Test makers like to be tricky, because sneaky questions separate the students who comprehend a concept and those who have just memorized a formula they do not understand. We see examples of these tricky questions on the ACT and SAT in hidden triangles, “fake” quadratic equations, systems of equations, and many more concepts, including today’s […]
ACT and SAT Reading Tips: How to Recognize Right Answers
There is a certain comfort in multiple choice questions, knowing that the right answer is there on the page staring up at you. While we often spend more time discussing the characteristics of WRONG answers in the Reading section of the ACT and SAT, it’s important to know what the RIGHT answer looks like, too. […]
New Official ACT Prep Guide 2018-2019: Should you Upgrade?
A new Official ACT Prep Guide 2018-2019 was released earlier this month, causing many students to worry that their 2018 editions or 2016-2017 editions are out-of-date. Unfortunately, test makers have found that frequent new editions of their official guides drive up sales, and the ACT is not alone in its practice of releasing updates every […]
A New Edition of The Official ACT Prep Guide: Should you Update?
ACT released a “revised and updated” version of their Official ACT Prep Guide last week, causing many students to worry that their 2016-2017 editions were lacking vital information. But rest easy, test takers. The two editions are nearly identical. The three tests in both books are exactly the same. This is a bit of a […]
ACT English and SAT Writing Tips: Who’s Worrying About Apostrophes?
Apostrophes have two uses on the ACT and SAT: 1. To form possessive nouns. 2. To replace missing letters in contractions. Let’s examine these two situations–as well as when to avoid apostrophes–in this week’s blog.
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Classic Quadratic Forms
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the writers of standardized tests assess the same concepts, over and over and over again. Test experts are able to become test experts for that very reason—there is a finite amount of material one needs to learn in order to master the ACT and the SAT. […]
ACT and SAT Reading Tips: “True to You” Answer Traps
There are certain facts that everyone just knows: the earth orbits the sun. Yellow and blue make green. America was founded in 1776. An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. A group of birds is called a flock. Unfortunately, what you know has no place on the ACT and SAT Reading sections; the questions assess […]
Paying for College 101: When Financial Aid is Not Enough
One of the most stressful parts of college admissions is figuring out how to pay for the next four years. The process alone is daunting: you must fill out pages of forms and applications, complete the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE, submit tax returns for both you and your parents, and get everything sent off and […]
ACT and SAT Test Tips: “I have” vs. “I want to”
I may be long past my college admissions days, but I still have hurdles to leap and hoops to jump through (yep, sorry to break it to you, but life doesn’t get any easier after high school. Well, after college anyway. Those four years post-high school were pretty great). I was watching a motivational video […]
ACT English and SAT Writing Tips: Diction Errors
Mark Twain once quipped, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” I doubt that he was thinking about standardized English and Writing tests when he uttered those words, but they are conveniently applicable to ACT and SAT diction errors. Failing to catch diction […]
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