ACT - Tutoring and Test Preparation Packages

About the ACT.

Last year more than 1.2 million high school students took the ACT test. Because the ACT is widely accepted by colleges as part of their admission process, it is one of the most important examinations a student will ever take in his or her academic career. In fact the ACT is accepted by all of the Ivy League schools.

The ACT is not an aptitude or an IQ test. Instead the questions on the ACT are directly related to what the student has learned in his or her high school courses in English, mathematics, and science. Because the ACT tests are based on what is taught in the high school curriculum, students are generally more comfortable with the ACT than they are with the traditional aptitude tests such as the SAT.

Students usually take the ACT in the Spring of their Junior year in high school. This allows them to re-take the exam in the Fall of their Senior year if they are not satisfied with their previous score. However more and more students are choosing to take their first ACT exam even earlier, such as during the fall of their Junior year. Parents can easily register their students online at http://www.act.org, or by calling "ACT Inc." in Iowa City, IA at (319) 337-1270. The cost to take the exam is $29.00 ($43.00 if the student is going to take the "ACT Plus Writing" test).

It is important to understand the structure, sections, and scoring system of the ACT. The examination is 2 hours 55 minutes in length and includes four sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. If the optional Writing test is taken, the total testing time is 3 hours 30 minutes. A single composite score between 1 and 36 is awarded based on the average of the four sections. For example, if you scored 30 on the English section, 32 on the Math section, 32 on the Reading section, and 28 on the Science section, your composite score would be the average of the four: 30.5

1. The English Section (Score: 1 - 36)

The English section is always the first section of the ACT exam. It includes 5 passages to read. Part of the passages will be underlined, and it's the student's responsibility to decide if these portions are correct as written or if one of the other choices is better. 40 of the questions will test the student's control of Usage and Mechanics. The remaining 35 questions will test the student's ability to spot Rhetorical errors.

2. The Mathematics Section (Score: 1 - 36)

The Mathematics second is always the second section of the ACT exam. The questions are relatively straightforward and are similar to problems covered in typical high school math classes. 14 questions cover basic arithmetic and pre-algebra, 10 questions cover elementary algebra, 9 questions cover intermediate algebra, 9 questions cover coordinate geometry, 14 questions cover plane geometry, and only 4 questions cover trigonometry.

3. The Reading Section (Score: 1 - 36)

The Reading section is always the third section of the ACT exam. There are four passages that are taken from news articles or magazines. The four passages come from four different topics: natural sciences, prose fiction, social studies, and humanities. The passages' topics may be in any order. Each passage contains 10 questions.

4. The Science Section (Score: 1 - 36)

The Science section is always the last section of the ACT exam. Unlike typical math-based problems that occur in high school science tests however, the Science section of the ACT does NOT involve any difficult mathematical calculations. Instead the student is required to read 3 science-based passages and answer questions about them. Such questions involve interpreting graphs, data, results, and diagrams; analyzing conflicting viewpoints; using the scientific method; designing experiments to test hypotheses; and understanding scientific illustrations.

OPTIONAL: The Writing Section (Score: 0 - 12)

Students are asked to respond to a question about their position on the issue described in the writing prompt. If a student takes the Writing Test, he or she will receive a Writing Test subscore (ranging from 0 to 12) and a combined English/Writing score (ranging from 1 to 36), along with comments about his or her essay. The Combined English/Writing score is created by using a formula that weights the English Test score two-thirds and the Writing Test score one-third to form a combined score. This combined score is then reported on a 1-36 scale. Please note that taking the Writing Test does not affect the student's subject area scores or the Composite score.


Our Tutoring Packages

Next Level Tutors has helped many students perform well on their ACT exams. We have several tutoring packages available to suit the various needs of students preparing to take the ACT exam. Whether your child needs a brief overview of the exam and its basic methods, or your child requires a significant amount of time to prepare, we have the right package for you! All of the tutoring takes place in the comfort of the student's own home, in a relaxed one-on-one environment. This is much better than group study sessions that some agencies offer because it ensures that YOUR student receives his or her tutor's undivided attention and focus. Additionally an individual tutoring environment allows the tutor to monitor YOUR student's progress and identify any weaknesses that he or she needs to overcome. All of our ACT tutors are highly trained and extremely experienced. Not only are they aware of the content of the ACT exam, but they are also well rehearsed on test-taking strageties (timing of each section, differences between each of the four sections, whether or not to take the optional writing section, NOT leaving any multiple-choice questions blank, etc..).

Tutoring is available during all hours of the day, 7 days per week. All of our ACT preparation packages include an initial diagnostic test, a user-friendly ACT course book, practice exams, extensive drills for each of the four required sections, and test-taking strategies. All tutors keep a "Tutors Log" to monitor the strengths, weaknesses, and areas of concern throughout the hours of tutoring that occur.