PSAE: ACT Reading Test

The Tests & How We PrepareNOTE: This presentation was adapted by A. Theodore & M. Streit (CLS) from a D155 prepared Power Point.

Types of passages

ACT® : 4 passages, 35 minutes; 40 ?’s

Prose Fiction (story; 1 passage; 1-10)

Social Science (article; historical facts; 1 passage; 11-20)

Humanities (article; facts about arts; 1 passage; 21-30)

Natural Science (article; science facts; 1 passage; 31-40)

Plan of attack

•Not knowledge test but tests how well you read & interpret info. (prediction for college success)

•Good news: tricks & tips based on target score•Our goal: 24 = 26 correct•Our Time: 11 min.; 11 min.; 11 min., & 2 min.

•Reading strategy (forms of preview, read, & review)

•Types of questions (QAR)

Plan of attack(if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

•Our Time:

•11 min.: Read Prose passage 1 & answer ?’s 1-10

•11 min.: Read Soc. Sci. passage 2 & answer ?’s 11-20

•11 min.: Read Humanities passage 3 & answer ?’s 21-30

•**5 min. warning called during passage 3; be near #30**

•2 min.: Go to Natural Science passage 4 & fill in 31-40

Prose passage (story)(if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

11 min to read & answer ?’s 1-10 Read opening info. Read 1st column to find:

setting (time & place), characters, conflict (prob.) Read 2nd column to find:

Attempted solutions (Note: don’t expect full solution)

Read w/pencil in hand: be active! Review annotations Types of questions

Prose Passage (story) (if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

Answer (4:30 min) (< 30 sec. per ?)

Reread only when line # is given QAR (question-answer relationship: types of ?’s)

Right there (will find answer in one place in text) Think & search (will answer in many places in text) Author & me (info outside passage: inferences) On my own (you)

How to answer fact passages(if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

11 min each passage & 10 ?’s Preview Read & annotate

Read & understand the linesRead & understand between the lines

Review Answer

Fact passages: Use SQ3R(if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

Survey: preview/skim (1:30 min.) Title, author, & other info. (connections?) Entire 1st & last paragraph

Thesis (purpose for writing): Question: What does author want reader to

think, believe, know?Look for thesis repeated at end of passage

First line & last line of each paragraphAny repeated words & ideas?

Fact passages: Use SQ3R(if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

Read (4:30 min) From start to finish w/pencil in handRecite what you pick up

physical act = stronger memory Review (30 sec)

Skim to remind self Focus on annotations

Fact passages: Use SQ3R(if only read passages 1-3 to answer ?’s 1-30 )

Answer (4:30 min) (< 30 sec. @ ?)

Reread only when line # is given QAR (question-answer relationship: types of ?’s)

Right there (will find answer in one place in text) Think & search (will answer in many places in text) Author & me (info outside passage: inferences) On my own (you & ideas from text)

8.5 min each passage & answer 10 ?’s Prose passage: 8.5 min & use same approach as

presented Article passages:

Survey: preview/skim (1:30 min.) Read & Recite (3 min) Review (30 sec) Answer (3:30 min)

Plan (if you want to read ALL)

The Instructions

There’s no reason to waist a single minute reading the directions, so learn them before test day.

You should know the drill by now: read, repeat, remember.

DIRECTIONS: On this test you will have 35 minutes to read four passages and answer 40 questions (10 questions per passage). Each set of ten questions appears directly after the relevant passage. You should select the answer choice that best answers the question. There is no time limit for work on the individual passages, so you can move freely between the passages and refer to each as often as you’d like.

Annotating Passages

SCRIBBLE AND UNDERLINE Any markings you do will help you answer

questions The point is not to underline correct answers,

but to assist you when referring back to a passage

Underline the topic sentence of each paragraph (it’s not always the first sentence)

Answering Questions

If you get a question that is very hard and threatens to take a lot of time, place a mark next to it, skip it, move on to the next question, come back to it if you have time.

Answering Questions

Passage First, Questions After Common sense strategy Looking at the questions first can be

extremely confusing and time consuming

Practice!

When taking the practice reading test, practice making marginal notes and underlines.

Soon you should be able to develop a scribbling system that works for you.

Ready??