ACT Services for Scores 28-32

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Students who score in the range 28-32 are likely to know and to be able to do:

English

Students can identify the focus and purpose of a fairly involved essay, applying that knowledge to determine the rhetorical effect of a new or existing sentence, and the need to add supporting detail or delete plausible but irrelevant material. They are able to add a sentence to introduce or conclude a fairly complex paragraph, accomplish a subtle purpose such as emphasis, and express meaning through connotation. They can rearrange sentences in a complex paragraph; make sophisticated distinctions concerning the logical use of conjunctive adverbs or phrases; and correct vague, wordy, or clumsy writing containing sophisticated language. They correct redundant material that exists in separate clauses or sentences. They use sentence-combining techniques, effectively avoiding problematic comma splices, run-on sentences, and sentence fragments, especially in sentences containing compound subjects or verbs. They maintain a consistent and logical use of verb tense and pronoun person; they avoid the pitfalls of hypercorrection, correctly using reflexive pronouns, the possessive pronoun its and your, and the relative pronoun who rather than whom. They ensure that a verb agrees with its subject in complex situations, and they can deal with multiple punctuation problems (e.g., compound sentences containing unnecessary commas and phrases that may or may not be parenthetical). They know how to use commas to set off a nonessential/nonrestrictive appositive or clause, a semicolon to indicate a relationship between closely related independent clauses, and an apostrophe to show possession, especially with irregular plural nouns.

Reading

Students can read closely all but the most dense and complex passages. Among the skills these students exhibit are the ability to: infer the main idea of a passage or paragraph, use details from different sections of some complex informational passages to support a specific point or argument, and order sequences of events as they occur in more challenging literary and informational passages. They reveal an understanding of the dynamics of characters' relationships in more challenging literary narratives, and they are able to identify implied cause-effect relationships. These students can determine the appropriate meanings of words from richly figurative contexts. They demonstrate their ability to reason by; using information from different sections of more challenging passages to make generalizations about characters and situations, determining an author's tone or attitude toward his or her subject, and summarizing events and ideas in virtually any passage.

Mathematics

Students can solve word problems containing several rates, proportions, or percentages. In probability, statistics, and data analysis, students can interpret and use information from tables and graphs including graphs in the coordinate plane; apply counting techniques; and apply the definition of probability. In algebra, they can apply the rules of exponents and number properties--often in a new context--to solve problems that involve even/odd numbers, positive/negative integers, and prime factorizations; manipulate equations; write expressions for common algebra settings; solve absolute value equations; solve linear inequalities that require reversing the inequality sign; and find solutions to systems of linear equations. In coordinate geometry, they can graph the solution set of linear inequalities on the number line; and in the coordinate plane, they can use the distance formula and use properties of parallel and perpendicular lines to determine an equation of a line or coordinates of a point. In geometry, they can apply properties of 30^o-60^o-90^o, 45^o-45^o-90^o, similar, and congruent triangles; use the Pythagorean theorem; and use relationships involving area, perimeter, and volume of geometric figures to compute another measure. Additionally, students (ACT Assessment only) can recognize special characteristics of parabolas and circles from their equations (e.g., the vertex of parabola and the center or radius of a circle) and can apply basic trigonometric ratios to solve right-triangle problems.

Science Reasoning

Students can identify a complex mathematical relationship between data and can extrapolate from data points in a graph or table. They are able to compare and combine written information from the text with additional information provided (e.g., data in tables or figures). They understand complex lab procedures, can determine the hypothesis for an experiment, and can determine the purpose behind parts of a moderately complicated experimental design. When analyzing an experiment, these students can identify an alternate method for testing a hypothesis. These students can select a complex hypothesis statement, prediction, generalization, or conclusion based on one data set. They can also select a set of data that support or contradict a hypothesis, statement, prediction, generalization, or conclusion. They can also predict the most likely or least likely result based on a given viewpoint.

Used with permission of ACT from "ACT, Information for Life's Transitions, Standards for Transitions: Descriptions of the Skills and Knowledge Associated with PLAN and ACT Assessment Scores", c1998.