Prepmedians Blog

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  • The Clock Never Stops Ticking

    The Clock Never Stops Ticking

    If you’re anything like me when I was in high school, you reign supreme in procrastination nation. If there’s a class called “Procrastination 101,” you’d ace it easily, and the concept of time management is completely foreign to you. But time management isn’t what it is perceived to be — it has nothing to do with managing time. Why? Because you can’t actually manage time, can you? Time is ineluctable. The grains of sand fall and time marches on whether you like it or not. Therefore, “time management” is simply behavior management, and it’s about managing your productivity within the time you’re given.

    ACT Pacing and Time Management Strategies

    The ACT is an oxymoron in itself; it’s both a road trip AND a ride around the corner to the gas station – it’s a long test that one must move through very quickly. The ACT tests more than your knowledge. The exam is also a measure of your performance under pressure and, essentially, the implementation of the test-taking strategies you practiced. Let’s go through some strategies that will help you tackle the ACT without running out of time!

    Strategy 1: Budget Your Time

    I suggest getting an old-fashioned watch to help you keep track of your pacing, without the added cost of constantly looking up and calculating how many minutes you have left. When practicing for the exam, divide each of the tests into groups of problems. This way, you’ll know the proper amount of time that should be allotted to every type of problem on every page for each section. And if you can’t finish within that allotted amount of time, remember to keep moving because you may be able to come back to it later.

    Strategy 2: Know the Format for Every Test

    Always keep track of the amount of questions you have left! Luckily, the number of questions per section never changes, so practice with the format in mind. The number of questions per section is as follows:

    • The ACT English Test has 75 test questions.
    • The ACT Math Test has 60 questions.
    • The ACT Reading Test has 40 test questions.
    • The ACT Science Test has 40 test questions.

    This is all discussed in Alan’s article on the ACT test breakdown. Check it out here!

    Strategy 3: Easy Questions

    Don’t rush through the first half of each section. Instead, move quickly through the easy questions to save time for the harder questions at the end. You can also try skimming through the test, only stopping to do problems you are 100% certain on.

    Either way, you are choosing a method that leaves you more time to work on the harder problems. However, this does not guarantee that you’ll get to every single problem.

    Strategy 4: Answer ALL Questions

    Don’t let a few hard questions ruin your chance to finish all of them because you refused to “give up” on them! Remember that there’s no wrong answer penalty on the ACT test, so when it’s coming down to the wire and you have to answer the last couple of questions, always bubble in an answer. When I was in grade school, everyone would tell you to guess “C” for questions you didn’t know the answer to or questions you didn’t have the time to answer. However, it’s NOT true that always choosing C will give you a better rate of success when blind guessing because ACT answer keys are completely computer generated and randomized. The best strategy is to pick your favorite letter and stick with it. Could that be the letter C? Sure, go right ahead! Just remember to choose it every single time when blind guessing. This strategy on average and over a spread, will let you maximize your overall point-gain in comparison to randomized guessing. All in all, if you’re spending around two minutes or more on a single question, it’s time to guess and move on because every point helps!

    Remember that…

    The best way to know what to expect on the test is to practice, and I can’t express that enough. Timed practice is more valuable than untimed practice, so practice, practice, practice!

    You can practice time management and learn more about the ACT by visiting our Prepmedians website and working through our modules. Have fun!

  • SAT Math vs. ACT Math: The Ins and the Outs

    SAT Math vs. ACT Math: The Ins and the Outs

    What’s in this guide?

    Which is easier? Which is faster? Which one am I more likely to score higher in?

    This guide will help pilot you in your search for which test to take, but ultimately, it comes down to which math section is right for you?

    In this guide, we’re going to break down the similarities and the differences between the SAT Math section and the ACT math section and help you decide which standardized test best suits you.

    Organization

    Before diving into the specifics, let’s first look at each math section from an aerial view and see how it’s structured.

    SAT Math Organization

    The SAT has three main sections (four with the SAT essay section) that will always appear in the same order. The test will take three hours (three hours and 50 minutes with the essay), and the math section takes up 80 minutes (about half the test without the essay), excluding break times. Once the math section is over, you won’t be able to go back and answer any missed questions or check back on any questions you were unsure about. Time management is key.

