What do you struggle with most when it comes to taking a test? Some students can’t seem to stay awake, while others let their anxiety take over. For most people, however, the problem is memorizing all the necessary information to answer the questions correctly. Content memorization can be hard, but students can overcome this challenge.

It may seem counterproductive to add more things to remember to improve memorization, but it pays off in the end. Learn how these memorization tips, coupled with comprehensive ACT test prep, can help you boost their test scores to the level they need to meet their academic goals.

Know Your Learning Style

People naturally have different learning styles, and each style requires its own optimum methods and approaches. When it comes to memorization, it’s better to take advantage of your unique learning style. For example, a visual learner might benefit from writing notes and matching concepts with pictures, while verbal learners might prefer repeating ideas back and forth with a partner.

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Talk to Yourself

Despite popular belief, talking to yourself can actually be quite helpful, especially when you’re trying to remember important information. In fact, you may be 50% more likely to remember something if you repeat it out loud to yourself rather than read it over and over. While all people can talk to themselves to help remember important information, as a student, you will find this technique particularly helpful.

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Use Flashcards

When it comes to training memory, flashcards are among the best tools at your disposal. You need to remember a few points about flashcards, and the most important is not to overload them with information. They should be simple, impactful and effective above all else. Reading them out loud can also help you get that extra memory boost you need.

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Know How Memory Works

Before any system can be optimized, it needs to be understood. Developing a working understanding of memory allows you to take advantage of your brain’s natural ability to better retain information and make that information easier to access when it’s needed. This helps plenty when taking tests, but it helps in life generally as well.

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Eat Properly

The mind needs fuel just like every other part of the human body, and the healthier your diet, the better your memory will be. If you face an upcoming test, eating healthy while studying as well as just before the test is a great way to ensure that you retain information and remain focused.

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Take an ACT Test Prep Course

These tips will help you with memorization, but if you’re trying to boost your skills in advance of the ACT, nothing prepares you better than a comprehensive ACT test prep program. For a collection of helpful courses, check out what we offer at Counterpoint. Browse our courses today to learn more about how we can help boost your scores.

Whether you’ve been a high school student for a semester or over three years, you’ve probably felt pressure to take the ACT. Scoring well on the ACT can mean a lot for your academic career, so the pressure around this important exam can be overwhelming. One of the best ways to help deal with the stress is to make a plan.

A major aspect of that plan should be study time. No matter what kind of exam you’re taking, you need to study beforehand, but a major exam like the ACT warrants a different approach, so how soon should you start studying for the ACT?

Things to Consider

When deciding when to start studying for the ACT, ask yourself what the purpose is for your taking the ACT. Which college do you want to attend? Some colleges have very different standards when it comes to applicants’ ACT scores. If you’re aiming for the ivy league, you need to ensure your score is as high as possible.

There are problems if you take the test too early, however. The ACT covers reading, math, science, and English. Many aspects of these subjects won’t be covered until you’re a year or two into your high school career, so you’ll struggle if you take it too early. Remember, the purpose of studying is to help you master and retain information. Learning for the first time is best done in a classroom.

Take the Practice Test

Fortunately, there are practice tests available for the ACT. These consequence-free tests can give you an idea of what you’d score on the real ACT. You should take one of these tests near the end of your sophomore year of high school after you’ve learned most of the necessary topics you’ll encounter on the exam.

Once you have your score on the practice test, you’ll know exactly how much you’ll need to improve and in what areas. Taking the practice test in the spring of your sophomore year gives you the whole summer to prepare. You should plan to take the ACT in the spring of your junior year so you have plenty of time to study and it won’t interfere with any potential AP tests on your schedule.

How Long Should You Study?

If you want to score high on the ACT, you need to determine how many hours you’re prepared to dedicate to studying. Set your starting point to account for the hours you want to spend. Be prepared to spend at least 40 hours studying if you want to improve your ACT score by a good four or so points from what you got on your practice exam.

