What is Crushing the Test ACT prep course?
Crushing the Test was developed with the intention of getting you into the college of your choice, and not needing any money out of pocket or student loan to pay for it.
In the 1st week of the course, you will apply to the top 6 colleges you want to consider and will know the requirements needed to be accepted for scholarships like the Presidential Scholarship and other full ride scholarships.
Imagine going to the college of your choice, without having to pay for it.
How many points will my score go up after taking the prep course?
If you follow the course and prepare as instructed, you can expect a minimum composite score of a 5 point increase. Most students see upwards to 10, and some even more. With Valencia Belle as creator of Crushing the Test, we are the only ACT prep course that is allowed to claim these point increases.
What can I expect from the course?
The six weeks includes: Week 1 – to complete a 4 hour pretest to see where you currently stand with your scores. Even if you have taken the test already, the pretest should be taken. Also in week 1, you are to research and apply to 6 colleges that you want to attend, knowing the requirements of GPAs and ACT scores for any and all scholarships available, whether you are for academic scholarships or athletic scholarships.
The next 4 weeks will cover each section of the test. You will gain an understanding on how and why each question of the ACT is given, and the know-how of answering them correctly.
You will also be required to read a 200 page book each week for the 6 weeks of the course. That’s only 28 pages a day, each week. This is designed to get you reading faster and more comfortably so that when you are taking the ACT, the reading of scenarios for questions will not intimidate you on the times given for each section of the test.
Week 2 – English
Week 3 – Math
Week 4 – Reading
Week 5 – Science
Week 6 – Overview/review of material and post test to see how well the prep course helped your score. If you are taking the course to coincide with testing dates, a 7th week is there to go over any sections you feel you need additional help in.
What if I want to improve my score even more after taking the prep course?
You can go thru the course as many times as you feel you need for a better score, although if you give the course complete effort on your first attempt, you will not need a 2nd testing or 2nd prep course.
During the 1st week of the prep course you will research and apply for at least 6 colleges you want to consider. This will give you the information needed to qualify for scholarships. If you meet these requirements with your scores, then wanting is higher score would be a personal goal. Consider why you would feel the need to take the test and prep course again.
How long is the prep course?
The prep course is 6 weeks long. It is intensive and designed to completely give you the exact skills you need to increase your score 5-10 points afterwards. Your participation is dependent on how well the course serves you.
Why do I need to read a book a week during the prep course?
All 4 sections fo the ACT involves reading of scenerios for the questions. With each section of the test being timed, allowing only seconds per question, your speed in reading the test content and the stress you may develop of reading them could lead to inadequate answering.
The reading requirement is based on 200 pages per week (that’s only 28 pages a night) on the subject of your choice.
This is based on your honest efforts but the reading will increase your reading speed, your comprehension, and your comfortability in reading. Thus giving you the confidence and improved skill when it comes to reading the small scenerios on the test, versus 200 pages a week.
When should I take the prep course?
It is never too soon to take the ACT, therefore it is never too soon to take the Crushing the Test Prep Course.
It can be, however, too late to take the ACT when it comes to applying for scholarship money.
The prep course is 6 weeks long, and we prefer a 7th week to give yourself a break from the studying and/or give yourself a bit more time to go over any areas you feel needed.
It is not advised to take the prep course less than 6 weeks before the test date. You will only run the risk of developing anxiety and confusion on test day.
With all of that being said, it is ideal to start preparing for the ACT in the 7th grade. However, ACT recommends that you start taking the test your junior year because by then you will probably have completed the coursework corresponding to the test material.
The reason why we recommend earlier is due to the fact that the ACT is structured a certain way by questions, not material; if you can gain the skills to master that structure, it doesn’t matter what the questions are. In return, colleges can begin scouting you out earlier, giving you a wider choice range of where you want to attend college.
Facts About the ACT
ACT stands for...
American College Testing.
The ACT is a standardized test you must take for college admissions in the United States. The ACT test covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. An optional writing test is also offered.
The ACT is important because...
Not only is it required for college admissions, but admissions officers use it to judge your academic preparedness for college.
It can also be the difference in how much money you don’t have to pay for school. Your score, along with your GPA, could earn you scholarships and even full rides.
It is to your advantage to start prepping as early as you can to get the maximum scores needed to qualify for scholarships.because admissions officers use it to judge your academic preparedness for college.
The highest score possible is...
36
The current average is 21.
Making good scores on the ACT are the key to getting into the college of your choice.
For the graduating class of 2017, 60% – about 2 million test takers -took the ACT nationally.
Scoring a 24 – better than 74% of students
Scoring a 26 – better than 82% of students
Scoring a 28 – better than 88% of students
Scoring a 30 – better than 93% of students
Scoring a 35 or above is in the 99th percentile
ACT vs SAT
The tests are similar.
The ACT consist of 4 sections: ENGLISH, MATH READING, SCIENCE
The SAT also has 4 sections: READING, WRITING/LANGUAGE, MATH (No Calculator), MATH (Calculator)
The English section of the ACT and the Writing/Language sections of the SAT are very similar.
There isn’t a Science section on the SAT but science questions are throughout the whole test.
Both tests offer an optional essay section.
Colleges will accept either test for admissions and both allow eligible scholarship opportunities. According to ACT, more scholarships favored them over the SAT.
The max number of times you can take the ACT is...
12 times
Students, on average, take it 2-3 times before applying to college.
Many students do make a score improvement when retaking the test and are usually about 2 points.
Take the test when...
(If you are a senior)
Before and at least 2 months before of the application deadlines of all the colleges and scholarships you might want to apply to.
The cost of taking the ACT is...
$55
$70 with the essay writing
Superscoring is...
The averaging of your 4 best scores of each subject of multiple test attempts.
A composite score is the sum of the sections of one test.
Superscoring is definitely to your benefit for getting the highest overall score. Most colleges accept superscoring but check with your potential colleges.
To calculate your superscore...
Take the highest score from each test section from all of your ACT score reports, add those 4 scores together, divide by 4, and round up to the nearest whole number.
The writing score of the ACT does not count toward a superscore.