Essai’s Guide to the Best Resources for ACT Prep

If you are studying independently for the ACT and your scores in the different sections are fluctuating quite a bit, then the answer is not to take more practice tests. It is important to identify the section(s) in which your scores are not consistent and learn the rules/formulas/skills for that particular section. If you simply carry on taking tests from Crackact without “knowing your stuff” then your scores will often be at the mercy of luck.

Good preparation takes luck out of the picture. This post is meant to help you do exactly that. Below are the books and resources that we recommend for your fluctuating scores in individual sections. Additionally, we will not just be pointing you in the direction of resources, but advising you on how to use these resources to gain control over your scores.

Best ACT Reading Resource: UWorld

We think a 30 day subscription to UWorld for $29 can make a world of difference to your score. The Uworld content is very good and, more importantly, the ways in which you can use it are very helpful. Uworld can operate on tutor mode (it explains a question every time you submit an answer) and on an untimed mode. 

How do we recommend you use UWorld? 
Start by trying to increase your accuracy. Do single passages, untimed, tutor mode; when you get something wrong or unsure of an answer, read the explanation that UWorld provides. Do this until you are consistently getting 90% correct: more than 6 in a row. 

Then take off the tutor mode wheels, and start doing two passages untimed, then three, then four. The point here is to develop your own method of answering these questions, becoming very familiar with the questions, and developing your reading stamina. Always make sure to go back over the questions you got wrong – Uworld’s explanations will help you avoid making the same mistakes next time.

Once you are comfortable with doing multiple passages in a row and consistently getting 90% correct, we recommend you start paying attention to time. Try doing one passage timed, then two, then three, then four. Don’t worry too much if your accuracy slips slightly: aim to get one more question done accurately in time each time, and you’ll soon be doing all four passages in time with accuracy!

Best ACT English Textbook: (ACTing English: The Essai Guide to ACT English)

ACTing English is a great guide that equips you with all the tips and tricks you need to master the English Section. 

The textbook takes you through all the concepts you need to know to tackle the English section in a lucid manner. A shining feature of the book are the scaffolding exercises. These are step-by-step questions that force the student to use simple rules rather than intuition when answering ACT English questions. The book isn’t dreary to look at either, with plenty of fun visuals and illustrations included in each chapter.

With nearly a thousand questions including two full tests, the book has enough practice materials to help you raise your score - on average, students who use our English material see a 12 point improvement!

How do we recommend you use ACTing English?
We recommend working methodically through the book. Each chapter begins by teaching a set of related concepts: we recommend you make your own notes based off the teaching material. The teaching is followed by scaffolding exercises focussed on that particular skill. If you struggle with the scaffolding exercises, make sure to go back over the notes on that concept. At the end of each chapter, ACT-style multiple-choice questions test your ability to apply the concepts you’ve learned. The multiple-choice questions will include questions on concepts from previous chapters, so make sure you keep revising what you’ve already learnt.

Once you’ve worked through each of the chapters, you should be good to go. Once you’ve revised the concepts, have a go at the two mocks at the end of the book. Make sure to review your mistakes and brush up on any weak areas after the first mock, then have a go at the second mock. After all that, you should be good to go!

*While this is a book that we have published, we still firmly believe that it is the best sure-fire guide to the ACT English.

Best ACT Math Textbook: (Ultimate Guide to Math ACT: Richard Corn)

After being updated in 2018, Richard Corn’s Ultimate Guide to Math ACT quickly reclaimed its spot as the best ACT Math textbook. It explains each concept that you need to know for the ACT in depth and does not include any extra information. 

The book also moves through pre-algebra and basic algebra before moving on to advanced topics, providing students with a strong foundation to tackle the more difficult concepts towards the end. When used in conjunction with full Math tests, this book is your best bet to conquer the Math section.

How do we recommend using Ultimate Guide to Math ACT?
If you struggle with math in general, or you are unsure which areas you are weak in, then we recommend working through the book methodically from start to finish. The book will guide you from the foundations of math needed for the ACT through to the more difficult concepts.

If you already have a good sense of specific areas where you struggle (e.g. coordinate geometry), then focus on those chapters. Still take the time to look over the whole book – there might be something you didn’t even know you didn’t know! 