    Here’s an overview of the SAT Math section:

    SAT Math Section Order of Appearance on Test # of Questions Total Time Time per Question
    No Calculator 3 (after writing) 20 25 minutes 75 seconds
    Calculator 4 38 55 minutes 87 seconds

    Note: The Time per Question part above is only a general guideline on the amount of time you should spend per question. On average, you’ll spend 75 seconds per question on the no calculator section and 87 seconds per question on the calculator section but feel free to allot more time on some questions than others.

    The SAT Math section is the only section on the SAT that’s divided into two segments: a No Calculator section (no use of calculator) and a Calculator section (able to use a calculator). In between the two sections, there is a short 5 minute break. The No Calculator section appears first right after the Writing section and is 25 minutes long. The Calculator section appears right after the No Calculator section and is 55 minutes long.

    Generally, people who are more confident in their mathematical abilities lean towards the SAT over the ACT since they aren’t as reliant on their calculator. In addition, you get more time per question with the SAT math section than you get with the ACT math section so you get more time to solve the problems and check your answers (we’ll touch on this later in this guide).

    ACT Math Organization

    The ACT has four main sections (five with the ACT essay section) that, like the SAT, will always appear in the same order. The test will take 2 hours and 55 minutes (three hours and 35 minutes with the essay), excluding break times. Like the SAT, once the math section is over, you won’t be able to go back and answer any missed questions or check back on any questions you were unsure about. Time management is key.

    Here’s an overview of the ACT Math section:

    ACT Section Order of Appearance # of Questions Total Time Time Per Question
    Math 2 (after English) 60 60 minutes 1 minute

    Note: The Time per Question part above is only a general guideline on the amount of time you should spend per question. On average, you’ll spend 1 minute or 60 seconds per question on the ACT math section.

    The ACT Math section always appears right after the ACT English section and right before the ACT Reading section (appears second). Generally, people who like to grind things out in one sitting lean towards the ACT over the SAT since the ACT math section is 60 consecutive minutes – no break in between.

    Design-wise, everyone has their own preferences so the “better” test design is the one that best works for you. If you can’t do math without a calculator, the ACT is better for you. If you’d like more time per question to solve problems and check your work, the SAT is better for you.

    Question Types

    Although many of the topics covered in the SAT Math section and ACT Math section are similar, the way they are presented are drastically different. The following section will hopefully provide clarity on what to expect in the math sections when taking the SAT or ACT

    SAT Question Types

    The SAT math section is fairly straightforward that cover a broad range of topics, specifically focusing on algebra.
    In general, the SAT math tests fewer concepts/topics than the ACT math, specifically, less than 10% of SAT questions are on geometry and the SAT has fewer trigonometry questions than the ACT. However, the SAT math does have an emphasis on word problems and data analysis. Many parts of the SAT math include several questions off of one scenario.

    For example:
    The following is an example SAT algebra problem is from Khan Academy.
    Screen Shot 2019-07-08 at 2.12.27 PM

    The SAT will always give you a formula box at the beginning of the Calculator and No Calculator section, but we still suggest memorizing certain formulas in order to maximize time spent on solving the problems and checking your answers. The following image from the College Board shows some important formulas to remember:
    Screen Shot 2019-07-08 at 2.15.32 PM

    One unique thing about the SAT compared to the ACT is that there are 13 grid-in questions which is about 22% of the SAT math section. Unlike the multiple choice, you can’t really guess on these. You have to come up with an answer to the problem.

    ACT Question Types

    Like the SAT, the ACT math is also fairly straightforward. Generally, they aren’t as wordy as some SAT math questions. However, as noted earlier, there is a heavier emphasis on gemoetry (35-40% of questions on ACT Math) and trigonometry on the ACT math than the SAT math. Also, the ACT math covers a wider range of topics than the SAT math like trigonometry, matrices, and logarithms.

    For example:
    The following is an example ACT trigonometry problem is from Magoosh.
    Screen Shot 2019-07-08 at 2.22.56 PM

    Unlike the SAT, you will not be given a formula box so you have to memorize all the necessary formulas before the test day.

    The trade-off between the SAT and ACT is that the ACT covers a wider range of topics but covers each topic less extensively than the SAT. Topically, if you’re strong in geometry or trigonometry, the ACT might be better suited for you. If you can’t remember formulas and need to rely on given formulas, the SAT might be better suited for you.

