Practice and Prep for the ACT
Prepping for the ACT exam doesn't have to be difficult especially if you start early. But all "prep" is not created equal. There are many test prep books available on Amazon and in bookstores. You may even find some at used book sales. But use caution. Both the ACT and SAT (College Board) spent a ton of money getting those test questions just right. There are a lot of copycat test prep books that may not be substantial enough to be used for your prep work.
Official practice tests are the best way to go. ACT and SAT both retire several exams each year. Those exams are usually placed in their official test prep books and are available for purchase each year.
ACT offers an official practice test that you can print out and take with a pencil and paper. I highly recommend doing this since your real exam will also be using pencil and paper. Fo any practice test you'll want to mimic an actual testing situation as closely as possible. with timing, and no distractions,...
Take Entrance Exams as Early as 8th or 9th grade!
Most often the idea of taking college entrance exams such as the ACT or SAT is not introduced until the spring of high school junior year. The theory behind waiting until that time says that (1) the student is unprepared for the content and (2) taking the exams at an earlier age causes undue stress and anxiety for the student. However, my experience is very different.
Clearly students are not expected to perform well when taking these exams prior to Junior year. But that's the point. Tell your teen, 'Don't stress. It doesn't count'. Taking it multiple times, 'cold' (with no preparation), allows the student to get used to the format of the exam as well as the learning to ignore typical test taking distractions. For example: pencil or foot tapping noises, sneezing or coughing, rain on a tin roof. They also learn what items to bring and how to handle the broken pencil point, or calculator battery dying, in a low stress environment.
I recommend taking the ACT (or...
Do You Know What Scholarship Judges Are Looking For?
Don't make these mistakes! Use this checklist before hitting the 'Submit' button.
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