Apps & Classes Help Prep ACT Test Takers
By Molly Bergum
Learning Institute for Excellence (LIFE) founder, Amos Tarfa, works through a math problem from an ACT practice test with junior India Davidson at the LIFE studio on March 28. Davidson said she enrolled in tutoring to increase her chances of scoring well on the ACT. Photo by Molly Bergum
For junior India Davidson, scoring well on the ACT would be a step toward achieving her dream of attending the University of Washington or an Ivy League School. To maximize their ACT composite scores, students such as Davidson are becoming familiar with the test’s content through books, classes or apps.
A few times a week, Davidson arrives at a small classroom in the Mariner Mall to take practice ACT tests and receive help from instructors at the Learning Institute for Excellence (LIFE). “I wanted to do this on my own because I know that I’m going to need as high as score as possible to get as many scholarships as I can,” Davidson said.
English and reading are topics Davidson feels comfortable studying independently, but she prefers getting help for the math and science sections. “Math is an easy one for them to teach you because you’ll take a practice test, and then they’ll know what you’re not doing right,” Davidson said. “Then they’ll help guide you with that.”
Founder of LIFE Amos Tarfa said enrolling in an ACT course “adds enrichment, support and accountability” to studying. “We have a goal where we want our students to score in the 30s. We want them to push for that, and we will do what it takes to challenge them to grow,” Tarfa said.
Increasing a student’s efficiency is a primary goal of Tarfa’s. Davidson said that she ran out of time on the math section during her first ACT, but the tutoring has prepared her to finish the entire math section in her next test.
Counselor Eugene Powers said “learning helpful hints on how to approach the test” can be very beneficial for students who understand the concepts but may not be strong at test taking.
Senior Christina DeGraef chose to prepare for the test by downloading the free Play2Prep app, which would send her notifications to complete daily training. “It was a lot better than just sitting down once and going through the whole book,” DeGraef said.
By answering about seven questions every day before taking the test a second time, DeGraef was able to increase her composite score by 5 points. Based on 2013 statistics from the ACT, 57 percent of people improve their scores from the first time they take the test. Powers recommends that students retake the ACT within six months of their first test.
To learn more about enrolling in classes or purchasing study materials at the Learning Institute for Excellence, visit thelifexcellence.com.
Illustrations by Samantha Lego: The numbers for each of the above graphics represents the statistics attained from a survey distributed by the Spartan Spin to Superior High School students on March 24.
