Test-taking Strategies
What TWO things should you do when you hear the "five minutes left" warning?
1) Bubble in the answers (with the same letter).
2) Go back and check all the answers that you can.
The ACT's synonym for delete, eliminate, get rid of...
OMIT
What should you do if you finish your essay a little early?
Read your essay and revise/edit.
How many minutes TOTAL will you have to READ the prompt and the three perspectives, PLAN, WRITE, and REVISE/EDIT?
40 minutes
What should every body paragraph start with?
Ideally, you will start every body paragraph by referring back to your thesis. Doing so will create a unified argument.
When you come across a question with yes/no options, what should you do?
If you think the answer is "no," skip the two "yes" options. If you think the answer is "yes," skip the two "no" options.
The ACT's synonym for prior, previous, former...
PRECEDING
What does the writer of the article think is better--to choose one of the three given perspectives or create your own?
She thinks it's better to go with one of the given perspectives so that you can spend more time on analysis.
If you can't write an introduction at first, you should leave _____-_____ lines blank, then go back to the intro. later.
10-15 lines
How can you support the side you choose? Name the ways. (There are three.)
1) Personal experience--real or made up.
2) Statistics--real or made up.
3) Specifics from the ACT sources--the prompt and the perspectives.
Should you read the test directions?
If you have read them when taking a practice test, then NO--the directions are always the same, and skipping them will buy you some time.
The ACT's synonym for mainly or chiefly...
PRIMARILY
In what sense can the ACT Timed Essay be considered "creative" writing?
You can create--make up--names, facts, statistics, etc.
1) How long should you spend on PLANNING your essay?
2) How long should you spend on WRITING your essay?
1) Planning: 8-10 minutes
2) Writing: 25-28 minutes
In step two, you are going to brainstorm EVIDENCE and an EXPLANATION for EACH PERSPECTIVE. In step three, you will add another component. What is it?
A counterargument and analysis for the perspectives you disagree with.
If you have been getting a low score on the English test and have been reading the passage before reading the questions, what should you do on the next practice test?
Try reading two or three questions (not the answer options), then read the passage for the answers.
The ACT's synonym for reading selection or text...
PASSAGE
How should you choose a perspective?
Because this is a TIMED essay, choose the perspective that is EASIEST FOR YOU TO ARGUE, not necessarily the one you believe in the most.
How many minutes should you spend revising your essay--and what should you replace?
1) Only two to four minutes.
2) Replace dull or problematic words.
Will you provide evidence for the perspectives that you disagree with? Why or why not?
Yes, you will. You need to show that you are a rational person who has considered the topic from all perspectives.
If you get nervous during the test, what should you do to relax?
Try two rounds of box breathing.
THE ACT'S words for first and last...
FORMER and LATTER
WHY does the writer think it's critical to PLAN your essay?
While creating the outline, you might discover that you have more evidence for a perspective that you didn't choose. Because you're still PLANNING your essay, you can change your perspective.
How many paragraphs should your essay contain? Say how many and list them.
FIVE: Introduction, body paragraph 1, body paragraph 2, body paragraph 3, and conclusion.
In a body paragraph, you have to address the argument that opposes yours. You will write three to five sentences to explain the evidence that supports that perspective. What will you write after that?
You will then write a counterargument to that perspective, tying it back to your thesis.