Everything you need to know about ACT all in one place.

Why do I need to take the ACT?

The ACT is a college entrance exam that is required by most 4-year colleges and universities in Louisiana and other Southern states. It tests you in four subjects: English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science, and lets the universities know that you are ready and capable of passing their courses and being successful in their degree programs.

Here are some more reasons:

• You have a choice in how you take the test. ACT offers an online testing option at select locations nationwide so you can test on a computer OR by paper and pencil. Embrace the flexibility of choosing a testing format that aligns with your comfort zone and showcases your true potential.

• Get your actual test with answers back! Did you know you can get the test you took back with the answer key and a copy of your answers to help you understand your score? It's an incredible test prep resource called the Test Information Release (TIR) and it's available three tests a year.

• The ACT could help save you thousands in tuition! Taking the ACT test can increase your chances of earning new or better scholarships. One counselor found that over 10 years, more of her students earned more scholarship dollars with ACT scores than SAT scores.

• The ACT is the ONLY college entrance exam that supports English Learners. ACT provides accommodations to U.S. students who are English learners. Accommodations include - extended testing time, bilingual dictionary, directions in 12 languages, small group testing, and a non-distracting environment.

Who needs to take the ACT?

Every Concordia Parish student will take the ACT in their junior year. Our mission is to ensure that all graduates have the opportunity to apply for college, even if that was not their original plan. If you are interested in taking Dual Enrollment courses, you may need to take the ACT earlier than junior year.

How do I register for the ACT?

If you would like to take an additional ACT (outside of the March offering to Juniors and Seniors), go to ACT.org and create an account.

You will need the following things to register:

• Computer with Internet

• Credit card or other payment

• High School course details

• Headshot photo

**All requests for Accommodations and English Learner supports, including appeals, must be submitted by the late registration deadline through the Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system.

How do I see my scores?

Login to your ACT.org account to see all scores. You will also be able to access a detailed report that gives you guidance on what you need to study to improve on your next attempt.

What can I do to improve on the ACT?

If you qualify and use a waiver, the ACT.org website will give you free access for one year to their test prep program. Taking advantage of this is highly recommended! Concordia Parish will host multiple ACT workshops in the weeks leading up to the test in March, but don't wait until then to start studying.

Here are 5 great pro-tips for excelling on the ACT:

1. READ, READ, READ! It sounds cliche, but reading books (not social media!) will help you improve. Why? The ACT is at its core a speed reading test. Even if you know all of the answers, most people will struggle to finish within the time limit unless they have a great reading speed. Sure, you can learn to speed read, but simply reading for fun will help you naturally increase your speed as well.

2. Get a Test Prep Book. There are tons of test prep books out there that are all fantastic. Pick one, and work through it between your registration date and your test. As you do practice questions make sure you understand why you got all answers incorrect and correct!

3. Study Grammar! The ACT English test is a proofreading test that assesses your ability to edit and use correct grammatical structures. The best way to improve on this is to learn the grammar rules. Khan Academy's Grammar course is a great place to start!

4. Become a pro at using your graphic calculator or Desmos (whichever one you plan to use on the test). Again, the ACT is all about speed. It's great if you can do all of the ACT questions by hand, but you are very unlikely to answer all of the questions that way.

5. For vocabulary, study Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots! Many words in English are made up of these Greek and Latin building blocks. Learning how to decipher word meanings is much faster than memorizing words one-by-one.