The most important thing for determining how soon you should start studying for the ACT is that you know your goals. Set reasonable expectations for yourself and try not to let studying interfere with other important aspects of your life. On the other hand, you need to make sure you don’t neglect the need to study more than you should. Finding balance is key and one of the best ways to help with that is to start studying at the appropriate time.

The bottom line is you should start studying a bit before the practice exam during your sophomore year and then continue studying until you take the real ACT in the spring of your junior year. For best ACT test prep courses available, check out everything Counterpoint Test Prep can offer.

A considerable collection of online ACT test prep options are available, but you’ll generally get the same results no matter which one you opt for. That’s why you need to look for what separates one service from another. Discover whether or not the test prep service you’re opting for can actually provide a strategy useful for helping students succeed on the ACT.

With our Advantage Point Strategy®, Counterpoint sets itself apart. This strategy includes a specific way of thinking and reasoning that allows you to gain the tools required for effectively approaching any problem you may face on the ACT. Learn more about the Advantage Point Strategy® and its three points and discover how they can help you succeed.

Pinpoint

The first aspect of the Advantage Point Strategy® is to Pinpoint. When you approach a question, you must first Pinpoint all the important aspects required to reach the correct answer. A lot of test questions are purposely worded in a strange way, so we teach you how to reword questions to present them more clearly and concisely.

After the meaning of the question has been established, you will then Pinpoint the important key words. This strategy is especially effective for multiple choice questions, as you’ll often find similar or related keywords in the answers. Recognizing these ensures that you have a firm grasp on the topic and concepts in question.

Checkpoint

Once the question has been fully understood, it’s time to move on to Checkpoint. During the Checkpoint stage, the primary goal is the elimination of false answers. A good way to spot a false answer is to look for keywords that distort or distract from the concepts featured in the question.

After obviously false answers have been eliminated, the student will then have to examine the remaining answers. There will often be several answers available that could serve as an answer to the question, in the sense that they aren’t irrelevant to the mentioned concepts. You will have to determine which is factually correct.

Endpoint

Even at the end, when looking for the final correct answer, you should still primarily be concerned with elimination. The correct answer to any multiple choice question is the answer that cannot be eliminated. With that in mind, you will then draw on your knowledge of the concepts to find the only answer that isn’t wrong in any way.

After the right answer has been found, it’s always helpful to check the other available answers to ensure that they were properly eliminated. Avoid the impulse to rush through questions and eliminate options before reading the rest of the available answers. When you do that, you may find that the hastily eliminated option was the most correct option (The ACT wants the BEST answer.) This kind of double checking helps work against the occasional human error that we all have to deal with at some point.

Try Counterpoint Today

With our Advantage Point Strategy®, you will have a serious edge, not only on the ACT, but on virtually any other kind of exam you’ll have to take in your academic career. Feel free to browse our list of courses today, all of which utilize the Advantage Point Strategy, and get prepared with online ACT test prep.

When it comes to getting into the right college, admissions will consider several factors. Your academic record and college essay are very important, but another of the essential factors is your ACT score. This important exam can make or break your chances of getting into your dream university, so make sure you’re boosting your score as high as it can go.

One of the best ways to enhance your ACT test prep is with Counterpoint’s ACT Question of the Day. This handy feature will send you ACT questions every day, allowing you to practice answering the kinds of questions you’ll find on the actual test. Let’s talk about how our Question of the Day service can enhance your ACT test prep.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Whether you’re preparing for the ACT, a big speech, karaoke night, or virtually anything else, you need to practice. Practicing something repeatedly is the single best way to master it, and that’s exactly what our Question of the Day can offer. Each day, you’ll receive a question that allows you to actively practice for the ACT.

Each of our Questions of the Day will be in the form of a real ACT question. Not only does this help you master the content, but it gives you insight as to the format and organization of the questions. You’ll become more familiar with the style the writers use and can even learn what kind of tricks to expect so you don’t fall for them.

Versatility

Counterpoint offers a long list of courses you can use to prepare for the ACT, but our Question of the Day can also help. You don’t have to sign up for the courses to benefit from the Questions of the Day, so you can enjoy the benefits regardless of whatever else you do.

