ACT 36 in Just 7 Steps

Maria Filsinger attended public schools and is joining the Stanford Class of 2016 in Palo Alto this September. A self-taught ACT expert, Maria scored a perfect 36 on the exam. She is currently employed as a long-term private academic tutor and provides instructions for her students in all subject areas covered on the ACT exam.Shaan Patel currently attends the eight-year dual-degree Baccalaureate/MD program at the University of Southern California. A self-taught SAT expert, Shaan scored a perfect 2400 on the exam. He is the founder of TheExamExpert.com, a free online SAT preparation resource.

• Four key principlesPrinciple 1 · Learn 36 StrategiesPrinciple 2 · Study 36 ExamplesPrinciple 3 · Complete 36 Practice Problem SetsPrinciple 4 · Concentrate on 36 ReviewThe ACT: the basicsWhat is the ACT?Why does the ACT exist?What are the differences between the ACT and the SAT?What is the format of the ACT?How many questions are there on the ACT?How long does the exam take?How is the exam scored?How often is the ACT administered?How much does it cost?How do I register?How important is the ACT?How many times should I take the ACT?How is the ACT reported?What is the TIR?Should I take the ACT Writing test?What is the PLAN?What about special circumstances?The truth about the ACTEssential materialsGeneral ACT preparationTake a diagnostic examWork together: 36 Practice and 36 ReviewStep 1 · Learn 36 StrategiesStep 2 · Complete an ACT practice sectionStep 3 · Score your ACT practice sectionStep 4 · Check questions you answered correctlyStep 5 · Check questions you answered incorrectlyStep 6 · Complete your 36 ReviewStep 7 · Repeat steps 1 to 6When to prepareThe 36 six-phase scheduleA consistent scheduleWhere to prepareWhat to memorizePhysical and mental healthGeneral 36 StrategiesGeneral 36 Strategy 1 · Practice how to take the ACTGeneral 36 Strategy 2 · Write it all downGeneral 36 Strategy 3 · Bubble one page at a timeGeneral 36 Strategy 4 · Skip and returnGeneral 36 Strategy 5 · Always guess—alwaysExtra tips and tricks1 Prepare for ACT EnglishStatsBreaking down ACT EnglishEnglish 36 StrategiesEnglish 36 Strategy 1 · Say it out loud (well, not really)English 36 Strategy 2 · Eliminate choices you know are wrongEnglish 36 Strategy 3 · Don’t forget about “NO CHANGE” and “DELETE”English 36 Strategy 4 · Shorter is sweeterEnglish 36 Strategy 5 · Read and answer as you goCategoriesUsage/mechanics (53%)PunctuationGrammar/usageSentence structureRhetorical skills (47%)StrategyOrganizationStyle2 Prepare for ACT MathStatsBreaking down ACT MathLogisticsTimingUsing a calculatorMathematical conceptsTopics coveredScoringBasic mathOrder of operationsDistributionEven and odd numbersPositive and negative numbersIntegersReal and rational numbersPre-algebraNumber problemsSquare rootsExponentsScientific notationFactors and multiplesRatio, proportion, and percentageLinear equationsAbsolute value and orderingMean, median, and modeProbabilityData representationElementary algebraSubstitutionUsing variables to express relationshipsAlgebraic operations and inequalitiesFactoringIntermediate algebraRoots of polynomialsThe quadratic formulaRadicals and radical expressionsAbsolute values in equationsSequences and patternsFunctionsMatricesComplex numbersLogarithmsCoordinate geometryPoints and linesPolynomialsCirclesGraphing inequalitiesSlopeParallel and perpendicular linesDistance and midpointsConicsPlane geometryAnglesCirclesTriangles and the Pythagorean theoremPolygonsTransformationsVolume and 3-D geometryTrigonometrySOHCAHTOAValues and properties of trigonometric functionsGraphing trigonometric functionsTrigonometric identitiesSolving trigonometric equationsMath 36 StrategiesMath 36 Strategy 1 · Write it downMath 36 Strategy 2 · Draw a pictureMath 36 Strategy 3 · Perform a sanity checkMath 36 Strategy 4 · Don’t trust your eyesMath 36 Strategy 5 · Target the unknownMath 36 Strategy 6 · Use your calculator—lastMath 36 Strategy 7 · Don’t be afraid to take the first stepMath 36 Strategy 8 · When in doubt, test it outEquations to memorizeIntermediate algebraCoordinate geometryPlane geometryTrigonometry3 Prepare for ACT ReadingStatsBreaking down ACT ReadingGeneral strategyTimingThe high school differenceLiteral vs. critical thinkingSkills testedReading 36 StrategiesReading 36 Strategy 1 · Write your own answer down firstReading 36 Strategy 2 · Skim it to win itReading 36 Strategy 3 · Read activelyReading 36 Strategy 4 · Don’t defend the choices—attackReading 36 Strategy 5 · Don’t assumeReading 36 Strategy 6 · Avoid extremesReading 36 Strategy 7 · Choose general over specificReading 36 Strategy 8 · Mark it upSubject-specific strategiesProse fictionSocial sciencesNatural sciencesHumanities4 Prepare for ACT ScienceStatsBreaking down ACT ScienceScience 36 StrategiesData representationScience 36 Strategy 1 · Go straight to the questions in data representationScience 36 Strategy 2 · Look for trendsScience 36 Strategy 3 · Know your graphsResearch summariesScience 36 Strategy 4 · Go straight to the questions in research summariesScience 36 Strategy 5 · Look for keywords in research summariesScience 36 Strategy 6 · Focus on similarities and differences in research summariesConflicting viewpointsScience 36 Strategy 7 · Mark the passageScience 36 Strategy 8 · Look for keywords in conflicting viewpointsScience 36 Strategy 9 · Focus on similarities and differences in conflicting viewpointsScience 36 Strategy 10 · Don’t be intimidatedAdditional tipsTimingACT 36 General StrategyThe “not enough information” choiceWhen to skip a passage5 Prepare for ACT WritingStatsBreaking down ACT WritingScoring the ACT essayACT Writing score sheetThe essay topicWriting 36 StrategiesWriting 36 Strategy 1 · Master the five-paragraph essay formatTemplate for the five-paragraph essayWriting 36 Strategy 2 · Pace yourselfWriting 36 Strategy 3 · Use vocabulary to your advantageWriting 36 Strategy 4 · Fill the spaceWriting 36 Strategy 5 · Stay activeWriting 36 Strategy 6 · Transition smoothlyWriting 36 Strategy 7 · Don’t get personalWriting 36 Strategy 8 · Plan, plan, plan6 Practice a full-length ACT examAnswer sheetsSection 1 · EnglishSection 2 · MathematicsSection 3 · ReadingSection 4 · ScienceSection 5 · Writing7 Review the ACT practice examSection 1 · EnglishSection 2 · MathematicsSection 3 · ReadingSection 4 · ScienceSection 5 · WritingGuide to scoring the ACT examRaw scoresScaled scoresComposite scoreReminders for exam day