Best ACT Science Textbook: (FTLOAS: Michael Cerro and Prepscholar Guide to ACT Science)

For the Science section, we recommend either For the Love of ACT Science by Michael Cerro or the Prepscholar Guide to ACT Science. 

For the Love of ACT Science is a tried and tested guide that set a new benchmark for ACT Science Textbooks. The book helps you identify different question types and provides specific strategies to help you tackle them. It also includes two full science tests and sectional tests that only include question types that you’ve learned how to solve.

Prepscholar Guide to ACT Science does not include any practice tests, but makes up for it by listing multiple strategies to students for attempting questions - not just one restrictive approach. 

Both books include a list of science facts that you would need to know for the ACT. These books demystify the Science section by identifying patterns in a section that is seemingly random.

How do we recommend using FTLOAS and Prepscholar Guide to ACT Science?
With both these books, we recommend working through them methodically from front to back. That way you will avail yourself of all the skills needed to tackle the Science section, plus be able to try out a variety of strategies (in the case of the Prepscholar Guide) for answering questions in the Science section.

We recommend that you note down the various strategies and then apply these systematically in three untimed Science sectional tests. Using these two books in tandem might help a lot; FTLOAS has questions from all the different question types, while the Prepscholar Guide is heavier on the strategies. You can use the strategies learnt in the Prepscholar Guide and apply them to the questions in the FTLOAS.

The Colon

Everyone knows how to use a colon, right? Or maybe not.

The most common misconception is that colons are just about lists, but that’s being unfair to the colon: it can do a lot more than just list things.

Unsurprisingly, the colon is quite similar to a semicolon. Remember, with a semicolon, there must be an independent clause (subject and conjugated verb) on either side of the semicolon. In other words, the semicolon is interchangeable with a full stop.

FORMULA: IC ; IC. = S + CV ; S + CV.

The colon is a little bit different, however. Just like a semicolon, a colon must have an IC before the colon. But unlike the semicolon, you can have pretty much anything you want after a colon: an IC, a phrase, a list, even just one word. While the semicolon is wedded to independent clauses, the colon is a bit more willing to play the field.

FORMULA: IC : Anything. = S + CV : Anything.

Even if there is a bit more wiggle room with the colon, you still need to be careful how you use it. It must be preceded by an independent clause, but that independent clause must also be a complete thought. Have a look at the example below:

EXAMPLE: They passed by villages and cities, such as: Mirzapur, Sirsa, and Allahabad.

This is an incorrect use of a colon. We do have a subject (They) and conjugated verb (passed) before the colon, but we do not have a complete thought. Why? Well because you can’t finish a clause with such as because it leaves you with an incomplete thought –you’re expecting something else to happen.

Another way of putting it is to say that what is before the colon must be able to stand on its own. Ignoring what comes after the colon, imagine putting a full stop instead of the colon: if that makes sense, you could use a colon; if not, then you can’t use a colon.

Let’s have a look at some examples of correct colon usage:

IC : IC
They walked to the river bank: the boatman’s vessel lay nestled among the reeds.
S + CV : S +   CV

On the boat, Tanvi and Ganesh hid under a blanket: Horatio might be searching for them.
S +       CV                   : S + CV

IC : Phrase
The boatman, Dilip, heaved off slowly from the bank: the beginning of their river journey.
S             + CV                                           : Phrase

IC : List
Flocks of birds flew overhead in the dawn light: storks, cranes, and a few stray flamingos.
S       + CV                                    : List

IC : Word
Dilip started the boat engine, overwhelming the boat with one smell: diesel.
S +   CV                                                                                                : Word

Patience is a virtue, Virtue is a grace, Grace is a little girl who smashed her ACT

But I did so badly…
Some variant on this phrase is the most common thing we hear at essai when students come to do an ACT or SAT diagnostic test. And it’s entirely understandable – most students who come to us are doing well at school, with good grades, and they assume that standardised testing will be no different. If I’m getting 90% at school, why did I not get a 32 or a 1450 on my diagnostic?