If you are enrolled in one or more of our courses, however, you’ll find that these questions directly relate to the content you study. With clear, detailed explanations of all the answers, you can enhance your understanding of the course in addition to getting that extra practice. All of these aspects help you retain information and prepare yourself, so why not double up and have these daily questions and your courses complement each other?

Gauging Preparation

As your ACT test date approaches, it’s helpful to gauge how prepared you are. You need to find out if all your ACT test prep has made a difference. Since our Questions of the Day are modeled on the questions you’ll find on the actual ACT, you can use them as a reliable metric for measuring your preparedness.

Take note of whether or not you’re getting the questions right, of course, but also make sure you recognize frequent patterns among the questions. Are you picking up on the common tricks that these questions sometimes use? Consider whether or not you can think like a question writer rather than just someone who can answer the questions.

Sign Up for Question of the Day Today

When it comes to your ACT test prep, our Question of the Day can augment any courses you might be taking and help boost your ACT scores considerably. It’s always better to get a head start, allowing you to get in as much practice as possible, so check out our Question of the Day service today!

There’s no doubt that our language is complex. In fact, some say that English is among the hardest languages to learn, let alone become fluent. That’s because it has evolved from a combination of many languages all smashed together. It’s no wonder so many students have difficulty with the rules, exceptions, and guidelines.

When it comes to taking the ACT exam, it’s not uncommon for students to struggle with the English section. That’s why it’s important to know what the grammar rules are so that you can approach the exam properly. Check out this comprehensive ultimate guide to the ACT grammar rules so you can greatly improve your test results on the English section.

ACT Grammar Rules

There are essentially two categories of grammar rules on the ACT exam: mechanical (usage) and rhetoric. Usage skills are the basics of grammar, and include things like verb tenses, subject and verb agreement, and punctuation. Rhetoric, on the other hand, involves writing, organization, and style rules.

This guide will focus on the usage skills, or ACT grammar rules.

Comma Rules

Punctuation is important, but the ACT exams will focus on very specific punctuation usage, including commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons, dashes, and end punctuation. Commas should be used to separate words and groups of words when there are three or more items listed. They are also used to separate two interchangeable adjectives. In addition, they set off dependent clauses which begin sentences, as well as non-essential parts of sentences. Then there are dates and addresses.

Apostrophe Rules

Apostrophes can be used either to show possession, or to create contractions. If a word ends in “s,” an apostrophe is placed after it, whether singular or plural. If a word ends in any other letter, to show possession, use an apostrophe followed by an “s.” “The kid’s room,” for example, implies a single kid, while “the kids’ room” implies a room owned by several kids. Since the name “Chris” ends with an “s,” you would indicate ownership by saying, “Chris’ car,” even though Chris is one person. However, apostrophes are never used to show possession in pronouns.

When creating a contraction, the apostrophe demonstrates the missing letters. For example, the contraction “you’d” is an abbreviated way of saying, “you would.”

Colons and Semicolons

Colons are used to set off an independent clause from a list, appositive, or other related idea. Semicolons are used to join two independent clauses or to separate a string of words in a list.

Rules for Dashes

Dashes are used to both set off and emphasize content. That is, the content set off after a dash or between dashes, carries more emphasis than other content, as opposed to content placed in parentheses, which is offset, but often tangential to the rest of the sentence.

End Punctuation Rules

Finally, how to end a sentence is a basic rule. When you are making a basic statement of any kind, use a period to end the sentence. If your sentence asks a direct question, use a question mark at the end. If the sentence expresses strong emotion, use an exclamation point. Exclamation points should be used sparingly and rarely, or they lose their impact.

These are the core ACT grammar rules that you will need to understand when you take the exam. For more tips, tricks, and resources, explore the Counterpoint website today!

ACT time is stressful. It seems like you never know what the test is going to throw at you, even if you know other people who have already taken it, and you’re pinning your future on the results. Many people choose to take prep courses or hire tutors, and that’s a great strategy. However, you’ll also want to work out a plan of action to study on your own.