    Scoring

    Imagine this. It’s the fourth quarter. It’s a tied game, and there’s one second left on the clock. Your coach calls a play, and the ball gets inbounded to you. What do you do? You chuck it up. Really. What’s there to lose? You miss, and you might get chirped a little bit, but if you hit, you’ll be the hero.

    This analogy may seem weird, but it is an applicable testing strategy to maximize your score in both the SAT and the ACT. Both the SAT and the ACT combine the correct and incorrect answers to give you a raw score which is then converted into a scaled score. This section in this guide will break down the scoring processes of both the SAT and the ACT.

    SAT Scoring

    As explained earlier, the SAT Math section is broken down into multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions. For each question, you will receive the following on your raw score:
    – +1 for each correct answer
    – +0 for each incorrect answer

    Note: there is no penalty for incorrect or blank answers on the SAT. That’s why on the multiple-choice questions, when the shot clock is running down and you’re unsure about a question, you should just chuck it up and guess one of the answers. Hitting on one of these guesses won’t make you a hero but at least you’ll get a higher SAT score!

    The total raw score on the SAT Math section converts to a scaled score between 200-800. With the scaled scores, you don’t have to get every question right in order to achieve a perfect score on the math section. They’re scaled. The scaled score will then give you your percentile ranking which is basically how you stack-up compared to the rest of the people that took the SAT.

    For example, if you scored in the 50th percentile, you’re dead on average: you scored better than 50% of all people who took the SAT and 50% scored higher than you.

    Fun fact: For each multiple choice question guess, you’re getting 0.25 points added to your raw score (the points are not actually added to your raw score) so for every 4 multiple choice questions that you guess, on average, you’re getting 1 point added to your raw score!

    Note: A good test taking strategy is to cross out answers you know are incorrect. If you cross out an incorrect answer, those guesses discussed above result in even more “points” added to your raw score!

    ACT Scoring

    Every question on the ACT Math section is multiple-choice with five different answer choices. For each question on the ACT, you will earn the following on your raw score:

    • +1 raw point for each correct answer
    • +0 raw point for each incorrect answer

    Note: Like the SAT, there is no penalty for incorrect or blank answers on the ACT so the same guessing strategy for questions you’re unsure of as mentioned earlier applies here too. However, since the ACT has 5 answer choices rather than 4, the guessing strategy is less effective.

    The total raw score on the ACT converts to a scaled score out of 36. Like the SAT, you don’t have to get every question right in order to achieve a perfect score. The score is scaled. The scaled score will then give you your percentile ranking which is how you stack-up against everyone else that took the ACT.

    SAT Scores and Percentiles vs. ACT Scores and Percentiles

    As discussed earlier, since the scores are scaled, you don’t have to get every answer correct in order to achieve a perfect score. Like-wise, the perecentile you place in isn’t the exact percentage of questions answer correctly. The following information shows the amount and percentage of questions you must answer correctly on the SAT and ACT math sections to score in certain percentiles. All the data below comes from current SAT and ACT percentiles and official SAT and ACT practice tests.
    SAT:

    SAT Raw Score SAT Scaled Score SAT % Questions Correct SAT Percentiles
    20 450 34% 25th percentile
    28 520 48% 50th percentile
    39 600 67% 75th percentile
    52 730 90% 95th percentile

    ACT:

    | ACT Raw Score | ACT Scaled Score | ACT % Questions Correct | ACT Percentiles |
    | ———- | ———- | ———- | ———- |
    | 16-18 | 16 | 27-30% | 25th percentile |
    | 25-26 | 19 | 42-43% | 50th percentile |
    | 34-36 | 24 | 57-60% | 75th percentile |
    | 49-50 | 30 | 82-83% | 95th percentile |
    Note: Since every SAT/ACT test is unique, these are only general guidelines for the raw score and % questions answered correctly needed to get a certain scaled score and certain percentile. Basically, this means there might be a small range in either positive or negative direction needed to achieve a certain scaled score and percentile.

    As shown in the data above, you need to answer more questions right on the SAT to achieve a certain percentile than the ACT. In general, you would need to answer 2-3 more questions correctly on the SAT to achieve the same percentile on the ACT.