A Misunderstanding
The central misconception that students (and parents!) have is that these tests are basically IQ tests: if you’re smart, then you can waltz in and ace them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way; both the ACT and College Board explicitly say that these tests are tests of college readiness, not about how smart you are. Being college ready is not the same thing as doing well in school exams – being college ready involves a wide range of skills, from reading comprehension to English grammar, that you probably don’t get taught much at school.

More than that, students who come to essai for diagnostics do not “do so badly”. The essai average diagnostic score for the ACT is 22. Compare this with the fact that the US average ACT score is 21. So (essai) Indian students are already up on their US peers before they even start the course.

An average ACT diagnostic report.

… and I want to do so well.
Not only do students arrive expecting their diagnostic scores to be much higher than they are, but also they assume that a few short weeks of work will get them their 36 or 1600. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work that way. Take the ACT. Going from a diagnostic of 20 to a real ACT score of 30 is like going from a 55% student to an 85% student. You wouldn’t expect that to happen overnight at school, so why expect these tests to be any different?

So how do I get a 36?
Getting a high score on these tests is not like memorising a textbook: it’s more like learning an instrument. At the moment, you know how to play a few scratchy notes on the violin, but do you know how to read the music and play the tune? Probably not. These tests are about learning skills, not knowledge. What’s more, you’ve probably picked up some bad habits along the way. Memorising material for tests at school can help hide those bad habits, but standardised tests expose the cracks; we have to break down those bad habits before we can build up the skills essential to getting the ACT or SAT score that you want and deserve.

The Honest Truth: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
What’s an appositive? How do I find the equation of an hyperbola? How do I identify a scientist’s assumptions? These are questions (and answers to them!) that won’t even cross your mind at school. But these are all things you need to know if you want that high ACT or SAT score. And learning these things takes time: a lot of time.

Yes, it takes a while
Essai’s test prep programmes, whether for the ACT or the SAT, recognise that students want and expect to do well. That is precisely why our programmes generally last six to nine months. We know that sounds like a scarily long time – but we also know you need that much time to build up the skills necessary to ace these tests. It requires a wholesale change in mindset.

You might have heard of kids who say they got a 34 in the ACT after a week’s worth of prep. And yes, those students do exist, but most often they will have started with a very high diagnostic, or they won’t admit how much prep they really put in. We all want to make our own lives look easy, but the reality is that, for most of us, it takes time. That’s where essai steps in to help; we give you the time and attention you need to reach your desired score. And that’s why almost every student who comes to us with a diagnostic of 22 or higher leaves with a real ACT score of 30 or more.

ACT English: The Semicolon

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In the ACT, two independent clauses can be joined together using a semicolon. This is the only way in which we can use a semicolon in the ACT.

The formula is: IC ; IC.

(Refresher: an Independent Clause = Subject + Conjugated Verb)

In high school, you are often taught that a semicolon is used to connect any two things that are related, whether they are phrases or clauses. This is NOT correct. A semicolon can ONLY be used to join two independent clauses. In the ACT, the relationship between the clauses does not matter. All that matters is that there must be an independent clause on each side of a semicolon.

Look at the examples below:

Tanvi avoided the question; Ganesh gratefully accepted the food.
S + CV ; S + CV

The man asked where they were going; Tanvi said they needed to get back to Delhi.
S + CV ; S + CV

The man said he had a boat; he could take them up the Ganges.
S + CV ; S + CV

Tanvi jumped at the opportunity; Ganesh grumbled that he wanted to sleep first.
S + CV ; S + CV

In the ACT, if you are not sure whether it is an IC; IC sentence construction, there is an easy way to check. Before the semicolon, there should be a subject (S) and a conjugated verb (CV); after the semicolon, there should be a subject and a conjugated verb.

IC ; IC = S + CV ; S + CV

Have a go at the questions below to see if you’ve got the hang of it. Answers to be revealed tomorrow.

The most famous statue of Freddy Mercury is situated in the beautiful Swiss town of Montreux; placed [1] on the edge of the lake at the end of the Place du Marché. Freddy never got to see the statue himself, however, he spent many peaceful years of his life in Montreux, gazing out at the tranquil waters of Lac Léman.

