GENERALSTRATEGIES FORTHENEWACT
Triage–prioritizequestionsratherthanansweringthem strictlyintheorderinwhichtheyappear(2-passtriage system) (NOW…LATER…NEVER)
2 Passesforeachsection:
PassOne–answereveryquestionyoucanansweron thefirstroundANDbubblein/markyourLETTEROF THEDAYonquestionsyouareSUREYOUCAN’T DO(FocusontheEASYandMEDIUMquestionsand savetheHARDquestionsforlater.)
PassTwo–gothroughandtrytoanswermoredifficult questionsthatyoucircledforthesecondpass(THINK &ACTTRIAGE)
POOD(PersonalOrderofDifficulty–KnowyourPOOD!!)
Nopenaltyforguessing –sopickletter(s)ofthedayand MAKESUREYOUANSWEREVERYSINGLE QUESTION!!!!
USEPROCESSOFELIMINATION(POE)(POE)(POE)
PickyourLETTER(S)OFTHEDAY(BECONSISTENT) (i.e.GGGGGGG+BBBBBBBBORHHHHHHHH+ CCCCCCCCCC)
ENGLISH
UsethefourCCCCs:
-CLEAR -COMPLETE -CONSISTENT -CONCISE
Readfromthebeginningofthepassageuntilyouget toanunderlinedsection,workthatparticular question,andthenresumereadinguntilthenext underlinedportionandthenextquestion.
Step1:Identifythetopic(whatexactlyisthe questiontesting–grammar? Punctuation?
Step2:UsePOE
Step3:Usethecontextofthequestion
Step4:Trustyourear,butverify(lookatand considereachanswerchoicecarefully,butifit sounds/feelswrong,trustyourearandgowithit)
Step5:Don’tfixwhatisn’tbroken–considerusing NOCHANGEifyoufeelthereisnothingwrong
RememberSTOPandGOpunctuation:
Stop Punctuation: Period (.) Semi-colon (;) Question mark(?)Exclamationmark(!)
Go Punctuation: Commas (may slow down, but not stop),FANBOYS (For,And,Nor,But,Or,Yet,So)
Colons (:) and Dashes (-) = can link a complete idea to eitheranincompleteideaoranothercompleteidea
EXCEPT,LEAST,NOT questions
1) crossouttheEXCEPT,LEAST,NOT 2) go through the passage – if you find it – put a T (true) and if you don’t find it, put an F (false) –there will be only one F (false) answer and that is thecorrectanswer(UsePOE)
ORDER questions involve the correct placement of words, sentences, and paragraphs.
MATH
Usecalculatorswheneverpossible,butonlyifitwill saveyouTIME
The MATH section is in ORDER of DIFFICULTY (OOD), i.e. EASIER questions are first, MEDIUM questions come next, and the HARDER questions are later. (use your POOD = PERSONAL ORDER OFDIFFICULTY)
UsePOE(PROCESSOFELIMINATION)
Use BALLPARK (narrow down choices by estimatingyouranswer)
WhendealingwithWORDPROBLEMS:
1) Step 1: Know the question (underline the actual question(typicallyattheendofthewordproblem) andbecrystalclearonwhattheyareasking)
2) Step2:Lettheanswershelp
3) Step3:Breaktheproblemintobite-sizedpieces
ALWAYSANSWEREVERYQUESTION!!!
UsePLUGGINGIN:
1) whentherearevariablesintheanswerchoices
2) when solving word problems and plug-and-chug questions
3) forquestionsofanydifficultylevel
WhenyouPlugIn:
1) identifytheopportunity
2) choose a GOOD NUMBER (low, easy to work with) (typically:2,3,4,5,10,etc.)(avoid using0and1)
3) findaTARGETanswer
4) test all the answer choices – whichever answer yields the target answer by plugging in the selected number (s) for the variable(s) –that’sthecorrectanswer
PITA(PlugInTheAnswer)
- Use PITA when answer choices are listed in ascending or descending orderand whenthe questionis asking for aspecificnumber
- Startwithchoices(C)or(H)tohelpwithPOE
- Whenyoufindthecorrectanswer–STOP!!!!!
