Not just "that other test" anymore, the act is widely accepted and more students are taking it every year. Is it right for you?

The ACT used to be viewed as the SAT's awkward little stepsister. But today, nearly 40% of American high school students take the ACT.

You Have More Chances to Score Higher.
In many ways, the ACT offers you more opportunity for success. English, reading, math, and science are all given equal weight on the ACT. Students who do less well in math or writing may actually score higher than they would on the SAT.

You've Seen This Stuff Before.
Another beneft is that the ACT is not an aptitude test. It covers the core topics that you've been learning all along in high school. Let's hope you've been paying attention!

We'll introduce you to the ACT in-depth, show you some of Kaplan's exclusive strategies, and provide some extra practice online so you can test your skills. Once you've familiarized yourself with the ACT, you'll be in a better position to decide if it's the best test for you.

The Facts on the ACT

SECTION	CONTENT
Time:	Three hour Three-and-a-half hours with the optional Writing Test
Format:	4 Subject Tests and 1 optional Writing Test English: 45 min; 75 questions Math: 60 min.; 60 questions Reading: 35 min.; 40 questions Science: 35 min; 40 questions Writing: 30 min; 1 essay question
Scoring:	Total score of 1-36 broken down into four or fve subject scores, as well as eight subscores

Test Dates & Registration

TEST DATE	REGISTRATION DEADLINE
September 11, 2010	August 6, 2010
October 23, 2010	September 17, 2010
December 11, 2010	November 5, 2010
February 12, 2011	January 7, 2011
April 9, 2011	March 4, 2011
June 11, 2011	May 6, 2011

The easiest way to register for the ACT is online at actstudent.org. You'll choose your test date and testing center, receive confrmation, and print your admission ticket. The registration fee is $33 ($48 with the Writing Test). Additional fees for late registration apply.

Try these Top Kaplan Strategies

Like the SAT, the ACT is standardized so you can use the format and structure of the exam to your advantage.

Strategy #1: The ACT Is Not a Memory Test, So Don't Make It One. You don't need to memorize lots of formulas or grammar rules to succeed on the ACT. Many students become paralyzed by the question in front of them. However, all the information you need for the answer is in the test itself. Don't be afraid to look back and refer to it.

Strategy #2: Guess Intelligently. Remember one thing about the ACT: Never leave a question blank. Unlike the SAT, there is no penalty for a wrong answer. So if you don't know the answer, guess. An unanswered question is always wrong, but even a wild guess may be right.

Strategy #3: Don't Screw Up the Answer Grid. Technically, your score on the ACT is not based on how many questions you know; it's based on how many questions you grid correctly on your answer sheet. Students naturally get anxious during the test and often grid answers in the wrong line. So be careful! Those little bubbles are important.

Strategy #4: Keep Track of Time. Pacing is critical to success on any standardized test. On the ACT, you'll have about 30 seconds to answer each question on the English, Reading, and Science tests and a little less than a minute per question on the Math test. Also remember that you'll most likely want to take more than one pass through each test.

These are just a few basic strategies to approaching the ACT. The key lesson is to take control and maintain a positive frame of mind. You have everything you need to succeed right in front of you. Maintaining your confdence is more than half the battle.