Friday, March 20, 2020

Complete Official ACT Practice Tests, Free Links

Complete Official ACT Practice Tests, Free Links SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips No matter how you prep for the ACT- whether you have a tutor, take a class, or study by yourself- you must get access to official ACT tests. These tests are released by ACT, Inc. and contain real questions given to actual students on previous test dates. These questions have been removed from circulation (so you won't ever see them on a real test), but their quality is second to none when it comes to ACT realism. In this post, I'll tell you how to find all currently available official ACT practice tests. Most are free and offer a good way to get your feet wet with ACT prep. We'll also discuss how to use these tests to improve your ACT score. A Quick Intro to ACT Practice Tests The ACT format hasn't changed much in the past decade (except for the essay), so tests released in 2008 are almost as good as tests released in 2018. We'll give you the tests in the following section, and then teach you how to best make use of them. Be aware that practice tests are not a cure-all for all ACT problems. Definitely learn what practice tests do and don't do and understand the dangers of abusing practice tests. In addition, make sure you take them at the optimal frequency and aren't taking full practice tests too close to your test date. All Free, Full-Length ACT Practice Tests The following ACT practice tests are totally free. We've gathered all of them together in one place for your convenience. Currently, there are six PDF tests that you can print out and take on paper: ACT Practice Test 2018-19 (Form 74FPRE) Test: p-55. Answer key: p57-60. ACT Practice Test 2015-16 (Form 72CPRE) Test: p-55. Answer key: p57-62. ACT Practice Test 2014-15 (Form 67C) Test: p-51 (ignore the essay). Answer key: p56-62. ACT Practice Test 20-12 (Form 64E) Test: p13-56 (ignore the essay). Answer key: p60-65. ACT Practice Test 2008-09 (Form 61C) Test: p13-55 (ignore the essay). Answer key: p60-64. ACT Practice Test 2005-06 (Form 59F) Test: p13-55 (ignore the essay). Answer key: p60-65. Notice a few years missing? That's because ACT, Inc. duplicates the same test in different years. For example, the 2015-16 test is identical to the 2016-17 and 2017-18 tests and the 2018-19 test is identical to the 2019-20 test. We've included the form ID with each test so that you can confirm for yourself what's the same and what's not (you can find this code at the bottom-left of each page on the tests). There is also one ACT free online sample test. Although the test format is a little clunky, it's overall a convenient digital resource. To use it, click through each section to answer questions in short batches. Once you receive your scores for a question set, you'll move on to the next batch of questions. Unfortunately, these features make it impossible to take this ACT test under realistic timing conditions, but at least you can get some helpful practice with it. 2 Official ACT Practice Test Resources You Can Buy So far, we've given you all free, official ACT practice tests. But what about paid practice tests? For even more high-quality practice, consider buying the following official ACT practice tests. The Official ACT Prep Guide, 2019-2020 Edition Price: About $21 This official prep book is definitely the best resource for realistic ACT practice questions. Don't bother using Kaplan or The Princeton Review for practice tests, as their quality is far inferior to the tests created by ACT, Inc. The 2019-20 edition includes five full-length ACT practice tests with essay prompts. One of these tests is new to the 2019-20 edition and one of them also appears in the 2018-19 edition, but the other three are the same tests as those in the 2018 and 2016-17 editions. Therefore, you might want to consider buying a copy of the third edition (which has five unique practice tests) in addition to the 2019-20 edition for extra practice. ACT Online Program Price: $39.95 This official online program includes two extra full-length ACT practice tests and many authentic practice questions that reflect the most recent changes to the ACT. The online prep material forlearning the subjects isn't all that great, however, so you're really only buying it for the tests. How to Use Official ACT Tests: 4 Tips Because each ACT practice test takes about four hours to complete, it's important for you to get the most out of every one you take. Below, we go over some important tips to keep in mind when taking these official ACT practice tests: But before we get to our tips, it's worth reiterating that practice tests can't be used to address all possible ACT problems. If you're struggling to understand certain concepts, for example, you'll need to make sure you're brushing up on your content review and learning difficult topics from scratch. So while ACT practice tests are an excellent way to track your progress, they certainly aren't the only resources out there! Now, we'll show you how you can use ACT practice tests to your advantage. #1: Take Each Test in One Sitting The ACT is a marathon that forces you to sit and concentrate for four hours on an early Saturday morning. You need to build up your test-taking stamina so that you don't make careless mistakes at the end of the exam. By taking each ACT practice test in one sitting, you'll increase your endurance for the real test. If you don't have time in your schedule for a four-hour session, splitting it up over multiple days is OK- as long as you heed our next tip. #2: Use Official Time Limits It is critical that you recreate the time limits on the ACT as you take practice tests. Each section requires you to answer one or more questions in about a minute, which causes most students to end up with less time than they need, especially on the Math section. But don't be tempted to give yourself even two extra minutes, as this could unfairly let you finish more questions, thereby improving your score substantially. Remember that ACT practice tests should be reliable indicators of your real ACT score. If you give yourself more time than what's allowed on the test, you won't be able to see where you're actually scoring. #3: Review Your Answers At the end of every test, be sure to review every mistake you made as well as every question you got correct. If you bypass this step, you're not going to learn from your mistakes, and you'll continue making the same ones over and over again. A rule of thumb is to spend at least two hours reviewing every full ACT practice test you take. Though this is time consuming, it's important that you emphasize quality of learning over quantity of learning. In the end, it's better to take three tests with detailed review than it is to take six tests with no review. #4: No Improvement? Supplement Your Practice Tests While some students can learn from their mistakes, others need guidance to point out where their weaknesses are and assignments to help them directly improve upon their weak points. A good prep program can supercharge your ACT prep so that you're always focusing on the best material. Check out our industry-leading online ACT prep program. We've designed it to cover all the advantages of ACT books and tutors- and more- at an affordable price. Featuring in-depth strategy lessons and thousands of practice questions, our program uses the best content from the leading prep books. It also guides you step by step through what you should be working on at every moment to best improve your ACT score. This works by customizing to your strengths and weaknesses, and then giving you focused practice to help you learn the patterns on the test. Finally, it motivates you to study so that you put in enough time. There's a 4-point guarantee, too- meaning that if you don't improve your score by 4 points or more, you'll get all of your money back! For other ACT prep resources, take a look at our guides to the best ACT prep books, the best ACT websites, and how to find an ACT tutor. What's Next? Want more ACT practice? Check out our massive collection of official and unofficial ACT practice tests. And if you're hoping to hone your math skills specifically, we've compiled the best ACT Math practice tests in a separate guide. Taken the ACT already but unhappy with your score? Use our guide to decide whether you should retake the ACT. Not sure when to take the ACT? Get a complete study plan for the ACT to figure out the best date for you. Check out our industry leading ACT prep program. We have a 4 point improvement guarantee- improve your ACT composite score by 4 points, or get every dollar of your money back. We're that confident in our program.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Where to Get a Writing Critique

