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đŹđ§ TIP #1 (English) đŹđ§
âSemicolons are used like Periods on the ACTâ
Itâs no secret that the ACT English section involves A LOT of punctuation questions. You will be asked to choose between different types of punctuation marks with the goal of creating grammatically correct sentences. One major type of punctuation on the ACT is the semicolon (;). Thankfully, there is only one rule you need to know about semicolons: treat them like a period! Semicolons will only be used to combine two independent sentences. This is the exact same way we use periods except we donât capitalize the word after the semicolon!
In real life, there are a couple other ways we can use semicolons, but on the ACT they are used interchangeably with periods. Check out this example question. The best option here involves using a semicolon just like we would a period!
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đď¸ TIP #2 (English) đď¸
âCategorize Transition Wordsâ
âNext, finally, nevertheless, therefore, after, howeverâŚâ these are just a few examples of words we use to show relationships between sentences or paragraphs. In other words, theyâre transition words! Students are constantly asking for help with transition words because their teachers never gave them strategies for choosing between them. Most teachers just teach you the definitions and expect you to know when to use them!
Thankfully for us, thereâs one cool trick we can use to make transition word questions A LOT easier. Pretty much all transition words can be grouped into one of the following three categories: affirmative, contradictory, and time. Affirmative transition words are used when transitioning between 2 sentences that agree with one another: âI am hungry. Therefore, I will eat.â Contradictory words are just the opposite; theyâre used for sentences that seem to disagree with one another. âJane was extremely angry. However, she chose to be nice to her brother.â Time words are simple and are just used to show the order of events. âI placed the letter in the envelope. Next, I placed the envelope in the mail box.â
In real life, there are a couple other ways we can use semicolons, but on the ACT they are used interchangeably with periods. Check out this example question. The best option here involves using a semicolon just like we would a period!
Join our discord for a free downloadable list of transition words
Categorizing transition words is a vital skill for any ACT student. Often, these questions just involve choosing the one transition word which doesnât match the other options. Check out the example above. Three of these words (however, nevertheless, and alternatively) are all contradictory. The âodd-man-outâ is affirmative- therefore. I can tell that these sentences agree with one another, so I choose A.
đ TIP #3 (English) đ
âEliminate Redundancyâ
A lot of ACT tutors will say âif you have to guess, always guess the shortest answer.â Obviously, constantly picking the shortest answer isnât going to get you that 36, but there is some logic behind this âshortest answerâ strategy. You see, on the ACT English, students are often asked to replace a phrase in a sentence. Often, the ACT is testing your ability to ELIMINATE REDUNDANCY. Never say the same thing twice on the ACT! Remember that this isnât an essay for High School; you arenât trying to meet a word count by padding out the essay. Check out this example:
Can you see how the word annually has already been said in the sentence? We shouldnât repeat ourselves by saying âfor the year.â All the other options have the same issue, so we should just DELETE. Coincidentally, this is also the shortest answerâŚ
𧎠TIP #4 (Math) đ§Ž
âItâs all about PLYSMLT2â
PLYSMLT 2 (pronounced polysmalt) is a powerful tool for solving polynomials and systems of equations. Even more exciting, itâs already probably loaded in your graphing calculator!Â
Want more calculator screen grabs?
There are plenty of free resources online explaining the âin-depth stuffâ of using polysmlt, but you should still checkout this example. We are given a system of equations. Strong math students might be able to work through this using the substitution or elimination methods. Still, every student can save a bit of time and effort by simply entering the equations into polysmlt. The answer is given to us instantly! This tool is also extremely helpful for quadratic and cubic functions.Â
đť TIP #5 (Math) đť
âThe imaginary root i is a button in your graphing calculatorâ
PLYSMLT2 isnât the only trick up your calculatorâs sleeve. This second neat trick can be used to instantly solve any imaginary numbers question. Hereâs how it works, simply remember that âiâ the imaginary root is just a button in your calculator. You just might need to do some investigating to locate it.
Once youâve located i, you should try a basic multiplication problem with complex numbers. Try something like 1+2i * 2-4i. Your calculator should give the solution â10.â
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Now try this example problem. We are asked to change this fraction into an equivalent form. Simply put the fraction into your TI-84 or equivalent, and hit solve!
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đşď¸ TIP #6 (Reading) đşď¸
âThe ACT Reading Section is Kinda Just a Scavenger Hunt...â
The ACT reading is first and foremost a scavenger hunt. Every correct answer should have CLEAR TEXTUAL EVIDENCE. Remember, you shouldn’t be bringing in any outside knowledge here.Â
Take this passage and question for example. We are looking for benefits of forest-bathing. Every option is explicitly mentioned in the text except muscle growth. Muscle growth might seem to logically be a good answer, but this isnât a logic test.
đ§ TIP #7 (Reading) đ§
âNever choose a word you donât knowâ
When asked to replace or define a word on the ACT, never choose a word you donât know. Checkout this example. The simplest word here is  âshown.â I’m sure you’re familiar with the meaning of this word. These other options are kinda tempting and mysterious.Â
It can be very tempting to choose a word you canât define because Humans are naturally curious toward the unknown. But donât let the ACT trick you. Never choose a word you donât know. Strange words are often placed in these questions as âred herrings.â
đ TIP #8 (Science) đ
âThink about direct and indirect relationshipsâ
The Science ACT can be a tricky section for many students. It’s the last section of the exam. Once you reach this section you will have been testing for at least 2 hours and 20 minutes! Thankfully, thereâs one reliable strategy that can improve your confidence and performance on every ACT Science passage- even if you’re getting tired.
When youâre looking at science graphs or descriptions of experiments, you need to think about direct and indirect relationships. Its ok if you donât really understand everything the passage is talking about, but you DO need to understand the relationships between the variables of the experiment.
Letâs consider two hypothetical variables: a childâs age and their height
In general, children get taller as they age. In other words, as age increases height increases too. This is called a direct relationship because as one variable increases, so does the other.
Letâs look at two other variables: the number of minutes clocked in a game of Fortnite and the number of players remaining in the game
As the number of minutes played increases, the total number of players remaining in the game decreases. This is an indirect relationship!
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đ TIP #9 (Big Picture) đ
âRead something before the ACTâ
Weâve all experienced the feelings of sluggishness and confusion when reading right after waking up. These cognitive barriers come up when our brains havenât had the chance to get âwarmed up.â So, make sure you read something before the actual ACT. You donât need to spend too long on this, just 10 or 15 minutes. Â Examples of good things to read include newspaper articles, journal entries, a few pages of a novel, or even a real old ACT reading passage! This is vital for âwarming up your brainâ before the ACT!
đ´ TIP #10 (Big Picture) đ´
"Reduce Sleep Pressure!"
Struggling to sleep befor the ACT? It is as simple as “reducing sleep pressure”. Watch the video below to learn how!