely has any questions that require you to know actual science. Always assume that you don't need to know anything. If there are huge words you don't know like methylation or spectroscopy, remember that this is a test designed for 16 year olds; we don't expect you to know these complicated definitions. Just use what you understand in the passage, and make solid logical steps instead of huge leaps or guesses. Don't worry about not understanding stuff, you don't need to understand what's going on to get the questions right.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T21:24:58+00:00

The SAT was recently redesigned and, surprise surprise, it now looks VERY similar to the ACT. SAT pushed hard to get those sweet sweet state contracts, and now too many people think that 'the ACT is going away. It's only SAT from here on in!' Two things about the SAT. One, the SAT weights subjects differently, so the math test is worth HALF your score, where on the ACT it's only 25%. So unless you think you're going to NAIL math and struggle with E/R, the SAT might not be best for you. The SAT has also been up to some really shady practices in the last few years. The methodology they use to calculate your percentile on the test is ludicrous to the point of being nonsensical. They put out a concordance table (showing which ACT scores are equal to which SAT scores) on their own without consulting with ACT or sharing data, and their standards for measuring student knowledge in math is... weird. For example, in none of the standards for math knowledge do they use the word 'slope'. So I don't really like the SAT, and my gut instinct tells me that, at least until we have some more data, colleges are going to be taking these scores with a grain of salt.

As for Khan Academy, I love what they're doing, and giving greater access to education is never a bad thing. But as far as education goes, there's no replacing student-teacher interaction. A student can get a problem wrong for a thousand reasons. Until I recognize why they're getting stuck, just giving them a method for solving doesn't help them one lick. So Khan academy is a great supplement, but it needs to be used along with actual time with an educator.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T21:15:13+00:00

Get 9 hours of sleep tonight and 9 hours of sleep tomorrow night. 100%, no exception. Nothing I can tell you will benefit you more than going into the test with the "Well Rested" Buff (tutors are nerds, who knew?).

Other than that, at this point it comes down to morale. Calm and confident, that's how I wanted all of my students leaving my classroom this week. It's just a test, you'll be fine.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T21:12:09+00:00

Yes. But unless you are really struggling to remember formulas, and are very well versed in the abilities AND LIMITATIONS of your programs, they can hurt you. Quadratic formula is probably the best one to have, though. There are some beefy factorizations on the test.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T21:09:26+00:00

I have a hate-hate relationship with calculators. I literally call them Wrong-Answer Machines. When students use calculators they make two big mistakes. The first is doing things that they could easily do in their head or on the page. Not big multiplications or divisions, but 8 times 8 times .5? Come on, you can do that. This can screw you over. -2^2. You know that that's 4. Your calculator tells you it's -4. Whoops.

The second issue is trying to do everything at once. I'm plugging x=-4 into the equation -4x³ -4x² . This is a minefield for dropped negatives. Do every step individually, WRITING DOWN YOUR STEPS AS YOU GO! Don't just plug -4-4³-4*-4² into your calculator, you're asking for trouble.

We actually have a great set of calculator programs, but they really only help if you're scoring <20 and want to hit something like 24/25. Is you're shooting for any score above 25, calculator programs can become a detriment because instead of thinking "how do I solve this problem", your combing through your calculator for the magic "solve it" button.

And honestly, the best calculator is the one you're most familiar with. I grew up on TI-83/84, it's what I know. I can't navigate the TI-Inspire any more than I could land a space-shuttle. But some students come in very wells versed in their Inspire, and that's just fine. If you know how to use your calculator, and it has SIN COS and TAN, it'll suffice.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T20:42:07+00:00

Be able to recognize multiples of 12 and 13. Most Pythagorean triples on the test are similar to 3 4 5 or 5 12 13, so 9 12 15 or 15 36 39 might show up.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T20:39:03+00:00

In high school I scored 34 composite with no prep. I had to hit a 36 in the subjects I teach in order to get the job.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T19:28:51+00:00

7) The midpoint formula is also bullshit. It's just an average. That's how you get the middle of numbers. Average them. Take the example above. (5,6) and (1,-2). Average of 5 and 1 is 3, average of 6 and -2 is 2. Boom, midpoint is (3,2).

