> The good news is that the test questions appear to be easier than the typical SAT questions. There are also very few vocabulary questions, compared to the SAT.
> The Math is easier, BUT no list of Geometry formulas will be provided like on the SAT- you must have them memorized.
> There are four trigonometry questions on the ACT - none on the SAT.
> The reading passages are faster but easier than the SAT.
> There is a section called the Scientific Reasoning Section. It is really just another form of the Reading section, only the topics are all Science. You don’t need to know a lot of Science to do well in this section.
> There is no penalty for guessing, like on the SAT. So if you are almost out of time, guessing will only help, never hurt your score!
The ACT test is a very predictable test. Here's the breakdown:
1. ENGLISH: 75 questions, 45 minutes.
- 5 essays that will test you on grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
2. MATH: 60 questions, 60 minutes.
- Easy questions are usually but not always first.
- Nearly 1/2 of the questions are Algebra and Number Operations.
- 1/3 of the questions are Geometry, so know your formulas. - 4 remaining questions cover basic Trigonometry.
3. READING: 40 questions, 35 minutes.
- 4 reading passages, 10 questions per passage.
- Topics are: fiction, social science, humanities, and then natural science, in that order.
4. SCIENTIFIC REASONING: 40 questions, 35 minutes.
- 7 scientific reading passages, followed by 5 - 7 questions for each passage.
- You cannot use a calculator in this section, so the questions involving data calculations can't be too difficult.
- 3 basic categories that can be in any order:
B) Experiments - 18 questions in 3 passages
C) Scientific Opinions - 7 questions in 1 passage
5. WRITING-ESSAY (optional, but not really): 1 question, 30 minutes.
| Bottom Line: YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TAKE BOTH TESTS TO SEE WHICH IS EASIER!
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