Should I Take the ACT? Expert Tutors Answer Your Questions for 2020

College entrance exams.

Excited? Horrified? Somewhere in between? In any case, you’ve got an ominous task ahead of you this year.

Which leads to your first big question: SAT or ACT?

Today we’re focusing on the ACT: What makes it unique, who should take it, and how to best prepare.

We interviewed 2 career test prep experts, Don Sevcik and Robert Feagin. Here’s what we asked them:

1. How is the ACT different from the SAT?
2. What type of student should take the ACT?
3. I want to take the ACT. Where do I start?
4. What should I focus on when studying for the ACT?
5. How can I improve my test scores?
6. What can a student do who doesn’t have the means for a private tutor or class?
7. I don’t have a lot of time to study for the ACT. What should I do?

Should you take the ACT? Read on for some expert advice from Don and Robert for 2020, a year that faces tougher college admissions than ever before.

How is the ACT different from the SAT?

Don lays out a few key factors:

• The ACT gives you less time per question than the SAT.
• The ACT has an entire section devoted to science. The SAT does not.
• The ACT doesn’t give you any math formulas. You need to memorize everything.
• Math accounts for less percentage of your total grade on the ACT.
• The ACT has 5 multiple-choice options, giving you a 20% chance of getting it right versus the SAT with a 25% chance of getting it right.

Robert says:

“The SAT differs from the ACT, but not as substantially as it used to. The ACT composite score is made up of four equally rated sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The two tests are more similar now than they have ever been. Vocabulary is less stressed on both tests in comparison to the past tests.”

It’s important to note that with less time and more need for memorization of formulas, practice is imperative!

What type of student should take the ACT?

While either college entrance exam can pave the way into higher education, Don says an ideal ACT student has these traits:

• “Driven,
• knowing their formulas cold, backwards and forwards,
• a fast mover, because they have less time per question, and
• well-versed in eliminating wrong answers since their probability for guessing correctly drops for the ACT.”

In reality, the ACT is accessible for all types of students. But, if you want to take your score to the next level, start by focusing on these points.

If you’ve decided the ACT could be the exam for you, what next?

I want to take the ACT. Where do I start?

The short answer is to “gather some good preparation materials and start practicing,” according to Robert.

Don also gives a great piece of wisdom:

“I’m a big fan of Kaizen, which is the discipline of small, continuous improvements over time. So what I recommend is starting in 20-minute bursts. Study a concept, take a short quiz, and get an idea of your score.

“Find out what you did right, what you did wrong, go back, and study again. Take another quiz and see what you improved on and what you struggled with. Your goal is to keep improving and answering questions faster.”

OK. You have your practice materials and you’re on board with a tried-and-true approach. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, you can focus on improving your fundamental skills and memorizing those formulas.

What should I focus on when studying for the ACT?

Robert:

“Reading, improving writing, and math up through trigonometry should all be studied and stressed in preparation for the test.”

Don:

“Formulas, shortcuts, and the basics. Remember the old saying: ‘What gets tracked gets improved.’”

Speaking of improving, the goal of practicing is to get better. But what if you spend time practicing, and you’re disappointed by your practice quiz results?

How can I improve my test scores?

After a practice test or two, or even after taking a real test, you might not be happy with your results. Here are the experts’ takes on how best to improve.

From Don:

“Focus first on your strengths. Use your strengths to answer those questions even faster. Time is the most valuable commodity during the exam.

“Time is finite, and the more you have, the more guesses you can make and more questions you can work on. If you can shave even 1-2 seconds off your answer time, it adds up over time. And this builds confidence.”

Robert suggests:

“Work hard, learn the material, get to know the test, and understand its level of difficulty.”

Working with a mentor, peer, or tutor can help, especially on an exam of this magnitude. But you can still make significant gains on your own by practicing where you shine to reduce the time it takes you to answer the questions.

Not everyone has the means to engage a tutor. In this case, you can still do well on the ACT by working on your own.

What can a student do who doesn’t have the means for a private tutor or class?

Robert suggests:

“Self-preparation is one thing – even if you have a tutor – that is crucial to doing what you have to do to obtain a high score. You have to master the material and content on the test.”

And Don goes on to say:

“Get copies of old exams and practice exams. Take them, measure your score, and make 3 lists: Things you know and you answer quickly, things you know but take you time to answer, and things you don’t know. With each practice exam you take, your goal is to move items from list 2 to list 1 and list 3 to list 2.”

But what if time is a precious commodity in your life?

I don’t have a lot of time to study for the ACT. What should I do?

Don explains more about his process for people who struggle with fitting ACT study into their busy routines:

“Embrace the burst method. Go intense for 20 minutes, then take a quiz. Then take a break. Then rinse and repeat when you get more time. I recommend getting an egg timer and setting it for 20-30 minutes. And during this time, you must sit at the table, no phone, no distractions. But this period of time is short enough to keep you engaged.”

And Robert points out that it’s possible to postpone taking the test until you are thoroughly prepared:

“Do the best you can – even delay your test date, if possible. Preparation and practice, practice, practice are the keys to success on the ACT.”

Okay, you have your practice materials. You have your study guides. You’ve mapped out which sections are most important to begin, and you’re ready to learn.

Conclusion

Preparing to take the ACT college entrance exam doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Once you decide the ACT is the exam for you, follow these steps to make the best of your prep time and score well:

1. Gather study materials including copies of old ACTs and practice exams.
2. Know your strengths and practice these first to shorten your answer times.
3. Memorize essential formulas so you can write them from memory.
4. Set up your study area to closely mimic the actual testing facility.
5. Work on improving your weaker areas to increase your overall score.
6. Practice, practice, practice.

We hope these sage words of advice from two veteran ACT tutors help raise your confidence for your exam. By implementing these steps, you’ll be well on your way to a rock-solid ACT score.

For even more information on the ACT, check out ACT.org.

Good luck!

Meet the Expert Tutors

Don Sevcik has become a global leader in online math tutoring through his years of expertise. Check out his ACT and SAT Mastery Toolkit, an online platform guaranteed to increase your ACT score by 3 points.

Robert Feagin is the founder of the popular Northside Tutoring. After graduating from Stanford in 1997, he moved back to his home city of Atlanta, where he has since tutored children of about 400 families.