MSMS students are rigorously preparing for Saturday’s upcoming ACT.  While juniors and seniors will be taking it, this particular ACT is important to seniors, as it is one of the last ones that can be sent to colleges for early action applications.

Senior Elle McKenzie has taken the ACT three previous times and she will be taking the ACT plus writing this Saturday. “I have been studying for at least 30 minutes every night, starting back in August,” she said. McKenzie typically studies alone, and she plans on taking the ACT on every available test date until colleges are no longer accepting scores. She says that her ideal score is “32-34. So maybe a 33.”

Hakeem Mikle, also a senior, is taking the ACT for the fourth time on Saturday. He is signed up for the writing section as well. Mikle said he studies “two hours a week, for the last month and a half,” and he tends to study alone for the ACT. Whether he will continue to take the examination depends on Saturday’s test scores.

Students taking the ACT on Saturday should remember to bring the appropriate materials, including #2 pencils, the printed ticket, a picture ID, and an approved calculator. Students can refer to the ACT website with any other questions.

Tips for taking the ACT, courtesy of www.actstudent.org

• Read each question carefully.
• Pace yourself—don’t spend too much time on a single passage or question.
• Pay attention to the announcement of five minutes remaining on each test.
• Answer the easy questions first, then go back and answer the more difficult ones if you have time remaining on that test.
• On difficult questions, eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, then make an educated guess among those remaining.
• Answer every question. Your scores on the multiple-choice tests are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for guessing.
• If you complete a test before time is called, recheck your work on that test.