1. A. NO CHANGE
   B. Montreux placed
   C. Montreux, placed
   D. Montreux: placed

2. A. NO CHANGE
   B. himself however he
   C. himself; though he
   D. himself; however, he

ACTing English: Non-Essential Appositives

An appositive is a word or phrase that comes after the primary noun of a sentence: it is a-positioned next to it. It is important to know when the appositive is essential or non-essential: determining this will determine the presence or absence of commas (something the ACT cares a lot about!). Detecting this is also important as it ensures that you don’t add a single, lonely comma as a pause after the primary noun. 

Let’s look at the sentence below and our flowchart that helps you determine whether an appositive is non-essential. 

Claudius, the old man,  gave Tanvi and Ganesh his address.
↓
Appositive (following the primary noun, Claudius)
↓ (Look to the left of the appositive and answer the following question:)
Is the subject (Claudius) of the sentence a specific detail?
↓
Yes (in the context, there’s only one Claudius).
↓
Would we still know who gave Tanvi and Ganesh his address if we got rid of the appositive?
↓
Yes.
↓
Therefore, the old man is a non-essential appositive.

The appositive is non-essential in nature. We know that Claudius gave Tanvi and Ganesh his address.  Any other information about him will be additional information and not necessarily required for the sentence to make sense. Accordingly, the appositive (like any non-essential information) is bracketed off by commas.

Now it’s your turn! Comment with your answer choice and we’ll reveal the answer tomorrow:

Once upon a time, King Arthur the famous British knight [1] drew a sword, Excalibur [2] from a stone.

1. A. NO CHANGE
   B. time King Arthur the famous British knight,
   C. time, King Arthur, the famous British knight,
   D. time, King Arthur, the famous British knight

2. A. NO CHANGE
   B. sword Excalibur
   C. sword Excalibur,
   D. sword, Excalibur,

December ACT Results

The Essai Olympiad the night before the December ACT: brownie (literally!) points to the winners!

A very happy new year to you all! We have an exciting year ahead of us here at essai, with lots of students taking tests in the next few months, and our 12th graders on tenter-hooks waiting to hear back from colleges.

But first we wanted to take you back to December last year: yet again, essai’s students performed brilliantly in the December ACT. We had a total of 30 students taking the December test, our largest cohort yet.

Overall, our students scores went up 7 points from their diagnostic scores, with almost 40% of students improving by 8 points or more. And a big shout out to two students in particular, who achieved a whopping 12 point improvement from their diagnostics.

Starting from an average diagnostic score of 24, our students scored an average of 31 in the December ACT. While essai aims to focus on score improvement, we were delighted to see over 60% of our students score 30 or more. Even more impressively, over 25% scored 34+, and two students scored a perfect 36.

Here at essai, we pride ourselves on our English programme (we’re currently finalising a textbook, so watch this space!). In December, students improved their English scores by 11 points, from an average of 22 to an average of 33. One student even scooped a huge 20 point improvement! And over half of our students scored 35 or more in English.

The other sections of the test also went very well for our students. 65% scored 30 or more in Math, and 3 students scored a 36 in Math and Reading. In Science, almost half of our students scored a 30 or more, with seven achieving a 36.

All in all, a huge congratulations to all our students. For many of you, December marked the end of your ACT journey with essai – enjoy the feeling of being done! For some of you, another attempt still looms ahead, and we look forward to helping you to get there. And for those pondering taking the ACT, we encourage you to come down to essai and check it out! You can find more about our ACT programme here.

October ACT Results

A large group of students from essai took on the ACT on October 12th: most of them for the first time. A big congratulations to all of them: essai’s October results were our best yet. 

As we’re sure most of you are aware, the ACT is scored out of 36. Students receive sectional scores in English, Math, Reading, and Science, which combine to give the students a composite score.

At essai, we always look first and foremost to score improvement. Overall, our students improved their composite scores by 8 points (a 35% improvement), from an average diagnostic score of 22 to an average score of 30 in the ACT. 6 students improved by 10 points or more (averaging a 55% score increase), including three students taking the ACT for the first time.