Where to Get a Writing Critique Where to Get a Writing Critique Where to Get a Writing Critique By Maeve Maddox From time to time, I receive emails from writers, asking me to critique attached poems or short stories. In the early days, I would send a polite reply, explaining that I hadn’t time to critique their work. Now I simply delete the email and attachments and get back to my own writing. The DWT Contact page states the policy that our writers don’t answer questions via email. Critiquing a manuscript of any length is time-consuming. Time is the most precious possession of a working writer. Asking another writer, especially one with whom you have no personal acquaintance, for a free critique is the equivalent of asking a stranger for a gift costing anywhere from $300 up. I have arrived at this figure by browsing the sites of professional critiquing services. Rates are based on word-count, number of pages, or some combination of the two. One service that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror charges $300 for the first 20,000 words and $15 per every 1,000 words thereafter. Another service offers a flat rate of $260 for the first 50 pages, but applies a per-page rate thereafter. A manuscript of 100-199 pages is priced at $6 per page; from 100-199 pages, $4 per page. A manuscript of 200 pages is priced at $3.75 per page. Paid critiquing is neither a practical nor sensible solution for the beginning writer. Such services are for writers who have already done everything they can to improve their drafts with whatever help is available to them without an outlay of cash. On the other hand, writers need the feedback of other writers. What’s the solution? Where can beginners find suitable readers for their early drafts without an outlay of cash? First, they must be willing to critique the work of others in exchange for critiques of their own writing. Ideally, they will find another writer or writers in their own vicinity. For example, I belong to a writer’s critique group whose members live within a radius of about thirty miles. We meet weekly, varying the meeting place so that no one has to drive the farthest distance every week. Not every group is a good fit for every writer. In approaching an established group, writers need to evaluate the writing level and interests of the members. Some groups specialize in different genres. Not every group critiques poetry or illustrated children’s books. Not every group is made up of beginners. A group of published writers may not be the best choice for an unpublished writer who is still struggling with basics. A good place to find kindred writing spirits is your local public library. Browse the bulletin board. Ask the reference librarians if they know of authors in the area. Writers who can’t find other writers locally can look for critique partners on the Web. Here is a starter list of five sites that offer help in finding a partner: Kingdom Writers An email critique and fellowship group for Christian writers. Ladies Who Critique Ladies Who Critique  is a critique partner-matching site for writers of all levels – â€Å"published, unpublished, aspiring, hobbyists, even closet writers or complete newbies!† Nathan Bransford This free writing forum offers a thread devoted to connecting with a critique partner. Poetry-Free-For-All This site boasts 23,000 members â€Å"of all skill levels† and is described as â€Å"a non-stop online poetry workshop for beginners and experts alike.† Participants must agree to offer at least three critiques of others’ work for each poem submitted. Quantum Muse This site is for writers of â€Å"science fiction, fantasy and alternative writing and artwork.† It offers the opportunity of publication. Membership is free, but participants must complete three critiques of the work of others before receiving permission to submit. Scribophile This free site is for writers of all skill levels. Members exchange detailed critiques. Reciprocity is a must. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureLatin Plural Endings6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know