a good act score can help you get into your top college choices, as well as qualify you for college scholarships! but how can you prep for the act? these 10 quick tips will help—get started on your journey to prepare for and ace the act test!
 

1. buy at least two reputable study books

here’s your first act study tip: start studying with the act official guide and the material on the official act website. books from reputable companies such as kaplan or mcgraw-hill are excellent supplemental materials to prep for act test day. look for content with a lot of practice tests!

wondering which book is best for you? read our act book reviews for our honest opinions on the top contenders.

2. learn the most frequently tested concepts

here’s your next act self-study tip: on the act english and act math tests, there are a finite number of tested concepts: grammar, algebra, geometry, trig, etc. you will need to figure out what you already know, and what you need to work on for the act (more on this in tip #6). the good news: the questions are predictable! if you learn these concepts, you’ll see them pop up over and over again.

3. get inside the heads of the test-makers

as you’re preparing for act test day, try to develop an understanding of what the test-makers “prefer” in terms of the answer choices. for example, after studying the act english test for some time, you’ll notice how the act test makers prefer concise answers, or “economy of language.” this kind of understanding will help you make better educated guesses on harder problems. this free act ebook is a great resource for understanding the different question types and answer choices.

4. use the entire time for each section

even if you are naturally a fast test-taker, make sure to use the entire given time. if you finish a test (a.k.a. a section) early, go back and review the questions, slowly “re-taking” them and checking for simple mistakes. even the smartest students get easy questions wrong when rushing, and if you’re looking to ace the act, you need to be maximizing your points in every section.

5. plan out a reasonable act study schedule

to make sure you get the act test date and testing center you want, register early, at least three months before the exam. that way you can find an act study schedule that you can reasonably complete between now and your test.

be realistic with yourself. how much time can you commit each week to act practice questions before the point when you take the act? it’s better to study 20-30 minutes a day than four hours once a week. aim to prep for act test day at least four days a week.

6. pinpoint your weaknesses and attack them

are you a slow reader? (if so, we have the video for you below!) is your act math knowledge so-so? grammar got you down? use a practice test so you know where to start going into your act test preparations. then, plan to address those areas first as you prepare for act test day. you’ll need more time for the weaknesses.

don’t put off studying what you need for the act just because you dread it! if you want to learn how to ace the act, these act prep strategies will set you on the right path. soon, you’ll begin to answer these questions with confidence!

7. get in the mindset to ace the act

remember that test-taking is a learned skill, not an inherent gift. some people may seem to be “naturally” good at the act, but even if you’re not one of them, you can still learn how to ace the act! start by thinking positively and allow yourself to celebrate your milestones along your act test prep journey.

also recognize that making mistakes is necessary for improvement when you prep for the act. incorrect answers to practice questions help you hone in on areas that need more work, so welcome them! (just make sure you understand why you got them wrong, so you can avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.)

8. do timed practice periodically to check your pacing

the act is comprised of five tests: english, math, reading, science, and writing (in that order). these sections have different challenges regarding pacing, with different numbers of questions and different time limits. you will need to develop a pacing strategy for each act section, and practice so you are confident you can finish within the allotted time.

9. memorize the instructions for each act test section

don’t waste valuable time reading and re-reading instructions at the test center. each test has its own set of directions. prepare for act test day by familiarizing yourself with them now.

10. take advantage of free, high-quality resources

it’s amazing how many students take the act without ever having visited the official website! this should be your first stop in your journey to prep for act test day. magoosh also has tons of free resources you can use along the way:

• everything you need to know about the act
• magoosh act ebook
  we know that a lot of students can’t afford to purchase act textbooks, and we don’t want these students to be at a disadvantage. so, we wrote our own magoosh act ebook. it’s perfect for beginners as well as advanced students, and contains 280+ pages of free resources to help your act test preparations.
• act flashcards app
• act prep app: video lessons & lectures from experts
• act question of the day

we hope these quick tips for act prep help you feel more confident about starting your act preparations. happy act studying!

the post top 10 ways to prepare for the act appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

the following ten posts regularly receive high traffic on the magoosh high school blog. i’ve organized them into three sections: sat & act resources, sat resources, and act resources. click the image corresponding to each post to check it out.

happy studying and happy summer!

sat & act resource

1. act to sat score conversion

the sat and act exams use different scoring systems, which makes comparing one score to the other unnecessarily complicated. this post can help make that process a whole lot easier.

sat summer prep resources

2. full-length sat practice tests

this resource is worth its metaphorical weight in gold. it contains links to sat practice tests that are free, official, and full-length. learn to love this post, because if you aren’t sitting down for regular timed tests, then you’re not going to meet your full potential on the sat. oh yeah, i went there.

