Introduction to America’s

Number One

University Admissions Test

Enhanced ACT reporting

2. Progress Toward Career Readiness Indicator

4. Text Complexity Progress Indicator

– Developing Readiness

1. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Score

3. English Language Arts Score : English, Reading, Writing

5. Enhanced ACT Writing

The enhanced ACT writing test and the expanded score reports will

ultimately provide more insights to help students become college and

career ready. Students will receive scores for four critical writing

competencies:

• ideas and analysis * development and support

* Organization * language use

STEM Score

STEM score

– ACT Math + ACT Science Composite

Change a policy in American

government

– Expand jobs related STEM

Change a policy in American colleges

- Expand admission related STEM subjects

– Academic skill index of STEM

Science

Technology

Engineering

Mathematics

The meaning of Career Readiness

Indicator

Career Readiness Indicator

ACT NCRC®

National Career Readiness Certificate

English Language Arts Score

Text Complexity Progress Indicator

ACT English + Reading + Writing

ACT English + Writing reporting upgrade

This score will combine achievement on the English, reading and

writing portions of the ACT for those who take all three test

sections, enabling students to see how their performance compares

with others who have been identified as college-ready

This measure will tell students if they are making sufficient

progress toward understanding the complex texts they will

encounter in college and during their careers.

The information will help students plan future study to improve

their readiness

ACT Writing Subscoring

The familiar 1-to-36 score scale used on the ACT will not change

the writing score does not affect the 1-36 Composite score.

ACT Writing assessment area is expected to continue to increase in

the future

ACT College Readiness Standards the Common Core State

Standards

Expected 2015 fall

“Will the ACT Writing Test still be 30 minutes long?”

-Reference: http://www.act.org/actnext/faq.html#Enhanced

ACT Writing SubscoringDescription: The Six-Point Holistic Rubric for the Writing Test developed around four

scoring criteria. Essays are evaluated on the evidence they demonstrate of student

ability to:

1

ideas and

analysis

Make and articulate judgments by:

*Taking a position on the issue

*Demonstrate the ability to grasp the complexity of the issue by considering

implications or complications

2

development

and support

Develop a position by:

*Presenting support or evidence using specific details

*Using logical reasoning that shows the writer's ability to distinguish between

assertions and evidence and to make inference based on support and evidence.

Sustain a position by focusing on the topic throughout the writing

3

organization

Organize and present ideas in a logial way by:

*Logically grouping and sequencing ideas

*Using transitional devices to identify logical connections and tie ideas together

4

language use

Communicate clearly by:

*Using language effectively

Observing the conventions of standard written English

ACT timeline

ACT, Inc.

• Established 1959

• Non-profit

• Mission: helping

people achieve

education and

workplace success

• www.act.org

The ACT TestThe university-entrance exam; administered in more than130 countries.

ACT Plan® & ACT Explore®

Our 8th- and 10th-grade versions of the ACT Test (i.e., Pre-ACT) designed to measure if students are on track for college readiness.

ACT Compass®/ESLPlacement tests used by two- and four-year colleges and universities for their entering students.

Global Assessment Certificate™ (GAC)A university preparation program designed to prepare non-native speakers of English for postsecondary study in an English-language country.

ACT WorkKeys®/ICRCUsed to assess workplace skills of individuals, and to certify individuals as “workplace ready.”

The ACT Test

• Standards based

• Achievement test of

knowledge

• Accepted by all 4 year

colleges and universities in

the USA

• 1.84 million U.S. students

tested (57% SoM) in 2013-

14

“There is also a real shift in the

behavior to top high school students,

with many more choosing to work

toward impressive scores on both

tests.”

– News article by Tamar Lewin: New York Times. Aug.

2, 2013

Over 3,400 students submitted only an ACT

test score for admission into Princeton

University this year, and almost 8,000

students this year submitted scores for both

tests.

– News article by Tamar Lewin: New York

Times. Aug. 2, 2013

William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions

and financial aid at Harvard: “The (ACT and

SAT) tests predict college performance

equally well…so it doesn’t concern us at all

whether students send the SAT, the ACT or

both.”

– News article by Tamar Lewin: New York

Times. Aug. 2, 2013

Jonathan Chui, national content director of

high school programs at the Princeton

Review: “ACT is more straightforward in

their question construction….” About 47% of

the students he works with now take both

tests because they “want to sweeten their

college portfolios.”