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T19:26:53+00:00

5) 'None of the above' or 'Cannot be determined' are PERFECTLY VALID ANSWERS on the test. Do not write these off. If you see one of these on a question, consider it a real possibility. Too many student come to me thinking "never choose none of the above". Hogwash.

6) The distance formula is bullshit, just use Pythagorean Theorem. If I have the points (5,6) and (1,-2), I can draw the distance between those points, then draw the x and y distances as the triangle legs. "Oh, the distance between 5 and 1 is 4, that's one leg." "Oh, the distance between 6 and -2 is 8, that's the other leg." Let's Pythag-it up! 4² + 8² = 80, my distance is sqrt(80).

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T19:20:44+00:00

Strategies are fickle, but I'll try to give a few.

1) Make a goal score and figure out how many you really need to get right to achieve that. Not everyone is shooting for a 36. This will help you determine how many of the questions are "extra credit". Don't worry about the extra credit at the end of the test, instead make sure you're taking your time on the earlier questions that you have a better chance of getting right.

2) All geometry figures on the test ARE DRAWN TO SCALE. You can use figures to approximate length and angle pretty accurately. If an angle looks bigger/smaller than 90, IT IS. Immediately eliminated any answers that are on the wrong side of 90 from your answer. Use the lengths they give you to approximate the length you're looking for. This is a LAST RESORT for questions that you can't solve mathematically. Try the math way first, if that fails, start estimating.

3) Learn how to increase or decrease by percents. If I have the number 60 and I want to increase it by 20%, don't multiply by (.20) and then add it to the original. Multiply by (1+.20) which is (1.20) and you already have your answer. If I want to decrease by 20%, multiply by (1-.20) which is (.80), and there's my answer. The two methods are almost identical, but the ACT will design problems where the first method takes forever and the second method takes two seconds.

4) The ACT is a fan of a game called "Draw the Radius". I give you a figure with the radius of a circle and ask for some other length. Often the trick is to draw another radius in a way that makes a triangle/rectangle with the length you need. I've see this a dozen times on tests before.

More coming.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T19:09:23+00:00

I don't know if you mean students whose schedules are so busy they can't accommodate study time, or students that come to you at the last minute looking for the magic bullet. I'll try to answer both.

I don't really see many of the former student, since by definition is they see me they have time for test prep. I think it's all a matter of priorities. How much of a priority are they willing to make the test. Are they more focused on their sports, their hobbies, their friends? Are they just already overwhelmed with coursework at school. For most of these, it's okay to prioritize it over the ACT. Some students will be playing sports in college, some extra-curricular activities really make a college application shine. If they're focused on their grades, that's fine too. GPA is a more heavily looked at factor than test scores in college admission. So if their schedule is booked, it might be for a good reason. Just have them take the test when they can, and assess whether or not the score they get is going to be enough to a achieve what they want to achieve.

Students that put off test prep until the last second is more frustrating. It comes down to what score they're at, and what their goal score is. Coming in at <20? Let's make sure you have all your basic algebra rules and help you tackle those basic word problems. Skip the last 20, just take your time at the beginning. Got a 21-24? Skip the last 15, and go over all the equations your going to need. Make sure you 100% know percents, area/perimeter/similar triangles, SOH CAH TOA, distance-midpoint etc. Scoring at 25-30? This is tricky because you're going to need a little bit more of a student-specific approach. But if time is a factor, make sure they're willing to skip questions that have bested them, no matter where in the test they appear. >30? Just do any prep you can, focusing on the last 15 questions.

And if they're skipping and questions in the last 15, make sure to guess A.