    Summary

    The SAT Math:

    • Divided into two parts: No Calculator and Calculator
    • No Calculator appears third, after Writing and language, Calculator appears fourth, after No Calculator
    • No Calculator: 75 seconds per question, Calculator: 87 seconds per question
    • Wrong answers aren’t penalized (guess!)
    • Consists of multiple-choice questions (4 answer choices) and grid-in questions (give your own answer)
    • Formula box provided in the beginning of both No Calculator and Calculator section
    • Heavy emphasis on algebra, less so on geometry and trigonometry
    • More emphasis on word problems and data analysis than the ACT

    The ACT Math:

    • Appears second, right after the English section
    • 60 questions, 60 minutes (1 minute per question)
    • Calculator allowed through the whole section
    • Only multiple-choice, each multiple-choice having 5 answer choices
    • Wrong answers aren’t penalized (guess!)
    • No formulas provided
    • Larger emphasis on geometry (35-40% of questions)and trigonometry
    • Wider range of topics covered than the SAT, but each topic covered less extensively

    So Which One Should I Take?

    Ultimately, the test you should take comes down to which test suits your strengths. Each test has its own pros and cons for each specific person. If unsure, we recommend taking at least one practice SAT and ACT practice test and comparing your scores. I know. What was the point of reading this guide then? At the end of the day planning can only get you so far, and the results from your practice is the only thing that can give you definitive results. If one score is drastically higher than the other, there you go.

    However, that’s not to say that just because you score higher in one math section than the other, that’s your test. What matters is total score so even if you score lower on the SAT math than the ACT math, as long as your SAT overall score is higher, then the SAT is the better option for you.

    Standardized testing is all about balance, from balancing your time while taking the test to answer the most amount of questions correctly to finding which test holistically best suits you. Just because you’re strong on one area, doesn’t mean you’ll crush the SAT/ACT.

    And even if you don’t achieve the scores you desire, just note that only practice, diligence, and preparation will help you crush the SAT/ACT and achieve your testing potential. For more in-depth teaching about the SAT/ACT, check out our website Prepmedians to learn more about everything you need to know!

  • How is the ACT Scored?

    How is the ACT Scored?

    Overview

    If you’re just starting to prepare for the ACT, you’re probably wondering how the ACT is scored. It’s important to fully understand how the ACT scores their exams in order to get a leg up and prep in a more efficient and effective manner. Below we’ve outlined how the ACT is scored, section by section, with official ACT scoring charts. This post has been updated to reflect the new ACT with Enhancements.

    The ACT has three mandatory sections: English, Math, and Reading. It has two optional sections: Science and Writing. Each section is given a scaled score between 1 and 36. Your composite score is the average of your three mandatory section scores (English, Math, and Reading).

    An important note: THERE IS NO POINT DEDUCTION FOR ANSWERING INCORRECTLY ON THE ACT – so NEVER leave a question blank.

    How are raw ACT scores converted into scaled scores?

    A raw score is the total number of questions you answer correctly, which is converted into a scaled score between 1 and 36. The ACT scales scores to make sure their scores are consistent across multiple test dates.

    How is a composite score calculated?

    We know that each section receives a scaled score between 1 and 36, but how do these three section (English, Math, and Reading) scores combine to create a composite score? It’s actually quite simple; your composite score is the average of your three section scores, rounded up to the nearest whole number. Two-thirds of a point or more is rounded up, one-third of a point is rounded down.

    For example, if you got a 24 on English, 25 on Math, and a 24 on Reading:
    (24 + 25 + 24) / 3 = 24.33.

    So your composite score would be a 24.

    What are ACT subscores?

    Not only does the ACT provide a composite score and individual section scores, you will also receive subscores in the three mandatory sections (English, Math, Reading). This will give you some more information about your strengths and weaknesses.

    Subscores are scaled from your raw score, but range from 1 to 18. There is no direct relationship between subscores and final scaled scores. Subscores merely provide more information about your performance and what you might need to improve.

    Do not worry about ACT subscores. Colleges care more about your ACT composite score, and will also look at your individual section scores.

    ACT Section Breakdown

    How many raw points possible are on each section? How are scores calculated?

    English

    The English section on the ACT has 50 multiple choice questions, 10 of which are non-scored Field questions, so the highest raw score one could achieve is a 40. Questions answered incorrectly or left blank are simply not added on to the raw score.

    Math

    The Math section on the ACT has 45 multiple-choice questions, 4 of which are non-scored Field questions, so the highest raw score one could achieve is a 41. Questions answered incorrectly or left blank are simply not added on to the raw score.