– News article by Tamar Lewin: New York

Times. Aug. 2, 2013

Uses by Universities

• Admissions

• Advisement

• Course placement

• Course credit

• Scholarships

• Financial aid

www.cappex.com

1. Princeton University

GPA Average: 4.0ACT Average: 32-36

5. Stanford University

GPA Average: 4.0ACT Average: 30-36

12. Johns Hopkins University

GPA Average: 3.8-4.0ACT Average: 34-36

20. University of California - Berkeley

GPA Average: 3.6-4.0ACT Average: 29-34

www.zinch.com

www.collegeweeklive.com

www.collegeview.com

ACT National Curriculum

Survey• Conducted every three years

• Consult with educators at the

postsecondary level

• These postsecondary educators tell us

what the students will need to know

• Results determine the content of the ACT

Test

• Questions written by teachers

College Readiness Standards

• Direct link between what students have learned

and what they are ready to learn next

• Relate the test scores to the types of skills

needed for success in high school and beyond

• Demonstrate the increasing complexity of skills

across the score ranges in English,

mathematics, reading, and science

• http://www.act.org/standard/

College Readiness Benchmarks

• Scores on the ACT subject-area tests required for

students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or

higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher

in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college

courses.

• http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/benchmark

s.pdf

College Course ACT Subject Area Test

ACT Benchmark

English Composition English 18

College Algebra Mathematics 22

Social Sciences Reading 22

Biology Science 23

ACT v. SAT

ACT• Knowledge-based achievement test

• Accepted by all four-year colleges

and universities in the United States

• Math (up to Trigonometry), Reading,

English, Science

• No penalty for guessing

• All multiple-choice

• International Fee No Writing: $75.00

• International Fee with optional

Writing: $91.50

• Perfect score: 36

SAT• Skills-based reasoning test

• Accepted by most four-year colleges

and universities in the United States

• Math (up to Geometry), Critical

Reading, and Writing

• Penalty for wrong answers

• Math grid-ins

• International Fees vary by region:

$94.50 East Asia/Pacific, South and

Central Asia

• Writing Essay: Mandatory

• Perfect score: 2400

Practice Tests

• ACT:

http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Preparing-for-

the-ACT.pdf

• SAT:

http://sat.collegeboard.org/SAT/public/pdf/

getting-ready-for-the-sat.pdf

ACT / SAT Concordance

• http://www.act.org/aap/concordance/estimate.html

ACT SECTIONS

• Measures understanding of standard written English (punctuation,

grammar & usage, sentence structure).

• Measures rhetorical skills (strategy, organization, style).

• Spelling, vocabulary, and rote recall of rules of grammar are not

tested.

75 questions, 45 minutes

• Usage/Mechanics

– Punctuation (10 questions)

– Grammar and Usage (12 questions)

– Sentence Structure (18 questions)

• Rhetorical Skills

– Strategy (12 questions)

– Organization (11 questions)

– Style (12 questions)

ACT English Section

60 questions, 60 minutes

– Pre-Algebra (14 questions)

– Elementary Algebra (10 questions)

– Intermediate Algebra (9 questions)

– Coordinate Geometry (9 questions)

– Plane Geometry (14 questions)

– Trigonometry (4 questions)

ACT Math Section

• Measures the math skills students typically acquire in courses taken

up to the start of their last year in secondary school.

• Requires students to use reasoning skills to solve practical problems

in math.

• Assumes knowledge of basic formulas and computational skills, but

does not require memorization of complex formulas or extensive

calculation.

• Calculators are permitted.

• Measures reading comprehension as a product of

referring and reasoning skills.

• Requires students to derive meaning from texts by (1)

referring to what was explicitly stated in the text, and (2)

reasoning to find implicit meanings.

• Uses four prose passages representative of the level and

types of writing encountered in first-year university study.

40 questions, 35 minutes– Prose Fiction (10 questions)– Humanities (10 questions)– Social Studies (10 questions)– Natural Sciences (10 questions)

ACT Reading Section

• Measures the student’s interpretation, analysis, evaluation,

reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in the natural

sciences.

• Four content areas are covered: (1) Biology,

(2) Earth/Space Sciences, (3) Chemistry, and

(4) Physics.

