ACT PREPARATION

The American College Testing (ACT) Program was introduced in 1959 as a competitor to the SAT. According to the test makers, the ACT measures high school students’ general education development and their capability to complete college-level work. Offered six times a year, the ACT has recently become formally recognized by all four-year colleges.  The ACT contains four required sections and an optional writing section as described below. Each required section receives a score of 1-36. The "composite score" is the average of the four sections.

• ACT English – students revise and edit writing pieces using the rules of standard written English.
• ACT Mathematics – students show ability in all topics of high school math: pre-algebra, algebra, plane and coordinate geometry, and trigonometry.
• ACT Reading – students are evaluated on ability to read and comprehend passages.
• ACT Science – students interpret and analyze data, understand the significance of experiments, and compare the views of scientists.
• ACT Writing (Optional) - students write an essay on a topic about a social issue applicable to high school students.

At Somerset Learning Center, students are presented with the skills, strategies, and practice necessary for success on the ACT.  Excellent, experienced teachers provide individualized instruction to students utilizing the most effective and comprehensive materials. The small group environment is encouraging and supportive and students are enabled to ask questions and to perform their best.

Throughout ACT tutoring, students are taught strategies to approach each test as a whole and to tackle specific types of questions. Individual student needs are determined from our skills assessment. Teachers then work with students to correct deficiencies and to further develop the necessary underlying skills – including reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, writing, and math. Students practice taking actual ACT sections, under timed conditions, to improve their time management and to build stamina and concentration. Relevant homework is assigned throughout the ACT preparation program.

Students with a wide range of ability levels benefit from our programs - from the special needs to those capable of exceptional performance. Since our ACT tutoring programs are individually designed for each student, there could be equal focus on individual test sections, or more concentration on specific parts. This flexibility helps students with specific needs to achieve their goals. It is preferable that students have several months to prepare for the ACT; however, we also offer more intensive and rapid instruction if the test date is imminent.

See Schedule of ACT Test Dates for 2011-2012