If you need to know it, it's in this book. Cracking the ACT, 2012 Edition has everything you need to master the ACT exam, including:
• Access to 3 full-length practice tests with detailed answer explanations—2 in the book and 1 online
• Comprehensive and engaging review of content covered in all five sections of the ACT, including rhetorical skills and reading comprehension for English, geometry and trigonometry for Math, and experiments for Science Reasoning
• Detailed walk-through of how to write great essays
• Strategies for turning complex algebra into simple arithmetic
• Practice questions and explanations in every chapter
• Lessons and tutorials, plus revisions and updates, available online
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
80 of 85 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are looking for ACT prep materials, Princeton Review materials are excellent. I enrolled in the instructors' course for the Princeton Review SAT and found their test prep approach clear and digestible. I have taught SAT prep at a prep school here in Connecticut, worked for a private tutoring company, and tutor students in both SAT and ACT prep. Friends and neighbors have asked if I would tutor their teens for the ACT, so I purchased this book to teach the non-math sections. The explanations in Princeton Review test prep books are field tested with actual students. Princeton Review explains clearly how to think about the tests and the test questions.
What is helpful for students and parents to understand about the reading tests on the ACT is that on tests given in school teachers want to provide quality answers. Teachers are testing to determine that students studied the material. Students just have to identify the right answer--it's more a test of did you learn the material?
The reading tests on the ACT are open book tests. The tests ask a question and the answer is right in front of you so they have to make it difficult to identify the answer. Because the reading tests on the ACT Test do not rely on your memory or knowledge base, they give you lousy answers, deceptive answers--sometimes you have to choose among the least worst answer. So, it takes strategy and knowing HOW the test company scrambles the answers in four different ways (distortion, switch, extreme answers and the "nice" answer) to lure students into the wrong answer. Once you know the ways they construct answers (there are only so many ways to do this), it is easier to spot the right answer. As my Princeton Review instructor wryly noted, these reading tests primarily test how well you take this kind of test, not what kind of a reader you are or how much you've read etc. In fact, there's not enough time to read the selections, so it's more of a read-the-question-and-"spot-the-answer" in the selection as quickly as you can strategy. This book shows how to do that.
It is not really a test of reading comprehension. It's a test of using the strategies that work to find the right answer. And Princeton Review materials are stellar at explaining fun ways to do this. They spend millions every year teaching test prep with actual students, so they know what works and what doesn't. And their employees sit and take the tests with students at test centers every year to keep up with the latest questions. Once students know the strategies, it takes the fear away because they see a question and know which strategy to use for that type of question.
Similarly the English section covers specific, limited grammar rules. Students need to know what those rules are to select the correct answers. Regarding the writing test, there are sample prompts on the writing section for practice. This book recommends a strategy regarding how to organize your essay response. The test scorers take about 30 seconds to scan and score your essay, so again it is helpful to know the rubric for how they score a test. Typical essay topics are featured so students can practice writing essays according to the recommendations.
I have heard the actual ACT Test company's book is great for sampling actual tests, but the prep books by the ACT company are not as helpful. The ACT Test Company may not be as motivated to teach strategies as they do not want to share all of their secrets. If most students could ace their test, they would have to design a new test. Princeton Review wants to help students ace the test. Consider buying this book for practice to improve your strategy skills, take the practice tests for homework, and then use the ACT Test company's book for actual mock tests once you have completed PRINCETON REVIEW's materials. Students may benefit from working with a tutor to review the chapters. I have found we can usually cover a chapter together in an hour. Then homework is assigned to practice the skills on the practice tests in this book and in the ACT company's test book.
I have taught for over 20 years, tutored for more, and was headmistress of a private academy. I just wish these PRINCETON REVIEW test prep materials were available when I was in high school.
What is helpful for students and parents to understand about the reading tests on the ACT is that on tests given in school teachers want to provide quality answers. Teachers are testing to determine that students studied the material. Students just have to identify the right answer--it's more a test of did you learn the material?
The reading tests on the ACT are open book tests. The tests ask a question and the answer is right in front of you so they have to make it difficult to identify the answer. Because the reading tests on the ACT Test do not rely on your memory or knowledge base, they give you lousy answers, deceptive answers--sometimes you have to choose among the least worst answer. So, it takes strategy and knowing HOW the test company scrambles the answers in four different ways (distortion, switch, extreme answers and the "nice" answer) to lure students into the wrong answer. Once you know the ways they construct answers (there are only so many ways to do this), it is easier to spot the right answer. As my Princeton Review instructor wryly noted, these reading tests primarily test how well you take this kind of test, not what kind of a reader you are or how much you've read etc. In fact, there's not enough time to read the selections, so it's more of a read-the-question-and-"spot-the-answer" in the selection as quickly as you can strategy. This book shows how to do that.
