ACT Math Skills

BASIC OPERATIONS

ESSENTIAL FORMULAS

FUNCTIONS

PEMDAS

Quadratic Equation

Parentheses first, then Exponents, then Multiplication and Division (left

to right), and lastly Addition and Subtraction (left to right).

ax2 + bx + c = 0

GEOMETRY

Solving an Inequality
Median and Mode
The median is the value that falls in the middle of the set.
The mode is the value that appears most often.

When you multiply or divide both sides by a negative number, you

must reverse the sign.

Finding the Distance Between Two Points

Counting the Possibilities

d =
(x1
x2)2 +
(y1
y2)2

If there are m ways one event can happen and n ways a second event
can happen, then there are m n ways for the 2 events to happen.

Using Two Points to Find the Slope

ESSENTIAL FORMULAS

Change in y
Rise
Slope =
Change in x =
Run

Using an Equation to Find the Slope (slope-intercept)

Average Rate Formula

Average Formula

y = mx + b

Total A
Average A per B =
Total B

Sum of the terms

Average =
Number of terms

Finding the Midpoint

Total distance
Average Speed = Probability Formula
Total time
Favorable Outcomes
Probability =
Total Possible Outcomes

Percent Formula

If the endpoints are (x1, y1) and (x2, y2), the midpoint is.
(x1 + x2) (y1 + y2)
,

2
2

Intersecting Lines
When two lines intersect, adjacent angles are supplementary and
vertical angles are equal.

Part = Percent Whole

Multiplying and Dividing Powers

To multiply powers with the same base, add the exponents and keep the
same base.
To divide powers with the same base, subtract the exponents and keep
the same base.

Raising Powers to Powers

GEOMETRY
Interior and Exterior Angles of interior angles of a polygon =
(n 2) 180, where n is the
a Triangle
number of sides.
The 3 angles of any triangle add
up to 180 degrees.
The 3 exterior angles of a triangle Circumference of a Circle
add up to 360 degrees.
Circumference = 2r

To raise a power to a power, multiply the exponents.

Area of a Triangle
Negative Exponent and Rational Exponent
1
x n =
xn

= x
n

FUNCTIONS

Direct and Inverse Variation

In direct variation, y = kx, where k is a nonzero constant. In
inverse variation, xy = k, where k is a constant.

Domain and Range of a Function

The domain of a function is the set of values for which the
function is defined.

Determining Absolute Value

The absolute value of a number is the distance of the number from zero
on the number line.

Special Right Triangles

The
The
The
The

3-4-5 Triangle
30-60-90 Triangle
5-12-13 Triangle
45-45-90 Triangle

Area of a Rectangle
Area of Rectangle = length width

Area of a Parallelogram

Multiplying BinomialsFOIL
To multiply binomials, use FOIL. First multiply the First terms. Next the
Outer terms. Then the Inner terms. And finally the Last terms. Then add
and combine like terms.

Area of Parallelogram =
base height

Area of a Square

Factoring the Difference of Squares

Area of Square = (Side)2

a2 b2 = (a b)(a + b)

Interior Angles of a Polygon

Factoring the Square of a Binomial

a2 + 2ab + b2 = (a + b)2

a2 2ab + b2 = (a b)2

Length of an Arc

1
If n is the degree measure of
Area of Triangle = (base)(height)
the arcs central angle, then the
2
formula is:
n
Pythagorean Theorem
Length of an Arc = 1 (2r)
360
2
For all right triangles: (leg1) +
Area of a Circle
(leg2)2 = (hypotenuse)2
Area of a Circle = r2

The sum of the measures of the

Area of a Sector
If n is the degree measure of the
sectors central angle, then the
formula is:
n
Area of a Sector = 1 (r)2
360

Surface Area of a Rectangular

Solid
Surface Area = 2lw + 2wh + 2lh

Volume of a Rectangular Solid

Volume of a Rectangular Solid = lwh
Volume of a Cube = 3

Volume of a Cylinder
Volume of a Cylinder = r2h

ACT Skills
KAPLANS PROVEN METHODS

Kaplans 3-Step Method for ACT English

Step 1: Does It Belong Here?
Step 2: Does It Make Sense?

MOST-TESTED GRAMMAR ERRORS

19 Most-Tested Grammar Errors

Step 3: Does It Sound Like English?

1. Singular nouns must match with singular verbs and pronouns, and plural
nouns must go with plural verbs and pronouns.

Kaplans 3-Step Method for ACT Math

Step 1: Understand

2. Know the rules for compound subjectsie, when to use I versus when to
use me.

Step 2: Analyze

3. Parenthetical phrases must begin and end with the same punctuation mark.

Step 3: Select
Kaplans Special Math Strategies
Backsolve
Pick Numbers
Guesstimate

4. Dont combine two sentences into one with a comma; instead, use a semicolon or a conjunction.
5. Avoid sentence fragments.
6. Know your punctuation marks as well as their basic usage and meaning.

Eyeball

7. Nouns and pronouns must be modified by adjectives while verbs and

adjectives themselves must be modified by adverbs.

Kaplans 5-Step Method for ACT Reading

Step 1: Preread the Passage

8. Dont confuse the words good and well. Good is an adjective; well is an
adverb.

Step 2: Consider the Question Stem

Step 3: Refer to the Passage
Step 4: Answer the Question in Your Own
Words
Step 5: Match Your Answer With One of the
Choices
Kaplans Special Reading Strategies for
Prose Fiction
Who Are the Characters?
What Is Their State of Mind?

9. Understand how to use the words lay and lie, as well as their past tenses
(which include laid, lay, and lain).
10. Whenever you see a preposition, make sure it makes sense and that it
matches the other words in the sentence.
11. Know when to use the word who and when to use whom.
12. Never use apostrophes to make a pronoun possessive. Also, know when to
use its and its.
13. Be aware of the differences between the words there, their, and theyre.

Whats Happening on the Surface? Whats

Happening Under the Surface?

14. Know how and when to properly use irregular forms of common verbs.
Some, like sing and bring, have unusual forms that are commonly tested
on the ACT.

Kaplans 5-Step Method for ACT Science

Step 1: Preread the Passage

15. Know the proper verb forms, especially for the verb to be.

Step 2: Consider the Question Stem

16. Dont use ing endings when they arent needed; rather, use them primarily to indicate repeated or continuous action.

Step 3: Refer to the Passage

Step 4: Answer the Question in Your Own
Words
Step 5: Match Your Answer With One of the
Choices
Kaplans Special Strategies for Reading
Tables and Graphs
Determine Whats Being Represented
Determine What the Axes (or Columns and
Rows) Represent

17. Whenever you see the endings er or est, or the words more or most,
make sure theyre used logically. Words with er or with more should be
used to compare only two things. If more than two things are involved, use
est or most.
18. Use the word between only when there are two things involved. When
there are more than two things, or an unknown number of things, use
among.
19. Use the word less only for uncountable things. When things can be counted, they are fewer. People are always countable, so use fewer when writing
about them.

Take Note of Units of Measurement

Look for Trends in the Data
Kaplans 3-Step Method for Experiment
Questions
Step 1: Find Whats Being Varied
Step 2: Identify the Control Group
Step 3: Analyze the Results

Kaplans Special Strategies for

Conflicting Viewpoints Passages
Determine Each Scientists Basic
Theory

Kaplans 4-Step Method for ACT

Writing
Step 1: Pause to Know the Prompt

Identify the Evidence Each Scientist

Gives

Step 3: Produce

Step 2: Plan
Step 4: Proofread