But what is the best way to approach studying for the ACT? There are several steps you can take to ensure that you’re as ready as you can be when test day arrives. Check out these six key factors in creating a solid and effective ACT study plan, so you’re ready for anything the college preparatory test has to present.

Know Content and Strategies

We recommend starting with learning or relearning the content being tested so you can answer the questions correctly The other critical skill is practicing the best strategies that will lead you to the right answers in the limited time allotted. No resource hones these skills as well as Counterpoint Test Prep online.

Use Official Materials for Practice Tests

When making an ACT study plan, it’s important to look at the resources you have available. Use official materials, take practice tests, make a plan, and stick with it.

Home offers a whole range of official practice materials. These practice tests are the best available to you—after all, they’re specifically designed to help you do well by the company who makes the exam. The site also offers a prep guide you can use to form your plan of action. We also recommend the official ACT Test Prep Book.

Take a practice test to help you identify your weak points and learn where you need to focus your studies. It will give you a benchmark to make your plan. Then, throughout your study process, take additional practice exams to see how you’re coming along.

Create Your Study Plan and Stick With It

When you know where you need to focus your studies, make your plan. Put it in writing, set a schedule for studying, allocating at least 4 to 5 hours per week, and start a few months before you take the test. Plan and schedule what you will study every week.

Set High Goals for Yourself

Set very high goals for your studies. Be very critical of yourself and learn from the mistakes you make on your practice tests. There’s no such thing as a silly question, but there are silly mistakes, and every time you catch one, it’s one you’ll resolve not to make again. Ask yourself if you really understand the question and if you don’t, work at it until you do.

At the same time, understand that you’re learning. While you want to be critical of yourself, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s okay to not understand something—that’s the point of the work you’re doing!

By making a plan and sticking with it, you’ll find you do outstanding on the ACT exams. For more advice, tips, tricks, and resources, check out the Counterpoint website and get started today.

There was a time when preparing for college simply meant buckling down and taking the SAT. If you didn’t do well, you could take it again. While it’s still the case that you can take the SAT again, it hasn’t been your only option for a very long time. Now you have the possibility of two different college prep exams.

Most students worry about whether they should take the SAT or ACT. They’ve heard that the ACT is “easier” (not so for everyone), and that colleges weigh the SAT more heavily (they don’t). So, what is the difference between the two? Explore the differences between the SAT vs. ACT exam, and learn how to decide which might be the best one to take for your college preparatory test.

ACT vs. SAT

Many students choose to take both the ACT and the SAT, feeling that it’s best to have multiple scores under their belts. That may not necessarily be the best approach, because each test is very different and requires its own approach to preparation and studying.

The SAT doesn’t test your knowledge of science. While the ACT does, its science section really has very little to do with hard science. The essay section of each exam is also quite different—the ACT wants you to support an argument, while the SAT wants you to analyze someone else’s.

The math sections are different as well. The SAT has some math problems that don’t allow calculators and require you to fill in blanks, while the ACT is all multiple choice and allows calculators on all questions. The SAT gives formulas, while the ACT expects that you know the formulas. Finally, the SAT gives you a lot more time per problem, while the ACT requires more speed and focus when answering questions.

Which Is Easier?

For years, the ACT was thought to be an easier exam. This is not necessarily true. Each test is graded on a curve and your score is based on how well you did compared to other people who took the test. As such, choose the test that you think will make you more competitive. If you’re good at grammar and writing, the SAT may be the better option for you. If you love reading, the ACT might be more conducive to your strengths.

The best way to decide is to try practice exams for each and see which one feels better (and which one nets you a better score). You can get free exams from both providers online. Focus on the test you like better and work hard to do well at that test. These days, most schools value both tests equally.

When you’re ready to start prepping for your preferred exam, Counterpoint has a broad range of resources to help you get ready and ace that college entrance test! Explore our website and find out how we can help you today!