3. what’s a good sat score?

out with the perfect 2400 and in with the perfect 1600! with the complete overhaul of the sat exam came a complete change in the answer to the age old question: “is my sat score good enough?” read to discover what this means for you.

4. sat essay prompts

the sat essay is no longer required, but that does not mean that you should skip it. this list of sample essay prompts will help you prepare for the new assessment.

5. average sat scores

let’s aim to be better than average — at least on the sat exam. but first, let’s talk about what that really means.

act summer prep resources

6. how to score a perfect score on the new act essay

this isn’t your older sibling’s act essay. the new act essay is a bit more complex, but this post will give you all the help you need to prepare.

7. act raw score conversion chart

take a full-length 2022世界杯入门名单 and what do you get? a raw score. use our handy chart to convert your raw score into a scaled score and find out how you performed on the act’s 1 to 36 scale.

8. the real act prep guide, 4th edition aka the official act guide 2016-2017

act finally came out with a new act prep book!! it’s official, it’s up to date, and we have some strong feelings about it. read this before shelling out any money. trust me.

9. average act score by state

well done, connecticut and massachusetts. your average composite act score is looking pretty good. hawaii … you’ve got some work to do. see where your state ranks and what this means for your score.

10. full-length 2022世界杯入门名单s

see “full-length sat practice tests” (#2) above. this resource is better than any prep book on the market because it contains free, official practice tests to help you prep for the act. set aside some time to do one of these a week, and you’ll improve your score in no time.
 

that’s all i have for you!

let me know what you think of these resources by leaving a comment below.

the post 10 best summer prep resources appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

meet the magoosh act ebook

the magoosh act ebook is your complete guide to the act exam. and it’s completely free.

this resource comes from the same magoosh act experts who brought you magoosh act prep and the magoosh high school blog. this free ebook will help you begin your act prep, give you the information and strategies you’ll need as you get closer to your exam, and even help you understand your scores after the test.

perfect for both beginners and advanced students, this act ebook has a little something for everyone.

what you’ll get from this free act ebook

the magoosh act ebook:

• walks you through the format of the act exam
• explains every type of question the act could ask
• spells out proven strategies for each question type
• includes act practice problems and explanations to help you gain experience
• has tons of helpful graphs, images, anecdotes, and nerdy jokes to make your prep more fun

bonus:

the magoosh act ebook isn’t written like a textbook. it isn’t dense or dry, and you won’t need a million post-it notes just to keep track of what’s going on.

in fact, there are no rules—you can use this new resource in whatever way works for you. because it’s a pdf, you can feel free to read it online, save it for later use, or even print out certain sections to read on the go.

here’s the best way to get started:

1. check out the table of contents to see what sounds cool. the table of contents is clickable, so go ahead and navigate straight to that section. see? already better than a textbook.

2. skim through the parts you naturally find most interesting.

3. then, when you’ve gotten a better idea of the ebook’s format, spend more time on the sections you need the most help in. learn the strategies, try some practice problems, and take lots of notes. have questions? leave a comment on this post.

4. when you’re ready for more resources, visit our act study guide. it expands on the ebook and offers additional resources, such as a study calendar, handy prep checklist, and act test-specific study schedules.

get your copy of magoosh’s free act ebook

did i mention that this new act ebook is completely free?

the post act ebook – free pdf download appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

picking your major is an exciting process. there really is no wrong choice, and your decision depends entirely on your own strengths, interests, and dreams for the future. read on to:

• use our fun infographic to figure out which major is right for you.
• understand more about college majors and how they work.
• learn the four most important things to keep in mind when choosing your major.

what should you major in?

use this flowchart infographic to figure out what you should major in! then comment to let us know what you got.

click the infographic to enlarge the image:

why are majors important?

a major is an area of study that you will specialize in during your time in college. most of your courses (about 1/3 – 1/2) will be related to your major.

at most four-year colleges, you must declare your major by the end of your sophomore year, or when you’ve achieved the number of credits typical of an incoming junior. this means that students have two academic years to take prerequisite courses in different disciplines and figure out which areas of study they find most interesting. that’s a lot of time!

in fact, many universities require undergraduate students take general education (ge) requirement courses in multiple disciplines, so that students have a broad understanding of the university’s offerings.

ges provide a great opportunity for students to experiment with disciplines that they didn’t study in high school (things like cognitive science, anthropology, biochemical engineering, environmental systems, linguistics, regional studies … the options are fairly endless).

some students opt to double major, or major in two different fields. some choose to have a major and a minor (a specialization with fewer course requirements), and some even create their own major with the help of university faculty.

college will probably be the first time in your life that you get to choose the majority of your classes. take this opportunity to learn fun new things, discover more about your own interests, and explore your university’s unique offerings!

