ACT Test
Reposting and Updated (4/3/17)
As your student approaches their high school years, I thought you might be interested in learning a bit about the ACT test.
If your student has an interest in attending a college, you may want to introduce an ACT or SAT prep into your student’s curriculum. (Most colleges require that their applicants submit results from one of these tests.)
There are several things your student can do in order to prepare for the ACT test:
· They can study using the official ACT prep book. There are many ACT prep books out on the market, but my research has indicated that the best book to use is the official test book because it includes practice tests with the types of questions used on the actual test.
· The earlier your student begins studying, the less time they will have to spend studying per day. If your student begins their study in 9th or 10th grade, they should study at least 30 minutes per day. If they don’t start until 11th grade, then that time is going to have to increase dramatically. This should include taking several practice tests at home under the same conditions as the test center.
· Your student can use an online ACT Prep service. These can be SUPER expensive! I did a lot of research and finally found one that was reasonably priced and offers a lifetime membership. I have been really pleased with the service. My son has increased his scores steadily with the help of the videos and practice test explanations offered by Reason Prep.
We purchased the “All ACT Courses” for $147. This includes 5 complete online lessons, 190+ videos, essay grading and more. Rob, the owner, helps the student come up with a study plan and offers advice as to what the student needs to focus on based on previous scores. He offers free videos on YouTube, so if you’re interested, you can check them out. Here is one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16TDyj2zj2M&list=PLWrx3HAZbAqFa9U1RKYWopALv8OxFLyQE&index=2. The company website is www.reasonprep.com. (I do not get any compensation for sharing about this company. I just really like how it has helped Adam. (2018 update, my son increased his score by 7 points.) I am sure there are other companies that are just as great, but like I said, this one was affordable and offered a lot for the price. J Rob even offers scholarships. You can learn more about that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4uqHKvC88c
· They can attend a free ACT prep class offered in the spring and summer at some libraries. The Parma library offers a 2 or 3 day class usually in June.
· A great website that offers a lot of free information pertaining to both the ACT and SAT test that can help students prepare for the test is: http://www.prepscholar.com/
https://blog.prepscholar.com/topic/act-strategies
· I recommend you have your student take the actual ACT test in either 9th or 10th grade so that the student can become familiar with the test and the time frame in which it is given. It will also help to pinpoint any weak areas. A perfect ACT score is 36. I believe a score of 22 is average. Your student will want to work towards whichever score their college of choice requires.
· When applying to take the ACT test, you can choose which school you want your student to take the test at. However, if you wait too long to sign him up, the school may get filled up requiring your student to go to a facility that may be farther from you. The student will need a student ID. (My son got his through the BMV).
· To learn more about the ACT test, visit www.act.org. Here you will be able to see the test dates. When your student is ready to take the test, you will need to set up an account for them at this website. When you start the application it will have a lot of questions. You don’t have to answer all of them, especially the ones pertaining to colleges. I didn’t know that these could be skipped, and now we are flooded with college-related mail and e-mails.
· Once your student takes the test, you will be able to see the scores on the ACT website within a 3-week-period. You will receive an email letting you know when the scores are ready. The writing score usually is uploaded later. The actual test scores will be mailed out to you much later.
· If your student plans to take dual credit courses at a community college, you may not need to have an ACT score, as most require your student take a placement test at the school, however, if your student plans on attending the University of Akron Medina campus, they do require an ACT score.
If you have any questions, or if I can help you with this in any other way, just let me know.
Blessings,
Clara