40 questions, 35 minutes

• Three stimulus formats are used to present information for students to react to:

– Data Representation (15 questions)

– Research Summaries (18 questions)

– Conflicting Viewpoints (7 questions)

ACT Science Section

• Measures writing skills emphasized in high school

English classes and in entry-level university composition

courses.

• One prompt, 30 minutes

• The prompt defines an issue and describes two points of view on

that issue.

• Students are asked to write in English about their position on that

issue.

Note: The ACT Writing Test is offered internationally on all

five test dates—September, October, December, April, and June.

ACT Writing Test (Optional)

Why is the Writing Test

Optional?• It’s optional because not all colleges and universities use it.

(Currently, only about 16% of US colleges and universities ask for

it.)

• Before deciding whether to take the ACT Writing Test, students can

go to www.actstudent.org to find out if the institutions they are

applying to require or recommend it.

By examining their Student Report and working through the

Career Exploration and Planning Steps, students will be

able to...

•Identify their academic strengths and areas needing

improvement

•Explore possible college majors and careers

•Select a college or university that fits their aspirations

•Decide on their remaining high school courses

•Determine how much education they will need for the jobs

they are thinking about

ACT Student Report

Career Planning

• As part of the registration process for the ACT Test, the students

answer 72 questions about their interests and activities.

• Based on a student’s answers, ACT uses a statistical analysis to

identify careers the student is likely to enjoy and excel at.

• When students receive their ACT Test scores, they also receive

information about careers and occupations that match to their

interests using our

World-of-Work Map.

• Students can use this information to choose a major, select a

college, and identify a career path.

ACT Test Prep Resources

• FREE TEST PREP GUIDE:

• www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html

• FREE SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

www.actstudent.org/sampletest/index.html

• FREE ACT TEST QUESTION OF THE DAY:

http://www.act.org/qotd/

• Other FREE RESOURCES: http://www.act.org/intl/counselor/

ACT 2014 - 2015International Test Dates

Test Date Registration Deadline

September 13, 2014 August 8, 2014

October 25, 2014 September 19, 2014

December 13, 2014 November 7, 2014

April 18, 2015 March 13, 2015

June 13, 2015 May 8, 2015

International ACT test fees:

NO Writing, with international surcharge: $75.50

PLUS Writing, with international surcharge: $91.50

www.actstudent.org

www.actworld-wide.kr

http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Prep

aring-for-the-ACT.pdf

The Real ACT Prep Guide

• 5 practice tests

(retired test forms)

• Test taking tips

ACT On-line Prep

• www.actstudent.or

g/onlineprep

Registration Tutorial

• http://www.act.org/i

ntl/counselor/files/I

ntl-ACT-

RegTutorial-

Korean.pdf

Reference

• Registration: www.actstudent.org

• Resources: www.act.org/intl/counselor

• Test Prep: www.actstudent.org/testprep

Antarctic Adventures

In February 2001, polar adventurers Liv

Arnesen of Norway, and Ann Bancroft of

Minnesota became the first women to climb

and ski across the continent of Antarctica.

The Two former schoolteachers completed

their 2,400-mile journey in 96 days.

[1] Months before their expedition, Arnesen

and Bancroft began training by learning to ski

behind sails – parachute-like devices that can

pull a skier loaded with supplies about six

miles per hour in steady winds. [2] On

November 13, 2000, the pair boarded a small

plane in South Africa and took a six-hour flight

to Blue One Runway, it is a solid-ice airstrip

on the Atlantic coast of Antarctica. [3] They

set out soon after landing. [4] Hiking

unassisted up the 10,000-foot-high Sygyn

Glacier, and each woman pulled a sled that

weighted more than 260 pounds, [5] The

sleds carried all the women’s supplies,

including a tent, a one-burner camp stove,

diaries, two sets of skis, a laptop computer,

and a snow shovel.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. Arnesen, of Norway, and Ann Bancroft

C. Arnesen, of Norway and Ann Bancroft,

D. Arnesen of Norway and Ann Bancroft

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. achieved

H. finalized

J. implemented

3. If the writer were to delete Sentence 5, the

essay would primarily lose details that:

A. reveal why Arnesen and Bancroft were each

limited to carrying about 260 pounds of

supplies.