4 things to do when selecting your major

1. experiment and take risks
   take courses that seem interesting and choose topics that motivate you to learn more outside of the classroom. you want to be pretty confident that you can do well in the class, while also being willing to take risks.
2. think long-term
   some majors (like nursing or engineering) teach you how to perform a trade. they’ll prepare you to begin a specific career once you graduate. other majors (like international studies or english) often teach you more theoretical skills that can be applied in many ways after graduation. consider which type of major you would prefer, and what type of career you might ultimately like to have.
3. remember that you can change your mind
   most students change majors once or twice during college – and that’s completely okay!
4. consider what you love
   people are predisposed to enjoy, and excel at, certain disciplines. use the flowchart above to see how your interests and skills align with possible majors!

best of luck in college!

the post what should i major in? appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

we’re rooting for your success!

let us know how you felt about today’s test by leaving a comment below.

the post good luck on your sat appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

submitting college apps is a double-edged sword. on the one hand, you no longer have to spend countless hours perfecting personal statements, re-typing extracurriculars, entering numbers into forms, etc. that agony finally reached its end.

on the other hand, there’s the waiting.

the realizing that you are not in control of your destiny. the uncertainty.

it’s okay. as tough as it is to just wait it out, my recommendation is that you do everything in your power to enjoy this in-between time. there’s something very freeing in knowing that you’ve done your best and this big life decision is out of your hands for a couple of months. you’ll have other tough decisions to make when you get your acceptance letters, and decide which college you’ll ultimately attend. but, for now, you can relax and enjoy senior year.

remember … second semester senior year is what dreams are made of. the sat? over. your hardest finals of the year? over. college apps? over. yeah, you should study and try to stave off senioritis, and you probably have some ap tests to look forward to in the spring.

but you should also enjoy your last few months of high school. so, stop reading and go do something fun! tell your teachers that magoosh gave you permission.

the post living with the uncertainty of college applications appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

but it doesn’t have to be. the sat is a known entity! many of us have taken it (multiple times) and we have wisdom to share.

so, if you’re stressed because you don’t know what to expect on saturday, you’re not alone. let us walk you through sat test day before it even happens.
 

sat test day checklist

a great way to stave off test anxiety is to gather everything you need to take to the test before saturday.

that way, on saturday morning, you can wake up early, have a nice healthy breakfast, grab your sat bag, and head out the door without any last minute trips to the store for no. 2 pencils. or searches in your mom’s jewelry box for your birth certificate. or anything else that causes stress and could make you late for the sat.

don’t be late for the sat!!
 

stuff that’s required:

• your admission ticket
  • sign into your college board “my sat” account and select, “print admission ticket”.

• two no. 2 pencils with new erasers
  • you can only use no. 2 pencils on the sat, and you’ll need good erasers in case you fill in the bubbles wrong.

• your photo id
• check this list to see what qualifies as an acceptable id.

• a calculator
• graphing calculators, scientific calculators, and 4-function calculators are all okay. double check that you have an acceptable calculator by reading the calculator policy.

pro tip: put all of these items in a clear ziploc bag so that you can keep everything organized at your desk without arousing any suspicion from the proctor!

stuff that’s nice to have:

• a bag or backpack
• you’ll keep this bag at the front or back of the room, so don’t bring your jansport backpack that’s exactly the same as everyone else’s. bring something recognizable that you don’t mind leaving out of sight during the test. (think: tote bag not designer purse).

• a snack and a drink
• you’ll get a short break during the test, so bring a snack that you can eat quickly in between sections. i recommend water and a slightly sugary snack like trail mix with m&ms or a snicker’s bar – you’ll want the protein and (light) sugar high to get you through the remaining sections.

• extra batteries
you really don’t want your calculator to run out of batteries during the test. i strongly recommend going into the sat with fresh batteries in your calculator. either way, bring extras – it’s better to be safe than sorry.

• a watch
some testing locations don’t have a very visible clock. the proctor will help you with time management, but you’ll feel less stressed if you can keep track of the time on your own. make sure that your watch does not make any noise. if your alarm accidentally goes off during the test, you will be accused of cheating. don’t risk it.

pro tip: if you’re worried about what you’re allowed to bring to the sat, find more information on the college board’s website.

 

guys, you’re ready

trust in all the hard work that you’ve put in. don’t second guess yourself. do everything in your power to go into the test confident, well-rested, and well-nourished – then, do your best!

 

the post what to bring to the sat appeared first on magoosh blog | high school.

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