ACT For Dummies

Learn to:

Maximize your score on the ACT Stay focused on test day and manage your time wisely Take your skills to the next level with exercises and practice problems Gauge how you measure up with 3 full–length practice tests

Face the ACT without fear! Be fully prepared with this guide

Do you get anxious thinking of the ACT? Then this friendly guide is just what you need! With subject reviews, practice opportunities, three full–length practice tests, and coverage of the new enhanced writing test, it gives you confidence shows you where to concentrate your efforts. Learn how to boost your score by focusing on only what′s important and remembering the most commonly tested rules and concepts.

Know what to expect get a complete overview of the skills the ACT tests, be prepared for "traps," and learn how to manage your time for each section Reduce test–day stress learn ways to wisely manage your study time, strategies for staying focused on exam day, and small steps that make finding the right answer much easier than you may have thought Learn what you need to know discover the major areas of substantive information you′ll need to understand and apply on the test Practice, practice, practice use the practice questions for each subject and the three full–length practice exams to test your knowledge and get comfortable with the test format Get help where you need it test your progress in each evaluated area and see where you need to focus your studies

Open the book and find:

How to make your best showing on the ACT Lots of practice questions Three full–length practice tests with detailed answers and explanations What you should and shouldn′t take to the test Common mistakes and how to avoid them Comprehensive math and English reviews Types of questions to expect Helpful hints on the college admission process Ten ACT myths busted

Introduction 1

Part I: Coming to Terms with Reality: An Overview of the ACT 7

Chapter 1: Getting Your ACT Together: ACT 101 9

Chapter 2: Succeeding on the ACT 15

Chapter 3: Surviving the College Admissions Process 19

Part II: Serving Your "Sentence": The English Test 25

Chapter 4: Mastering the English Test 27

Chapter 5: Getting a Grip on Grammar and Usage 33

Chapter 6: Spotting Usage Errors and Ripping Through Rhetorical Questions 43

Chapter 7: It′s Not What You Say but How You Say It: English Practice Questions 59

Part III: Don′t Count Yourself Out: The Math Test 65

Chapter 8: Number Nuts and Bolts 67

Chapter 9: More Figures than a Beauty Pageant: Geometry and Trig Review 87

Chapter 10: Algebra and Other Sleeping Aids 115

Chapter 11: Numb and Number: Acing the Mathematics Test 135

Chapter 12: More Fun than a Root Canal: Mathematics Practice Questions 145

Part IV: Time to Read the Riot ACT: The Reading Test 153

Chapter 13: This, Too, Shall Pass(age): Sailing through the Reading Test 155

Chapter 14: Where Are CliffsNotes When You Need Them? Reading Practice Questions 165

Part V: Studying Brain Defects in Laboratory Rats: The Science Test 173

Chapter 15: From Frankenstein to Einstein: Excelling on the Science Test 175

Chapter 16: Faking Atomic Ache Won t Get You Out of This: Science Practice Questions 187

Part VI: Writing Rightly: The Optional Writing Test 195

Chapter 17: What to Expect from the ACT Writing Test 197

Chapter 18: Excelling on Your Essay: The Writing Test Review 207

Chapter 19: Practicing Promptly with Practice Prompts: Essay Practice Questions 217

Part VII: Putting It All Together with Three Full–Length Practice ACTs 221

Chapter 20: Practice Exam 1 223

Chapter 21: Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations 269

Chapter 22: Practice Exam 2 309

Chapter 23: Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations 353

Chapter 24: Practice Exam 3 395

Chapter 25: Practice Exam 3: Answers and Explanations 441

Part VIII: The Part of Tens 489

Chapter 26: Ten Wrong Rumors about the ACT 491

Chapter 27: Attention, Parents! Ten Ways You Can Help Your Student Succeed on the ACT 495

Index 497

Lisa Zimmer Hatch, MA, and Scott A. Hatch, JD, have been helping students excel on standardized tests and navigate the college admissions process since 1987. They have written curricula and taught students internationally through live lectures, online forums, DVDs, and independent study, and have authored numerous test–prep texts.