Block 1

ACT Overview in 20 Minutes

In a nutshell, the ACT is designed to test what you learned in high school (or secondary school if you’re outside the United States) and how well you can apply critical thinking and analysis skills to what you read — or numerical problems in the case of the math test. Your score on the ACT helps admissions folks at colleges and universities understand how well prepared you are for college-level work.

Of course, it’s more than a little weird to judge everything you learned over about four years into about four hours. But that’s the task before you, and you give yourself an advantage if you have some idea of what to expect on the ACT.

In this block, you get the facts about signing up for the test, including how to request accommodations if you’re eligible. You find out what to bring, what rules you have to follow during the exam, and some basics about the ACT format. You also find pointers about understanding your score and what to do if you didn’t score as well as you’d hoped.

Registering for the ACT

If your school has a day when all students take the ACT, the school probably takes care of your registration for you.

However, if you want or need to take the SAT on your own, you need to know when you want to take the test and plan far in advance if you need to request accommodations for a learning disability, English learner accommodations, or a fee waiver. You must have certain details and documentation ready when you register, so read on to find out how to make all this paperwork go smoothly.

Choosing when to take the test

Currently, the ACT is offered at testing sites nationwide and internationally on weekends every February, April, June, July, September, October, and December. Additionally, some school districts offer the ACT during the school day in March, April, October, and November, depending on the high school. If you live in a district that offers one of these schoolday tests, your test date is set for you, but all other options allow for a little freedom of choice.

The best time to take the ACT is not a one-size-fits-all consideration. You may want to wait to take the test until you feel most prepared, but you also need to give yourself plenty of time to retake the test before you apply to college. Most colleges don’t require you to send the scores from every time you take the ACT, so you don’t necessarily have to be completely prepared before you take your first official test. Also, many colleges allow you to superscore your ACT scores, which means they’ll consider only your highest English, math, reading, and science scores from all the times you take the ACT. In fact, the ACT even creates a superscore score report if you take the test more than once. Therefore, there’s not a major downside to taking the test sooner rather than later.

Generally, if you’ve taken algebra II and trigonometry during your sophomore year, we suggest that you consider taking your first ACT test in the first semester of your junior year in either September, October, or December. (If you’re taking algebra II and trig during your junior year, you may want to wait until February or April of your junior year to take the first test.) The beauty of testing in the fall of your junior year is that you can devote the summer before to extensive ACT study.

A perk of taking the December test is that it offers Test Information Release (TIR), which means you can pay extra to get a copy of your test questions and a report of the ones you answered correctly and incorrectly. This valuable information can come in handy when preparing for subsequent tests. This service is also available for the April and June exams.

If you take the test in the fall, you have plenty of options to retake the ACT in the spring and summer to achieve your top score. You can even get some extra summer study time in during the summer before your senior year and take the September ACT. Your scores from this test should be available in plenty of time before the earliest application deadlines in October and November. If you postpone taking your first ACT until April or June of your junior year, you may not have enough retakes to optimize your score.

Table 1-1 summarizes these scenarios to help you choose when to take the ACT.

TABLE 1-1 When to Take the ACT

Deciding whether to take the writing test

The ACT provides an optional Writing Test in addition to the other four multiple-choice sections. Its importance in the college application process is dwindling, and most colleges don’t require or even recommend it. If you need to write the essay to enhance your application, make sure you present your best effort, as explained in Block 2.

Asking for accommodations or English learner supports

Not everyone takes the ACT under the same conditions. You may have a special circumstance that can allow you to change the date of the ACT or the way you take your exam. Here are a few of the special circumstances that may affect how you take the ACT:

• Learning disabilities: If you have a diagnosed learning disability (LD), you may be able to get special accommodations, such as more time to take the test. However, you must specifically request such accommodations way in advance. Prepare your requests for fall tests by the prior June and for spring tests by the prior September. Please note that in order to be eligible for special testing on the ACT, your LD must have been diagnosed by a professional, and you should have a current individualized education plan at school that includes extended test time. Talk to your counselor for more information. Note that you can only request special accommodations in conjunction with a test registration.
• Physical disabilities: If you have a physical disability, you may be able to take a test in a special format — in Braille, large print, or on audio. Go to the official ACT website (www.act.org) for complete information about special testing.
• Religious obligations: If your religion prohibits you from taking a test on a Saturday, you may test on an alternate date. The ACT registration website specifies dates and locations in each state.
• Military duty: If you’re an active military person, you don’t complete the normal ACT registration form. Instead, ask your Educational Services Officer about testing through DANTES (Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support).
• English language learner: In the United States, if you aren’t proficient in English, the ACT enables you to apply for English learner supports. Because these supports expire yearly, you have to apply for the accommodation each year you take the ACT. English language learners must submit documentation of their status, such as WIDA or TOEFL scores or an official accommodations plan. If your request for English language learner supports is approved, you may be eligible for extended time, a word-to-word dictionary, directions in your native language, or small group testing. The ACT registration website explains how to apply for these accommodations and provides more details.

Requesting a fee waiver

In the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories, you can request a fee waiver. The fee waiver means you don’t have the pay to take the ACT, which currently costs about $60 to $85, depending on whether you take the optional writing test. Your school counselor can help you understand whether you’re eligible or you can read the information at www.act.org. If you qualify, you can take the ACT up to four times for free and receive free learning resources. You’ll receive a fee waiver code that you enter when you sign up for the test.

Signing up for your test

To register for the ACT, you need about 30 minutes and the following items:

• A computer with Internet access
• Credit card or other payment
• High school course information
• Headshot photo

If you need accommodations, English learner supports, or a fee waiver, read those earlier sections before you register so you get the resources you’re entitled to.

When you’re ready, go to www.act.org. Choose Start Your Journey Here ⇒ Take the SAT as shown in Figure 1-1. You need to create an account or sign in and then follow the prompts online to register.

Identifying What to Bring to the Test

If you can’t borrow the brain of that whiz kid in your calculus class for the day, you’re stuck using your own. To compensate, be sure that you have the following with you before you leave for the ACT test center:

• Admission...