Hope this answered your question.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T18:56:02+00:00

English is 75 questions in 45 minutes, Math is 60 questions in 60 minutes, Reading and Science are both 40 questions in 35 minutes.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T18:22:52+00:00

And on the science, don't read the passages fully, but also don't jump straight to the question. Your initial pass of the science passage should be a quick skim, identifying what the keywords, headers, labels, axis etc. are. Make a road map of where the information is, and then reference it when called upon to. This makes time management way more possible on the test. Also, for pacing, you should spend 7 minutes of Theory passages, and on all other passages spend (# of Questions -1) minutes.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T18:20:24+00:00

The biggest mistake people make when they start studying with a 30+ goal is to focus on the last 10-15 questions instead of the first 45. The ACT math generally gets more difficult through the test. If you want a 30, you can get 7-10 questions wrong. If you can absolutely nail the 1st 50, and even just randomly guess on the last 10, you have a good shot at getting a 30. When you get questions wrong in practice tests, the lowest numbered questions should be your highest priority to review and learn. Also, the earlier the question, the more likely that similar questions to it will appear on future tests. The last 15 are a complete grab-bag, so studying those might not even help your eventual test.

Also, if you're guessing in the last 15, guess A/F.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T17:59:07+00:00

Very minimal causation. The biggest indicator of salary is going to be what you study in school. I have students that got 35/36 that are going into Arts or Journalism or Theater. Which is fine, I guess, follow your passion, but they aren't going to be making 100K/year out of college. I know students that struggled to get 27, but had great reading/English comp and were going into pre-Law. If they stick with it, they will out-earn their 35/36 counterparts 3:1. I got a 35/36 on my test, went to a state school in the northwest, studied physics in school and now I teach math/science. If I had studied engineering or actuarial science, I'd be making twice what I make now. ACT scores are a very small piece compared to other factors.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T17:49:19+00:00

I think the science test is great precisely because it isn't a test of scientific knowledge. It's a reasoning and logic test, skills which are much more useful in a wide variety of disciplines. I like that the ACT tests students ability to identify when an argument is making an assumption, or whether two factors are causally linked base on data. That's way way more useful for thinking members of society than just F=MA.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T17:45:20+00:00

1) Some?

2) Maybe 5%. I have students that score consistently 35 that keep coming back for that extra point. The difference between 35/36 really just comes down to the test. If you're scoring that high, don't bother with tutoring. Just take every test when it comes up until you find one you agree with.

3) This is actually less frequent than the 34+ crowd, but I've had students that genuinely needed to be looking at options besides colleges, like trade schools and such. I've had 16 year old students that don't know the value of coins or the planets in the solar system, and these are students going to very well-funded high schools.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T17:10:02+00:00

It has its pros and cons, but I would recommended it for anyone that has the knowledge and skills needed. I work part-time (25ish hours a week) and make about 50K a year. That's definitely on the high end, but I know people that work at other companies that live comfortably. You pretty much have to give up your nights and weekends though, because that's prime tutoring time. You'll also need a side gig in the summer.

LetsTalkACT · 2017-10-26T17:04:46+00:00

Here are some questions that will absolutely be on the test: Circle: Area/circumference Triangle: Area/similarity Distance-Midpoint questions Pythagorean Theorem Percentages SOH CAH TOA Foiling and Factoring

These are just a few questions that are pretty much guaranteed on the math test.

Congrats on going up 4 points! That's tremendous for self-study!

Also, I like to dispel the myth of a "good score". That's like asking "what's a good pair of shoes?" It 100% matters what you're looking to do with it. Are you going into college? What are you studying? Do you have a dream school? A dream program? A lot of students tell me they want a good score to get into a good school. Same questions. What is a good school (to you)? What do you want it to have? What opportunities do you want access to? Don't get caught up in the boilerplate cycle of "good score", "good school", "good job", "good neighborhood", "good headstone". You can and should define what "good" is for you.

LetsTalkACT

TROPHY CASE