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— Marie, ACT StudentAn acronym for the “American College Test,” the ACT is a standardized test made up entirely of multiple-choice questions. American colleges and universities use this exam to aid in making admissions decisions; the scores also often help schools decide in which course in a given subject incoming students should begin their collegiate studies. High school students usually study for and sit for the ACT during their junior or senior year to fulfill a common requirement of their college application process. This does not mean that the ACT can only be taken by these students, however; adults and younger students may also take the test. Whether you need top ACT tutors in Atlanta, ACT tutors in Houston, or top ACT tutors in San Francisco, working with a pro may take your studies to the next level.
In addition to an ACT tutor, Varsity Tutors’ free ACT flashcards can help you review the material you find to be toughest easily and efficiently. Flashcards are not only broken down by section, but they are also arranged by concept tested in a given question. This allowed you to figure out where your studying time could be most effectively used and to focus on a given concept until you feel that you understand it completely. For example, instead of drilling every ACT English concept, many of which you already understand, you can go through ACT English flashcards that focus solely on questions that test agreement errors, verb voice, or separating, combining, and reordering sentences. Varsity Tutors’ free ACT flashcards are also available through our free iPhone app, so you easily study on the go. Don’t just skim over content you already know—focus on the topics that can most benefit your review. In addition to the ACT Flashcards and ACT tutoring, you may also want to consider taking some of our ACT practice tests. You may also want to check out our free ACT prep book as well to help with your self-paced study.
The SAT and the ACT both serve as standardized exams that are commonly included as required portions of college applications; however, there is one major difference between them. Whereas the ACT tests material students are expected to have already learned, the SAT tests students’ aptitude for success in college-level studies, and therefore measures test-takers’ verbal and reasoning abilities. The ACT consists of four required sections and and an optional writing sections, but the SAT consists of three sections: a non-optional Writing section that measures students’ grammatical knowledge and editing abilities; a Mathematics section, and a Critical Reading section; furthermore, the ACT and SAT are scored on different scales. An ACT score, whether a composite score or a section score, is a whole number taken out of thirty-six possible points, whereas the SAT provides its composite scores on a scale of 400 to 1600 points.
The ACT’s four required sections test English, Math, Reading, and Science. The ACT Plus Writing version of the exam includes a fifth section, an essay section in which students produce a long-form written response to a given prompt. If you have mastered the topics covered in regular high school math courses, have a good grasp of standard written English grammar, are confident in your ability to write clearly and effectively, and are confident in your ability to understand and analyze quickly prose ranging from novel excerpts to descriptions of scientific phenomena and experiments, you should feel prepared for the ACT. If you are unsure of your abilities in any of these areas or just want to make sure you are as prepared as you believe yourself to be, Varsity Tutors offers a plethora of high-quality free ACT resources that can help you make the most of your limited review time.
Whether you elect to take the ACT or the ACT Plus Writing, the section order remains the same: English, followed by Math, followed by Reading, followed by Science. The ACT Plus Writing concludes with its Writing section. Varsity Tutors’ free ACT resources allow you to review the content on which you most need to focus regardless of the order in which the test is given; there’s no reason for you to study the sections in the order in which they are presented during the actual test if you think your review could be more effective by going over them in a different order.
When taking the ACT, a break is included between the Math section and the Reading sections, or in the middle of the test, after two sections have been completed and there are two left to go. When taking the ACT Plus Writing, a second break is included between the Science and Writing sections.
The ACT lasts for approximately four hours and fifteen minutes. The ACT Plus Writing lasts for approximately five hours. These times include the mandatory breaks test-takers are given.
Currently, registering for the ACT costs $46, and registering for the ACT Plus Writing costs $62.50. (The higher price of the ACT Plus Writing’s registration reflects the fact that it includes a hand-written essay that must be grade by a team of qualified readers). Registering for the ACT or the ACT Plus Writing allows test-takers to send their scores to as many as four different colleges and universities as part of the test’s application fee. If you are a high school junior or a high school senior and can demonstrate that you have financial need, fee waivers are available; furthermore, some states include the ACT as part of required educational testing, making it free to students taking it for this reason.
