ACT testing

[kfeusse]

My daughter will be taking the ACT test in about a month...and we were looking for just some general tips about test day. Anything she should consider or know that would be important? She was wondering what she was to do when she finished a section with time to spare.  Of course she should double check her answers, but is there anything else she can or should do with that time. What else do we need to know? thanks.

[Lanny]

No experience here.  My DD took the PreACT about 10-14 days ago.  She will take the ACT 5 weeks from today, on June 9th.   She took the SAT today.  One thing I suggested to my DD was that for the SAT, she use the Free Khan Academy study help, because of their official tie-in with the College Board.  For the ACT, I suggested that she use the help they show on the ACT.ORG web site.    Good luck to our daughters on the ACT!

[TarynB]

If she finishes a section with time to spare, she should check her answers. Other than that, they just have to sit silently and wait until time is up.

Wear layers and/or take a light jacket/sweater. The room might be cold or hot - you just never know.

Take the ACT admission ticket and an approved form of ID. Check the ACT website for ID forms that are accepted. 

DS left his phone at home and did not bother taking a drink or snack. At drop-off, I was told approximately what time to expect him to finish so I could be there on time to pick him up.

Be sure she knows where the bathroom is. (DS took the ACT at a high school that he'd never been in before.) Use the brief break time to get up and stretch even if she doesn't have to go.

Be sure her calculator is one that is acceptable. There's a list on the ACT website. Take some sharpened #2 pencils, of course.

I'll ask DS if he has any more tips. He just took the ACT 3 weeks ago and took the SAT today.

** ETA: DS also wore a plain non-digital watch (no alarms, etc.) to pace himself, since he wasn't sure if the exam room would have a clock. He said the watch ended up being very useful because the wall clock was at the back of the room and he would've had to turn around to see it.

 

[Corraleno]

1 hour ago, TarynB said:

 

** ETA: DS also wore a plain non-digital watch (no alarms, etc.) to pace himself, since he wasn't sure if the exam room would have a clock. He said the watch ended up being very useful because the wall clock was at the back of the room and he would've had to turn around to see it.

 

Yes, this — you want a nondigital watch that does not make noise, and your phone (if you bring it) should be totally turned off, with no ringer or vibration or any noise. If your phone or watch makes noise, they can kick you out and cancel your tests scores.

[my2boysteacher]

I had my sons do a couple timed practice tests before they took the ACT.  It helped them learn to manage their time, as they hadn't taken timed tests before. 

[RootAnn]

Yes to all of these tips. Dd also took the ACT a few weeks ago and the SAT yesterday. She had the clock-to-the-back-of-the-room thing yesterday. She felt that a snack was helpful for the ACT and would have been nice had I remembered it for the SAT (different city, different school).

Time on some sections of the ACT is tight (Science and math for DD, but some people report Reading or English), so she shouldn't have a huge swath of time to sit and twiddle her thumbs. Watch her time so she knows when she has five minutes left. I think they are supposed announce it, but the proctors don't always. Might need a minute at the end to bubble in any questions they didn't have time to get to. No penalty for guessing on the ACT or regular SAT.

[aaplank]

I went to the ACT Mom's workshop at the homeschool convention. She was a wealth of information. She has a Facebook page and a blog with a lot of helpful tips. She also has old tests that you can print off and practice. 

http://actmom.org/

 

[mom31257]

My dd watched these science videos. She realized that there is not enough time to read everything in that section and finish. She read the questions and then looked for the answers. It was actually her highest section score.