Prep more, stress less.

With upcoming ACT test dates, many strategies can be used in preparation to help students ensure a successful score.

It’s important to know what to expect on the ACT. There are several ways students can prepare and options are endless. Typically, math and reading are students’ worst subjects.

The ACT consists of four sections of multiple choice questions. Students are tested in English, math, reading, and science. The test takes place on a Saturday morning and usually lasts about four hours. It’s important for students to prepare for the ACT so they can have a better outcome.

One common way students prepare on their own is by studying off their College Equipped Readiness Tool (CERT) account. “Students can access their CERT account which is individual feedback. Kids that have really connected and committed to the program have increased their scores,” said Savannah Richardson, counselor. CERT allows students to go back and look at questions they missed. It also gives them an estimate of what you will score on the ACT.

A simple way that can prepare any student for the ACT is listening better in class. “Paying attention in class can help a lot. I think our teachers utilize a lot of bellringers and embedding other ACT questions with their instruction,” said Richardson. Any easy skill like listening in class could determine if students score one point higher and meet their goal for college.

There are also ACT prep classes after school. These are led by both Ms. Tinelli who focuses on the math section or Mr. Craven who focuses on English and reading. “In the English aspect, I try to teach the basic rules and what they are going to ask about. Then when we come to reading I focus in on what to focus on while reading and what specifically the ACT will ask questions on,” said Leo Craven, English teacher. These after-school prep classes help students get a better idea of what’s going to be on the test.

If students are wanting to go one step further, they can take a class offered by Bullitt East that specifically targets ACT practice. Senior classes that help better students ACT scores include college reading, trans math, and English focus classes. “College reading honestly helped me out a lot. I learned more in that class in the four weeks I was in there than any English class I’ve been in,” said Steven Peak, freshman in college.

Senior classes that help better students ACT scores include college reading, trans math, and English focus classes.

Some students are a point or two away from meeting their goal and these classes are meant to help them meet or exceed that. “To get out of the class, you have to meet a benchmark on the ACT in reading and English. I needed two more points to meet my benchmark in reading and I ended up getting four,” said Peak.

Typically math and reading are the subjects students do the worse in. “Math is usually a hard subject for most students because it’s 60 questions in 60 minutes. You have to know your math and know it pretty quickly,” said Richardson. Reading is also hard because you have to read and answer questions in such a short amount of time.

Preparing for the ACT is a great way to avoid stress and get a better outcome. There are an unlimited amount of ways to prepare and teachers are always available to help.