That is not to say we’re not interested in the actual composite scores as well! 70% of our students scored 30 or more, and 4 students achieved scores of 33 and above, with our top scorer getting a 35.

Our students’ English scores were a particular highlight, with an average improvement in English of 13 points. 70% of students scored 34 or above in English, which was fantastic; one student even managed a 36.

While English was particularly strong, our students also performed well across the board: over half achieved above 30 in Math. In Reading and Science, several students reached scores of 34 or above.

All in all, we’re very proud of all of our students.

I Don’t Take Science In School: Can I Still Score Highly In The ACT?

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The short answer to this commonly-asked question is YES.

The ‘Science’ section of the ACT actually tests students’ data interpretation skills rather than their knowledge of scientific concepts. It’s true that a basic knowledge of foundational chemistry, physics, and biology is assumed, but any student who has taken science up to a Grade 10 level should have covered the topics in school. At essai, we go back over all of the essential science knowledge in just a few hours of class.

The key to succeeding in the Science section lies in developing an understanding of how to quickly interpret data, learning how to read tables and graphs, and becoming confident with  scientific methodology and experimental design.

Let’s look at an extract from the official ACT practice science section to see how one might tackle the questions WITHOUT using specific scientific factual knowledge:

Paper chromatography can be used to identify metal ions in wastewater. A drop of sample solution is placed on filter paper. The bottom of the paper is set in a solvent that travels up the paper (see Figure 1).

Figure 1

The solvent carries the ions up the paper. Some ions move faster, and therefore farther than others, resulting in a separation as they move up the paper. The paper is dried, then stained, causing the ions to appear as colored spots. Rf values are calculated for each spot:

Table 1 shows Rf values for 5 ions. Table 2 shows Rf values from 3 samples of wastewater. The same solvent was used for all ions and samples.

Table 1 adapted from Thomas McCullough, CSC, and Marissa Curlee, “Qualitative Analysis of Cations Using Paper Chromatography.” ©1993 by the American Chemical Society.

Note: Samples contain only the metal ions listed in Table 1.

Question 1: The information in Tables 1 and 2 supports the conclusion that Sample 3 contains:

1. Cu2+ and Cd2+ only.

2. Co2+ and Hg2+ only.

3. Ni2+, Co2+, and Cd2+ only.

4. Ni2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+ only

Answer Explanation: When the drop of wastewater Sample 3 is put on the filter paper and the filter paper is placed in the solvent solution, the ions from the sample travel up the filter paper with Rf values of 0.08, 0.78, and 0.95 (we can see this from the third row of Table 2).
If we cross-reference this information with the Rf of known ions in Table 1 then we can see that the sample must contain Nickel, Cadmium, and Mercury ions. Therefore the correct answer is D.

Question 2: Based on the information in Table 1, which of the following lists the metal ions in order from the fastest to slowest speed with which they moved up the paper?

1. Hg2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2

2. Cd2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Hg2+, Ni2+

3. Ni2+, Hg2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Cd2+

4. Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Hg2+

Answer Explanation: We know that the metal ion which travels the farthest distance in the set period of time in which the filter paper is placed in the solvent solution is the one which must also be travelling the fastest (remember the Math formula Speed= Distance/Time). To answer this question we look at Table 2, which happens to be ordered in increasing speed of ion travel. We just reverse the order of the table to find the correct answer (which is A).

Question 3:  Based on the information in Table 1, to best identify a metal ion using paper chromatography, one should know the:

1. spot color for the ion only.

2. distance the solvent traveled only.

3. Rf value and spot color for the ion only.

4. distance the solvent traveled and spot color of the ion only.

Answer Explanation: We start by looking at the data in Table 1 and eliminating options. The answer cannot be A, because some of the ions share the same spot color, therefore we cannot use this feature to differentiate between ions. The answer cannot be B, because the solvent would travel the same distance in all trials. It cannot be D, because that is a combination of the wrong answers A and B, and even having both sets of information would still not enable us to differentiate between ions. Therefore the correct answer must be C. Knowing the Rf value is the crucial piece of information, as it differs for each ion.

Passage and questions taken from: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/science-practice-test-questions.html?page=0&chapter=4#