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You can use the ACT English Question of the Day to get into the habit of thinking about ACT English content on a daily basis when studying for the ACT. Varsity Tutors' ACT English Questions of the Day are drawn from each topic and question type covered on the English section of the ACT.
Question of the Day: ACT English
In 1929, E.F. Lindquist, a professor in the University of Iowa College of Education, began designing tests for the Iowa Academic Meet. The purpose of the meet was to identify exemplary high school students. Test-takers began with a first round of testing. This round occurred during the school day and covered ten core academic subjects. Students who scored well in the first round participated in district-level tests that were more difficult. High-scorers from the second round participated in a third round of testing. The top ten students in each subject area were rewarded with medals at a banquet. Although the test was a success, Lindquist wanted to reduce the competitive aspect of the test. To achieve this goal, Lindquist renamed the test the Iowa Every-Pupil Achievement Testing Program.
The tests popularity provided Lindquist with the opportunity to study how to best write, administer, and score a standardized test. However, Lindquist was not yet satisfied. He grew concerned that the test focused too much on rote memorization of content rather than on skill development. Lindquist began to work on a test for middle school students that would test skills. This test which was first administered in 1935 became known as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. In 1942, the Every-Pupil test is discontinued and replaced with the Iowa Tests of Educational Development. As Lindquist had hoped, this test focused on testing skills rather than pure content memorization.
By the late 1950s, Lindquist had gained significant renown in the world of standardized testing, so he became involved in the process of developing a college admissions testing program. Although the SAT had been a commonly used admissions test since 1926, it was primarily marketed in the northeast and used as an admissions test for universities in that region. Schools outside this area used a variety of different tests that covered different content and was administered at different times. This led to unreliable results.
In 1958, that a standardized, national test be developed was proposed by Lindquist. He also hoped that, unlike the SAT, the new test would measure academic achievement so that it could be used to gauge each student’s level of preparation for college-level work.
Lindquist and a man named Ted McCarrel began developing the new test. One of McCarrel's main jobs was contacting admissions officers and convincing schools to use the new test. However, like the SAT, the ACT began as a regional test. Unlike the SAT, however, it was primarily used in the Midwest. With time and effort, the test became more popular in other parts of the country.
In 1959, the ACT was administered for the first time. The test was similar to the Iowa Tests of Educational Development. It consisted of four parts; English, math, social studies, and natural science. The social studies and natural science portions required students to interpret readings from each field; thus, Lindquist was able to maintain his goal of testing skills rather than memorized facts. Students had forty-five minutes to complete each section of the test. The ACT quickly became a staple of the college admissions process. In the first year, 132,963 students took the test, and that number grew in subsequent years.
Today, many colleges and universities in the U.S. accept ACT results from students applying for admission. So, don't worry! I'm sure your college will accept it too!
If the author had intended to write an essay about the history of the SAT, would this essay fulfill that goal?
Yes, because the passage mentions that the SAT was first used in 1926.
No, because the essay primarily addresses the ACT, and the SAT is only mentioned briefly.
Yes, because the passage contrasts the SAT with the ACT.
No, because the essay does not explain how the SAT is used today.
Yes, because the essay discusses all the tests that have been used for college admissions in the past, including the SAT.
When preparing to take the ACT, it is important to learn how to manage your time in order to be as ready as you can be on test day. Beyond that, each portion of the test provides different challenges for different people, making it vital to prepare accordingly. One of the subjects tested by the ACT is the English comprehension portion, which will test your ability to utilize capitalization, punctuation, and comprehension, among other English topics. Whether you need ACT English tutoring in New York, ACT English tutoring in Chicago, or ACT English tutoring in Los Angeles, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need. Another way to prepare for the ACT English section is to use Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools ACT English Question of the Day.
The Learning Tools English Question of the Day can be a very good way to test your knowledge of the English language and prepare yourself for your upcoming ACT by giving you a single sample question each day. By doing so, this will help to keep your mind sharp on the general concepts of the English language, while at the same time testing you on a specific topic that may be on the ACT.
The Learning Tools ACT English Question of the Day separates itself from other ACT English practice tests by giving you more information than simply the answer to each question on a daily basic. Along with answers, the test will give you specific statistics that will help you see where you may need extra work for your upcoming test. One of the statistics is the percentage of other test takers that answered the question correctly. Another statistic will keep track of your correct versus incorrect answers on your questions each day. A third statistic will measure the time that it takes you to answer a question, and shows your time against other people that have answered the same question. These statistics will, over time, allow you to see how you stack up against others who are also preparing to take the ACT, giving you an idea of where you stand against other prospective test takers, as well as where additional study may be needed. You may also benefit from the help of an ACT English tutor.
Beyond statistics, the Learning Tools English Question of the Day gives you additional study tools for you to continue your preparation once you have answered the question. Along with the answer, you will receive a specific explanation as to why the answer you selected was correct or incorrect. Further, you will also be able to access an area that focuses on the general concept that is similar to the Question of the Day. Within this concept area, you will be able to go over a number of questions that are similar to the one you just answered, giving you additional practice on a concept, complete with the answers already provided. This can be particularly helpful if you don’t feel you understand a specific concept for your upcoming test, while at the same time giving you questions of varying difficulty on a similar topic to prepare best for the test. In addition to ACT English tutoring, Varsity Tutors offers resources like a free ACT prep book to help you with your self-paced study.
Varsity Tutors’ Learning Tools English Question of the Day can be a very good resource for your ACT test, as it provides you with a multitude of different statistics and additional resources for you to study, as well as keeping your mind fresh with a different question and concept each day. By utilizing the English Question of the Day, you will receive a daily reminder of what information needs to be learned to be successful on the ACT.
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