The document provides tips for managing time effectively during the ACT exam. It recommends building a "time bank" by answering some questions quickly to save time for harder questions. Students should estimate answers when possible rather than calculating exactly, and should guess and move on from questions they don't know rather than spending too much time on a single problem. The document also reviews important math concepts that may appear on the ACT like linear equations, trigonometry, functions, and quadratic equations. The overall goal is to pass the ACT by scoring as many points as possible within the time limit.

1. ACT Review

2. Time management
• 60 questions/60 minutes
• This is an AVERAGE time per question
• If you work 20 minutes and have answered 20
questions, you are behind

3. Time management
• Some questions will be quick; others will take
more
• Build up a time bank
• Many questions take 10-15 seconds
• Save extra time for other questions
• Use time bank on more difficult questions

4. Time management
• Do some questions in 10 seconds
• Spend extra time on tough ones
• Do not OBSESS
• There are some questions you will not know
• Do not dig in your heels and be determined to get it
• Mark it and move on
• Be sure to stay on the right question on answer sheet
• Stay on right bubble

5. Time management
• On the hard questions:
• Take a quick educated guess
• Circle the question number in the exam booklet
• Mark the answer on the bubble sheet
• This keeps you on the right number on the bubble sheet
• If you do run out of time, at least you will have and
answer on the sheet; you will not accidentally leave an
answer blank
• Remember:
• There is no guessing penalty on the ACT

6. Estimation
• Calculators
• Allowed on ACT
• Should not need to use them often (if at all)
• Questions will take longer using calculator

7. Estimation
• ACT does not want you spending time
calculating
• You will never see this on ACT
• ACT is looking for concepts
• Many answers do not even require
computation
8.625*1.678 

8. Estimation
• Frequently, trig answers are only the set up of
the equation
• Answer choices are not decimal calculations
• Example:
• a.
• b.
12 tan 42
12/ tan42

9. Estimation
• Close enough usually good enough
• Example: calculate when
• Use or approximately 48 rather than doing
exact calculation on calculator
• Answers will usually be sufficiently different to
get the correct one
2 r 8r 
6*8

10. Other strategies
• Look at the answers first
• This will help you attack the problem
• If the answers are all integers, then estimation is a
good idea
• If the answers are expressions, then computation is
not necessary. Leave the calculator on the desk.

11. Other strategies
• Guess and test
• Legitimate strategy
• Use when you have no idea on a problem
• Use when there are a few obviously wrong
answers
• Use when it is the quickest way (difficult I know)
• e.g. finding GCF

12. Bill’s Rules
• Use Bill’s Rule #1
• Write down the computation, equation, etc.
• You are under pressure; you will not be able to do even
simple calculations in your head.
• Your will forget something, e.g. negatives, parentheses,
order of operations
• Do not rely on your brain for this; use your brain for
concepts

13. Bill’s Rules
• Use Bill’s rule #2
• Go back to the definition, principle, etc.
• Think about what concepts is being discussed
• Recall relationship
• Write it down

14. Straight lines
• Slope intercept form of line
• Point slope form of line
• Slope of a line
• Intercepts of line
• Slope of lines
• Parallel
• Perpendicular

15. Straight lines
• Distance between points
• Midpoint between points

16. Trig
• SOH CAH TOA
• Pythagorean identities
• Special right triangles
• Pythagorean triples

17. Trig
• Pythagorean triples (and their multiples)
• 3, 4, 5 (6, 8, 10) (9, 12, 15)
• 5, 12, 13
• 8, 15, 17
• 7, 24, 25

18. Functions
• Odd/even functions
• Basic function shapes
• Function manipulation
• Vertical shift
• Vertical stretch
• Horizontal shift
• Horizontal stretch

19. Equations
• Solutions to equations
• Make statement “true”
• Graphical interpretation of solutions
• X-intercepts
• Zeros of a function

20. Quadratic equations
• Solutions
• Number of solutions
• Graphical representations
• Quadratic formula
• Usage
• Discriminant
• Discriminant values

21. Miscellaneous
• Basic probability
• Multiplication rule
• Permutations
• Combinations

22. • The goal is to pass
• Score as many points as possible
• Maximize your score
• A perfect paper is unattainable