act test strategies
Posted by fallenx888x on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Albert Einstein said, "Do
not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I assure you that mine
are greater." While Einstein's mathematical woes were weighty, the
challenge of accurately completing 60 ACT math questions in 60 minutes
appears equally serious to most test takers.The ACT math section covers
fundamental skills, algebra, geometry, and basic trigonometry. The
questions begin easier and become progressively harder as you work
through the section. Some students prefer the ACT math because it seems
more like problems they see in school and tends to be less tricky that
SAT questions. But don't be fooled, ACT math isn't easy.Here are 5 tips
to improve your ACT math scores:1. Know your formulas. You will not be
given any formulas on the test, so be sure to review area,
circumference, triangles, and basic math equations you usually look up
on the SAT or other standardized tests.2. Plan for the 4 or 5 trig
questions. Students who are taking pre-calculus or trigonometry in
school should be fine. You need to know sin, cos, tan; the sin & cos
curves; and the unit circle. If you have not studied these topics in
school, I'd suggest you "letter of the day" these questions and move
onto problems you are more likely to get right.3. Remember it is
multiple-choice math. Before you begin long, complex calculations, look
at the answer choices. Could you test these five options by plugging
them into the problem? Can you eliminate some choices using estimation?
The answer is on the paper; you just need to find it.4. Bring an
approved calculator. ACT calculator rules are stricter than those for
the SAT. You may NOT use calculators with built-in computer algebra
systems, cell phones, computers, or tablets. TI- 89s, TI-92s, HP 48GIIs,
HP 40Gs, 49Gs or 50Gs are NOT permitted. According toACT, "using the
TI-89 is the most common reason students are dismissed fro the ACT for
prohibited calculator use." Make sure your calculator is permitted.5.
Write it out.For more info,Please visit act test strategies
Do not attempt to do all the math in your head. I'm a math person by
nature. (Maybe you didn't know this, but I was captain of my high school
math team!) I understand how tempting it is to do all the calculations
in your head. You may be able to answer some of the easier questions at
the beginning with no calculations, but by the time you reach the middle
of the ACT math section, problems require multiple steps and students
who write out at least part of the problem, earn higher scores. Avoid
careless errors, increase your accuracy, and improve your score by
working problems in the test booklet.Remember to apply strategies such
as the "letter of the day" because accuracy and educated guessing are
key to your ACT success. As Paul R Halmos said, ""To be a scholar of
mathematics you must be born with talent, insight, concentration, taste,
luck, drive and the ability to visualize and guess."Information on this
can be found at this site