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STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU TEST BETTER ON THE ACT or sat reading TEST
JOAN GEYER KALIHER
The SAT Test has 54 multiple-choice questions covering passages or pairs of passages with topics of literature, history, social studies, humanities and science which includes tables, bar graphs and line graphs. The new SAT Reading & Writing Test is a 64-minute test spread out over 2 modules with 27 questions each.
Students are given a broad mix of easy, medium and hard question. Module 2 students are given a targeted mix of question of varying difficulties based on their performance in module 1.
The questions will ask you to do everything from determining the meaning of words in context to deciding an author's purpose for a detail to finding the main idea of a whole passage to pinpointing information on a graph.
The ACT Test covers 4 passages that need to be answered within 35 minutes. The questions cover Prose Fiction, Humanities, Social Studies and the Natural Sciences. You will receive a Reading Test score on the 40 questions with sub-scores on the 20 questions in the Arts/Literature sections and the 20 questions in the Social Studies/Sciences sections. With a total of 35 minutes available, you will have 8 to 8 ½ minutes to read each passage and answer the questions. The Reading Test evaluates your ability to understand the passages that are in the test not your ability to remember facts.
When reading the Prose Fiction passage, do not just note events. Be aware of the tone and mood of the passage, the relationships of the characters, and the emotion implied by what the characters are saying.
The Humanities passage is factual, not fiction. The information presented in Humanities passage is important, but you also need to pay attention to the author and his or her point of view. You may be asked to project how the author would respond to a situation based on what the passage says about the author’s opinions. The passage may have characters who are historical or contemporary people who have lived, not fictional characters like those is the Prose Fiction passages. You will be asked to infer or identify relationships between ideas, events, trends, people, or thoughts.
The Social Studies passage will present information obtained through research. Because of this, you will have to pay attention to dates, names and concepts and understand cause-effect relationships, sequences of events, and comparisons.
In the Natural Sciences passage, you will usually be presented with a scientific topic and the significance of this topic. Be aware of cause-effect relationships, but now, this is relationships between natural phenomena, not relationships between characters. Also be aware of comparisons and sequences of events. Track but do not memorize rules, theories, or scientific laws that are mentioned. If jargon or technical language is used, the passage will help you understand the meaning from the context in which it is used.
Two types of ACT Test questions are used: Referring and Reasoning
The questions will test you on your ability to:
• Determine the main ideas of the paragraph(s) or passage
• Identify details & the meanings of those details
• Understand comparative relationships (how things Compare and how they Contrast)
• Understand Cause and Effect Relationships
• Make generalizations (Draw a Conclusion)
• Figure out Meaning of Words from the Context
• Understand the Sequence of Events (Order)
• Draw conclusions about the author’s voice and approach (Inferential; may be harder as you have to understand attitude and point of view of author and the main purpose of the article)
• An excellent strategy is to go to the question and then look at or scan the passage for the answers. If you are taking the ACT Test, spend about 2-3 minutes on each passage and an average of 35 seconds to answer each question. Think of the test as four 8 ½ minute sections.
You will encounter SAT Test questions are Fact Recall: Detail & Command of Evidence.
• Fact Recall/Detail Questions: The key here is to make sure that you’re actually answering the question.
• Words in Context: These ask you about the meaning of a word in the context of a sentence.
• Read a line above and below for full context, and then decide on your own synonym/phrase with which you could replace the word in question.
- • Informational graphics, such as tables, graphs, and charts, accompany some passages—but no math is required.
SAT TEST & ACT TEST
• Answer all questions. Again, there is no penalty for guessing.
• Keep the passage as whole in mind as you answer the questions.
• Read quickly but carefully. Know what each question asks and select the best answer.
• Sample practice tests will help you get a complete picture.
• With all your preparation, you will score better than you would have before the preparation. Maybe even that Coveted 36 or 1600. If you don't like your score, you can take the test again and keep the best score.
Good luck and here's to you scoring your best on the SAT or ACT Reading Test.
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Included are SAT & ACT PREP strategies with all subject reviews. In Reading, pacing is one of the most important strategies you will learn & practice in our SAT or ACT PREP. Excelling on this high stakes SAT or ACT test can impact your son or daughter's long range potential to excel in their college of choice and life long learning."
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Naperville Tutoring's ACT & SAT Test PREP strategies prepared by review of the ACT OFFICIAL PREP Guide, Barron's ACT Math & Science & English, Reading & Writing Workbook, & The Official SAT Study Guide
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