B. Expand upon information provided in

Sentence 4 and also give readers a sense of

what the women needed for their journey.

C. Suggest that the women brought more

supplies than they thought they would need for

their journey.

D. Contradict the information provided in

Sentences 4 about the weight of Arnesen and

Bancroft’s supplies.

English Example

Antarctic Adventures

In February 2001, polar adventurers Liv

Arnesen of Norway, and Ann Bancroft of

Minnesota became the first women to climb

and ski across the continent of Antarctica.

The Two former schoolteachers completed

their 2,400-mile journey in 96 days.

[1] Months before their expedition, Arnesen

and Bancroft began training by learning to ski

behind sails – parachute-like devices that can

pull a skier loaded with supplies about six

miles per hour in steady winds. [2] On

November 13, 2000, the pair boarded a small

plane in South Africa and took a six-hour flight

to Blue One Runway, it is a solid-ice airstrip

on the Atlantic coast of Antarctica. [3] They

set out soon after landing. [4] Hiking

unassisted up the 10,000-foot-high Sygyn

Glacier, and each woman pulled a sled that

weighted more than 260 pounds, [5] The

sleds carried all the women’s supplies,

including a tent, a one-burner camp stove,

diaries, two sets of skis, a laptop computer,

and a snow shovel.

1. A. NO CHANGE

B. Arnesen, of Norway, and Ann Bancroft

C. Arnesen, of Norway and Ann Bancroft,

D. Arnesen of Norway and Ann Bancroft

2. F. NO CHANGE

G. achieved

H. finalized

J. implemented

3. If the writer were to delete Sentence 5, the

essay would primarily lose details that:

A. reveal why Arnesen and Bancroft were each

limited to carrying about 260 pounds of

supplies.

B. Expand upon information provided in

Sentence 4 and also give readers a sense

of what the women needed for their

journey.

C. Suggest that the women brought more

supplies than they thought they would need for

their journey.

D. Contradict the information provided in

Sentences 4 about the weight of Arnesen and

Bancroft’s supplies.

Technical Question: Grammar

Rhetorical Question: Reading/Writing

Ability

ACT Math sample 1.

ACT Math sample 2.

ACT Reading Test

Basic categories

– Referring Questionsask you to find or use information that is clearly stated in the passage

– Reasoning Questionsask you to do more: they ask you to take information that is either stated or implied in the passage and use it to answer more complex questions

Science sample 1-1

Metamorphic rocks from when temperature and/or pressure cause changes in preexisting rock. Figure 1 shows the temperature and pressure conditions in which certain facies(categories of metamorphic rocks) are formed.

Science sample 1-2

A rock’s metamorphic grade (a measure of the intensity of metamorphism) is classified on a scale of low (very similar to the original rock) to high (very different from the original rock).

Science sample 1-3

Table 1 lists the grades of Facies A-G from Figure 1. Figure 2 shows characteristic minerals that may be present in rocks of a given grade.

Science sample 1-4

1. According to Figure 2, which of the following minerals would most typically be found only in rocks of a medium grade?

A. Muscovite

B. Biotite

C. Kyanite

D. Plagioclase

5. Hornfels is a metamorphic

rock formed when magma

(molten rock) heats

sedimentary rocks on Earth’s

surface. According to Figure 1,

hornfels is most likely a

member of which of the

following facies?

A. Facies A

B. Facies C

C. Facies E

D. Facies G

ACT Writing Test

In some high schools, many teachers and parents have encouraged

the school to adopt a dress code that sets guidelines for what

students can wear in the school building. Some teachers and

parents support a dress code because they think it will improve the

learning environment in the school. Other teachers and parents do

not support a dress code because they think it restricts the individual

student’s freedom of expression. In your opinion, should high

schools adopt dress codes for students?

In your essay, take a position on this question. You may write about

either one of the two points of view given, or you may present a

different point of view on this question. Use specific reasons and

examples to support your position

Reading Test Question Types

Most questions will ask you to do the following:– identify and interpret details

– determine the main idea of a paragraph, paragraphs, or

passage

– understand the comparative relationships (comparisons

and contrasts)

– understand cause-effect relationships

– make generalizations

– determine the meaning of words from context

– understand sequences of events

– draw conclusions about the author’s voice and method