It’s no secret that the reading passages on the ACT and SAT are viewed by many students as the most difficult portion of the test. But understanding them is easier than moving a couch up a flight of stairs on Friends (not familiar with the show? It’s worth an internet search of “Friends Pivot” for […]
ACT English and SAT Writing Tips: Correlating Conjunctions
Some ACT and SAT questions may test your knowledge of correlating conjunctions, which are pairs of coordinating conjunctions: either…or neither…nor both…and not only…but also not…but whether…or as…as When these words are acting as conjunctions, they must be with their proper partner, which is why both the ACT and SAT will try to trip you up […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Reflections on Reflections
Reflections. These Coordinate Geometry questions are a great way for the ACT and SAT to assess not just your knowledge of transformations, but your understanding of slope and the equation of a line. Let’s look at what you need to know and then see how your skill set will be tested on the ACT and […]
ACT English and SAT Writing Tips: Beware of Them (and They)!
Implied pronouns–those that do not have an antecedent in the sentence nor in a preceding sentence–are difficult to spot in writing because they are so prevalent in our speech. Do you know how to spot errors with “they” and “them”? If not, read on, because you are sure to encounter such errors on your ACT […]
ACT and SAT Math Tips: Average Questions in Disguise
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was released earlier this month, causing many students to worry that their 2018 editions or 2016-2017 editions are out-of-date.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. […]