READING
FOCUS on the QUESTION and not on the passage (remember:yougetpointsforansweringthequestions,notfor readingthepassage)
Attackthepassagesintheorderthatbestsuitsyou(POOD)
SeethroughtheCAMOUFLAGEthathidesthecorrectanswer choices
Identify incorrect answer choices and eliminate them quickly usingPOE
Answerquestionswithoutreallyreadingthepassage
The passages are ALWAYS IN THE SAME ORDER, so decidewhichpassagestodofirst(EASY)andwhichtodolast (HARD)
WatchoutforTRAPS(wronganswersthatlookright)
Beware of the SWITCH (incorrect answer that says the exact OPPOSITEofthecorrectanswer)
BewaryofanswersthatareTOOEXTREMEorTOONICE
TRAPANSWERS:
Opposite
ExtremeLanguage
RecycledLanguage
RightAnswer,WrongQuestion
BeyondtheText
Half-Right(AllWrong)
***AnswersthatuseEXTREMElanguageareNOTgoingto be correct answers on the ACT. (Remember the CANOE.) Avoid answer choices that contain the following words or phrases:
MUSTALWAYS WILLONLY IMPOSSIBLE NEVER
CANNOT EACH EVERY TOTALLY ALL SOLELY
ONLY MUSTNEVER SHOULD SHOULDALWAYS
PROVES SHOULDNEVER INDIFFERENT APATHETIC
Instead: Choose more MODERATE, SLIGHTLY POSITIVE answers:
Could possibly May sometimes Might affect May seem possible
ReadingSectionProcess:
1) Findleadwordsandphrases
2) Scanthepassageforleadwords
3) Skim and Scribble (UNDERLINE, CIRCLE KEY WORDS, TAKEBRIEFNOTES)
4) PracticetheLOOP–
a) gotothefirstquestionthatpointstoananswer
b) returntotheappropriateportionofthepassage
c) readitcarefullyandtrytopredictthecorrectanswer
d) gobacktothequestionsandpicktheanswerchoicethat mostresemblesyouranswer.
SCIENCEREASONING
Asalways,useyourPOODanddotheeasiestpassageforyou firstandthemore difficultpassageslast
Three(3)typesofScienceReasoningQuestions:
1. Lookitup(UNDERSTANDING)
2. Why?(ANALYSIS)
3. Whatif? (GENERALIZATION)
THREETYPESOFSCIENCEREASONINGPASSAGES:
1) ChartsandGraphs(3)(6questionseach)
2) Experiments(3)(7questionseach)
3) “FightingScientists”(1)(7questions)(SAVEFORLAST)
ProceduretoConquertheScience ReasoningSection:
Step1:Scanthepassage
Step 2: Look at each question and identify its type (MAP THE QUESTIONS)
Step3:Guesstimate
Step4:UsePOE
When answering the questions, get very familiar with the graphs and charts (clearly determine what the variables are (dependentandindependent)andthendetermineexactlywhat thequestionisasking),experimenttables,hypotheses,etc.
WRITINGTHEESSAY
TOGETAGOODSCORE-MAKETHEGRADERS’ JOBEASY
Show that you understand the perspectives and can generate oneofyourown
Show that you can support your ideas with examples, real or hypothetical
Show that you can arrange your essay in a way that makes sense
TheApproach:
1) WorkthePrompt
2) WorkthePerspectives
3) GenerateYourOwnPerspective
4) ConsiderContext
EssayFormat:
A)INTRODUCTION–
1) Identifywhythequestionposedinthepromptisimportant
2) Present your perspective on the question posed in the prompt
3) Previewhowyouintendtogivesupporttoyourperspective
B) BODYPARAGRAPHS1&2 -
1) Provide a transition from the previous paragraph and a topicsentencethatdescribesthenewone
2) Assessatleastone of theperspectivesgiveninthe prompt asawaytostrengthenyourownperspective
3) Useanexampletodevelopyourperspectiveoranalyzeone ofthegivenperspectives
4) Relateyourdiscussionbacktoyourpositionandthelarger topic
C) CONCLUSION–
1) Recap your discussion as it has related to the prompt and perspectives
2) Restateyourperspectiveandarguments
3) Provideafinaloverarchingthoughtonthetopic(KICKER) (howitrelatestothepresentandperhapstothefuture,how itcanhaveasignificantimpactonx,y,orz.)
****** Make sure your essay is neat, that you STAY ON TOPIC, and that you take time to read it over and it reads exactly the way youwantittoread!!!!
KeyPointstoRememberwhenWritingyourEssay:
Neat
Easytoread
Varysentencestructure
Sprinklenicevocabularywordsthroughoutessay
Indenteachparagraph
GAME DAY STRATEGIES
- Gotobedearlyandtrytogetagoodnightsleep TWOnightsbefore theACTaswellasthenightbeforethetest
- Dosomehomeworkearly,beforeschool,theentireweekbefore youtaketheACT
- Wakeupearlyonthedayofthetest
- Dosomeexercisestowakeupyourbody
- Takeashowerandgetdressed
- Haveagoodbreakfast (proteinandcarbs–eggs,sausageorbacon andsomeoatmeal,toastwithpeanutbutter,Greekyogurt, juice)
- Workonafewreadingcomprehension,writing,andmath problems towakeupyourbrain
- Gatherallnecessarymaterialsforthetest (WHICHSHOULDBE LAIDOUTTHENIGHTBEFORE–(ORGANIZATIONIS KEY)–testadmissionticket,driver’slicense(wallet),atleast3 number#2pencils(NOMECHANICALPENCILS),calculator (withfresh,strong,workingbatteries),watchorsometypeoftime piece, snack(grapes,banana,granolabar,etc.),waterorGatorade.
- Trytoarriveabout20minutesbeforethestartofthetest,andfind yourselfagooddeskinagoodlocationwithnodistractions(tryto
ThisPhotoby
arriveearlysoyoudon’thavetorush,butnotsoearlythatyouare sweatingbulletswaitingforthetesttobegin)