For almost 50 years, the SAT has played a pivotal role in the college admissions process. The upcoming transition from the traditional paper-and-pencil format to a digital, adaptive SAT marks one of the most significant changes since its inception in 1926. The Class of 2025 will be the first cohort of U.S. students to undergo both the PSAT and SAT in a digital, adaptive format.
Early acceptance rates at these institutions showed a significant advantage over regular decision rates, according to U.S. News data. Though crafting a standout college application can be a time-consuming and stressful process, submitting an application in the fall, well before the typical winter deadline for regular admissions, is possible.Read on to find out more.
Did you know improving by just a single test point can be worth thousands of dollars in financial aid for your college education? The SAT'/ACT® test is important to your future—and can open up new opportunities for college and career.
If, after getting your scores, you’re thinking of retaking the SAT/ACT, consider these important questions and factors.
You can improve your ability to focus by changing your brain or changing your behavior. And it’s best if you do both. We talk about changing your brain. And the best way to change your behavior is to make sure that anything that might distract you is far away. Simply put, make your environment as boring as possible when trying to focus. Research shows even having a phone in the room can be distracting.
ACT announced recently that it is introducing three new options for students taking its test used in college admissions. The changes would first go into effect for students taking the test in September, 2020.
The ACT and SAT are two competing examinations for college entrance. Most schools will accept either an ACT or an SAT score BUT check with the school you are considering to see what they prefer. We suggest that you take both the ACT and SAT and see which one you score higher on, then concentrate on that test.
You know your scores will impact your college acceptance, and you figure you should probably get started with your preparations. But questions abound. What’s the best way to practice? Does tutoring make sense? How can you bulk up your vocabulary?
Read on for seven helpful tips and strategies that every test-taker should know to prepare for the SAT and ACT exams.
Parents often go into a panic thinking about how to help their children through the college application process.
SAT and ACT prep can be particularly flummoxing for parents, many of whom may not be familiar with the material tested on those exams. (It’s challenging! And it’s probably different from what you remember.)
ACT has typically used students’ most recent scores for reporting and research purposes. They found that students who retest on the ACT perform better than expected in college based on their test scores, and that traditionally underserved groups receive more fair consideration with the option of superscoring. Read the full blog to see how and why.
Format:
• 40 questions
• Multiple-choice
• 4 answer choices
• Passages with charts/diagrams
Content:
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Geology
• Astronomy
• Meteorology
Time: 35 minutes
The ACT science section does not test specific science facts. Instead, students will need to understand how to use certain skills of scientific reasoning. Nearly every question can be answered by referring to the material in the passage. Yet, somewhere between 1 and 5 questions on every ACT test, will concentrate on science-based knowledge not given in the passages. There will be a few questions that require some arithmetic. You may have to find an average or utilize your algebra knowledge.
Question types and scoring
Students receive 1 raw point for every correct answer. There’s nothing lost for answering incorrectly. The raw score is calculated by tallying up the raw points. The overall raw score is then converted to a score on a 1-36 point scale. The ACT science score is 1 of 4 scores that's factored into the ACT composite. The ACT composite is an average of 4 section scores. Meaning, a lower science score will bring down the ACT composite, and a higher score, will help to increase the ACT composite. This, of course, relies on the scores from the other ACT sections: English, reading, and mathematics.
Each ACT test contains:
• 6-8 Conflicting Viewpoints questions. These questions will present two or more scientific theories. Amongst all of the theories, not all of them can be correct. The questions may not ask you to prove which theory is correct, but instead, ask you to describe the viewpoints and how they relate to one another.
• 12-16 Data Representation questions. These questions usually present charts and tables that display different variables. Students will find 2-4 variables and must be able to describe the relationships between the variables.
• 18-22 Research Summary questions. These questions describe an experiment and the scientific findings. The passage will detail the results, makeup, and hypothesis. The questions will ask you about the experiment’s findings, design, and implementation.
Every ACT test will include the same set of instructions for the science section. Master the instructions and you won’t need to read them when taking the test. This enables you to spend more time on the problems by skipping the instructions.
ACT SCIENCE DIRECTIONS: There are seven passages in this test. Each passage is followed by several questions. After reading a passage, choose the best answer to each question and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. You may refer to the passages as often as necessary. You are NOT permitted to use a calculator on this test.
Attractor answers
Watch out for attractor answer choices. The ACT anticipates the student making careless mistakes. The test will setup traps for students, and those most impacted, will be students who are not ready for them. The attractors mainly show up on medium to difficult questions.
ACT science tips:
• Focus on one passage at a time
• Learn which types of passages come easier for you
• Tailor your strategies to each passage type
• Don’t worry if the subject is unknown to you. Most of the information is in the passage.
• Work on timing and pacing by practicing passages
• Know the directions, so that you can skip them
• You have 52 ½ seconds per question
• Adjust your pacing to the passage types
o Data Representation passages: spend 4 minutes
o Research Summary passages: spend 5 minutes
o Conflicting Viewpoints passages: spend 7 minutes
The ACT recently released a report based upon students interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) college degrees. They found that 26% met or were above the STEM readiness benchmark. The STEM score on the ACT is meant to be an indicator of how a student will perform in a first-year college STEM course. More information can be found here: www.act.org/stemcondition
The ACT science section is comprised of data representation, research summary, and conflicting hypothesis based questions. The student gathers required information from charts, tables, and graphs. It's good for the student to know the scientific method as well. The ACT math section tests pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and trigonometry. The more difficult math questions are usually toward the end and so the student must also focus on pacing.
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