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These famous tests are best material for preparing for a top score on the math ACT.
While the ACT is not taken quite as often as the SAT, it remains an important test for many students and preparation is just as important for the math ACT as the math SAT. In general, while it’s true that the skills tested for on the SAT math and ACT math are similar, the actual writing and pacing of the questions is quite different. The SAT has 58 math questions, split over a non-calculator and calculator section, with a total time of 80 minutes. These 58 questions include 13 “grid-in” free response questions. ACT Math, in contrast, has 60 questions in 60 minutes. Typically, when students are preparing for the ACT, it is important to emphasize pacing, especially in the more difficult questions.
Speaking of, ACT math questions get more difficult as the test goes on. While the first twenty questions are easy, the middle twenty are more challenging, and the final twenty are generally test either relatively understudied material (logarithms, expected value), or require very complex solutions to relatively simple concepts.
Because the ACT math gets more challenging as it goes on, your preparation for the ACT math should emphasize pacing. Pacing is important because the more challenging later questions will often take students more time than the less challenging questions earlier, all things equal. Therefore, if a student simply thinks that they should take “one minute per question,” dividing 60 questions by 60 minutes, they can be mistaken. While strong ACT math students may do the later questions quite quickly, in general, all students should try and save time in the beginning of the test in order to utilize that time for the harder questions later in the test.
This is also why students should generally attempt to practice harder ACT math problems when possible, as being able to save time on any one problem allows one to use that time on a different problem, maximizing the potential for success on the math section as a whole.
In addition, though students naturally should focus on the difficult questions, especially if they are high scoring, all students should first ensure a mastery of the basic foundations of Pre-Algebra and Elementary Algebra, which combined make up about 35 to 45% of the entire test. Keep in mind that just because a question is marked as “Pre-Algebra” or “Elementary” Algebra does not mean it will necessarily be easy, and these questions should not be underestimated as you prepare for the ACT.
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