It is not really a test of reading comprehension. It's a test of using the strategies that work to find the right answer. And Princeton Review materials are stellar at explaining fun ways to do this. They spend millions every year teaching test prep with actual students, so they know what works and what doesn't. And their employees sit and take the tests with students at test centers every year to keep up with the latest questions. Once students know the strategies, it takes the fear away because they see a question and know which strategy to use for that type of question.
Similarly the English section covers specific, limited grammar rules. Students need to know what those rules are to select the correct answers. Regarding the writing test, there are sample prompts on the writing section for practice. This book recommends a strategy regarding how to organize your essay response. The test scorers take about 30 seconds to scan and score your essay, so again it is helpful to know the rubric for how they score a test. Typical essay topics are featured so students can practice writing essays according to the recommendations.
I have heard the actual ACT Test company's book is great for sampling actual tests, but the prep books by the ACT company are not as helpful. The ACT Test Company may not be as motivated to teach strategies as they do not want to share all of their secrets. If most students could ace their test, they would have to design a new test. Princeton Review wants to help students ace the test. Consider buying this book for practice to improve your strategy skills, take the practice tests for homework, and then use the ACT Test company's book for actual mock tests once you have completed PRINCETON REVIEW's materials. Students may benefit from working with a tutor to review the chapters. I have found we can usually cover a chapter together in an hour. Then homework is assigned to practice the skills on the practice tests in this book and in the ACT company's test book.
I have taught for over 20 years, tutored for more, and was headmistress of a private academy. I just wish these PRINCETON REVIEW test prep materials were available when I was in high school.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By marselsha
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very good review book that covers in-depth topics, general refreshers, and provides some strategies that help you manage your time. The strategies it provides are pretty effective and really help you make your way through the test faster. The book is worth the price for the strategies alone.
I did not use the practice tests, and only used the in-text exercises. Combined with some official ACT practice tests, this should prepare you to get over a 30, even if you have forgotten, as I have, many of the basics tested in the ACT.
One con I have found is that some answers it gives are wrong- for example, it says A is correct instead of F. Since A and F are both the first answer choice, it is obvious the book writers just made a typo. These mistakes should not worry you, though, since the answers also provide an explanation, which should make it easy to discern which answer choice is really correct.
I took an ACT on April 14th, and will be taking a school mandated one April 24th. If my results are successful, I will post them here to show that this book is effective.
I did not use the practice tests, and only used the in-text exercises. Combined with some official ACT practice tests, this should prepare you to get over a 30, even if you have forgotten, as I have, many of the basics tested in the ACT.
One con I have found is that some answers it gives are wrong- for example, it says A is correct instead of F. Since A and F are both the first answer choice, it is obvious the book writers just made a typo. These mistakes should not worry you, though, since the answers also provide an explanation, which should make it easy to discern which answer choice is really correct.
I took an ACT on April 14th, and will be taking a school mandated one April 24th. If my results are successful, I will post them here to show that this book is effective.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By NikkoA
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book when I was preparing for the ACT, I have been reading it for about a month now, and I have learned alot.! Taking the ACT-exam 11th of February 2012, hopefully I will get a good score because of this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!
This book was in great condition and was at a great price. It saved me a lot of money, I would recommend this to anyone.
Published 1 month ago by Amanda
3.0 out of 5 stars
condition of book
Condition of book said 'good-condition.' However, there was a lot of writing on the pages..... I would have purchased a 'New' book had I known about of the writing. Read more
Published 1 month ago by unhappy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best out there
I purchased this for my child to help prepare her for the ACT exam. She used it and her scores were in the top 5% in the country so needless to say.....thank you Princeton review
Published 2 months ago by cheesestraws
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Useful
The tips in this book are very helpful and eye opening. I loved how the organized the book by sections and explained things in a way to make the student feel comfortable.
Published 3 months ago by R. Lorente
3.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't really use so can't say
I really did not use the book that much. I bought it a week and a half before the test, it helped a little but not enough for me.
Published 3 months ago by Michael Tatar
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Great book to study and get ready for ACT. There is a lot of information in this book. Don't know if has helped me any yet as I will take the test in February.
Published 3 months ago by Josh Ballard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Son liked the book
My son liked the book. It helped with test tacking tactics and the practice tests represented the ACT real test infomtion wuite well. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Russell
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not enough problems
I am a math tutor and I bought this for one of my students who was having difficulty preparing for the ACT's. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Irene
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Nice
This is very nice I loved it. It really helped kick start the pre for my upcoming ACT test. I think I am better prepared.
Published 4 months ago by Chelsea
5.0 out of 5 stars
AWESOME PURCHASE!
My ACT Composite Score went from 30 to 33 after reading this book along with 1296 ACT Practice Questions and Crash Course for the ACT. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lorrie
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