    Reading

    The Reading section on the ACT has 36 multiple-choice questions, 9 of which are non-scored Field questions, so the highest raw score one could achieve is a 27. Questions answered incorrectly or left blank are simply not added on to the raw score.

    Science

    The Science section on the ACT is optional and has 40 multiple-choice questions, 6 of which are non-scored Field questions, so the highest raw score one could achieve is a 34. Questions answered incorrectly or left blank are simply not added on to the raw score.

    Here’s a quick plug:

    To all the frustrated juniors, seniors, and parents out there, are you tired of grinding through prep books? I, too, was not blessed with natural ACT test taking skills. To prep, I spent a whole month, every single day for 8 hours, nonstop grinding… that’s a lie. For me, I struggled to stay focused and motivated, and it was a painful and drawn-out process. I remember countless times where I had read through a page of an ACT English prep book, and then realized that I had processed absolutely nothing! Fantastic, time to re-read the page for the 7th time. Nobody wants to read through a list of mind-numbing grammar rules. To be blunt, it’s just awful. Prepmedians, however, really changes the game. With sketch comedy, rap, music, and more, ACT and SAT test prep is taught in a much more engaging and entertaining way – not to mention the Saturday Night Live level of production (seriously, check it out here). With fundamental concepts and test-specific strategies interwoven into each lesson module, you can laugh your way to your dream score. Check us out at Prepmedians.com!

    ACT Writing

    The ACT also offers an additional writing section that occurs after the Science section. The writing section is NOT multiple choice – you will be writing the essay by hand. The essay is evaluated by two graders who score your essay from 1-6 based off of four domains; the highest score you can get per domain is 12. Your Writing score is a number between 2 and 12, calculated from the average of your four domain scores.

    One question asked rather frequently: Will the Writing or Science scores affect my composite score? The answer is no. The composite score solely consists of English, Math, and Reading. People take ACT Science and Writing depending on what their colleges or scholarships or majors require.

  • ACT English Section: What You Need to Know

    ACT English Section: What You Need to Know

    What is in the English section?

    The English section of the ACT tests your knowledge of standard English language conventions, elements of writing, and language. You will have 45 minutes to complete 75 multiple-choice questions. The test contains five passages, each with a set of varied questions that will test your understanding of the mentioned topics.

    How to Prepare?

    One way to know where to start would be to take a practice test to see what categories within the English section are your strengths and weaknesses. You can solidfy your strengths because they tend to be small mistakes that can be easily fixed. Then you can find lessons, like the videos in Prepmedians to learn the weaker topics more thoroughly. Because what tops test prep through comedy and music in Prepmedians? Another way would be to learn all the topics addressed in the test from the easier fundamental grammar rules to the more difficult structure rules. The breakdown of the topics are listed below for reference.

    Grammar:

    Excelling in the grammar rules tested by the ACT is essential in doing well in the ACT English section. ACT tends to test grammar rules repeatedly. These topics are applied by everyone on a day to day life from talking to texting. It would be useful to formally learn these topics through the entertaining videos in Prepmedians. Understanding and learning these topics would allow you to ace the mechanics questions in the English section.

    Grammar/Mechanics topics:

    • Parts of Speech
    • Independent/Dependent Clauses
    • Punctuation
    • Pronouns
    • Verb Tenses and Forms
    • Subject and Verb Agreement
    • Prepositions
    • Comma Rules
    • Wordiness/Redundancy
    • Possessives
    • Parallelism
    • Dangling Modifiers

    Substance and Structure:

    These questions are different from the grammar questions as they test your reading comprehension and your ability to analyze texts. The main strategy to tackle these questions is to be able to identify what the question is asking you to do. This is a step above knowing the English conventions. To be able to excel in these questions, it is necessary to know the strategies you need to know for each type of question. These top scoring strategies to tackle all types of structure and substance question can be found in Prepmedians.

    Substance and Structure Topics:

    • Main Idea
    • Theme
    • Add/Delete
    • Transitions
    • Placement/Relevance
    • Author’s goal/technique

    Takeaways and Tips:

    • The ideal time to spend on each passage would be…9 minutes.
    • Mechanics questions should take approximately 30 seconds.
    • Substance and Structure questions should take approximately 1 minute.
    • Choosing any answer would give you a 25% better chance than not choosing an answer (guess!!).

    Checkout Prepmedians to learn these topics more in depth and get more of these tips and takeaways!