ACT Guide Part 3:
Hello! As promised, I'm going to continue my ACT advice posts. Just to remind you, I highly recommend taking the ACT if you can because it is a great way to boost your academics since most schools are test optional this season.
Before I list my strategies, I want to go over the material the ACT math section covers. As far as I know, this section can test on topics all the way up to precalculus. In other words, you need a solid understanding of Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Precalculus. However, the ACT focuses more on Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry.
Now that I've addressed the topics, I'll get into my strategies:
1. Your calculator is your best friend: I highly recommend getting a graphing calculator that is approved by the ACT. Getting a good calculator will make things much easier as you'll be solving problems much quicker.
2. Pace yourself: despite having a lot of time for this section, you have to make sure that you're going at a good pace. From my experience, the questions get harder as the test progresses, and the last ten are usually the hardest ones. Keep in mind that you'll need more time for the second half of the test than the first half.
3. Get familiar with the type of problems: if you're struggling on this section, try to identify the types of problems the ACT tests on. Although each test has different problems, the concepts that they use are the same for each one. Sure, there may be a few questions on each test that throw a curveball, but most questions are extremely similar to ones on other tests.
4. If you're aiming for a high score, know your Precalculus: to get a 36, you can usually afford to miss 1-2 questions, leaving little room for error. Every point counts, so you need to know every concept well. Here are a few precalculus topics that I have seen on previous tests: matrices (adding, multiplying, multiplying by a scalar finding the determinant), vectors (adding and subtracting), series (simple arithmetic and geometric ones), rational polynomials (graphing, oblique asymptotes), advanced trigonometry (trig identities, double angle), and logarithms (basic properties, change of base).
5. If you don't know, then don't worry about it: the ACT provides one minute per question in the math section. Although this is a generous amount of time, the second half of the test will definitely take longer than the first. If you don't know the answer, skip it and come back to it later. It's for your own good.
Resources: I personally did not use any prep books, but I heard the College Panda's ACT Math book was very useful. However, the best resources anyone can use are actual tests, which can be found on Crack ACT online.
Thanks for reading this post! I still have to address the Reading and Essay section, so stay tuned for more posts in the future.
-Kyle [August 16, 2020]
