Princeton Review ACT Premium Prep 2022 8 Practice Tests + Content Review (2022)

Name: Princeton Review ACT Premium Prep 2022 8 Practice Tests + Content Review (2022)
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Prepare for success with Princeton Review ACT Premium Prep 2022 8 Practice Tests + Content Review (2022), a comprehensive guide to your certification test.

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Acknowledgments
The completion of this book would not have been possible without the
help and dedication of several individuals.
Special thanks to Aaron Lindh, Amy Minster, Cat Healey, Sara
Kuperstein, and Cynthia Ward for their expert review and contributions
to the content of the book. Thanks also to Aleksei Alferiev, Kevin
Baldwin, Emily Baumbach, Gabby Budzon, Nicole Cosme, Stacey
Cowap, Lori DesRochers, Elizabeth Evangelista, Anne Goldberg-
Baldwin, Brad Kelly, Jomil London, Dave MacKenzie, Scott O’Neal,
Danielle Perrini, Sara Soriano, Jess Thomas, and Jimmy Williams for
their contributions to this book. Additional thanks to Jason Ullmeyer,
Kathy Carter, and Sarah Litt for their work on the production of this
book.
Special thanks to Adam Robinson, who conceived of and perfected
the Joe Bloggs approach to standardized tests and many other
successful techniques used by The Princeton Review.

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Contents
Get More (Free) Content
Part I: Orientation
1 Introduction to the ACT
2 Practice Exam 1
3 Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations
4 ACT Strategy
5 Score Goals
6 Taking the ACT
Part II: How to Crack the ACT English Test
7 Introduction to the ACT English Test
8 Complete
9 Consistent, Clear, and Concise
10 Rhetorical Skills
Part III: How to Crack the ACT Mathematics Test
11 Introduction to the ACT Mathematics Test
12 Fundamentals
13 No More Algebra
14 Plane Geometry
15 Word Problems
16 Graphing and Coordinate Geometry
17 Trigonometry

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18 Advanced Math
Part IV: How to Crack the ACT Reading Test
19 Introduction to the ACT Reading Test
20 The 6-Step Basic Approach
21 Advanced Reading Skills
Part V: How to Crack the ACT Science Test
22 Introduction to the ACT Science Test
23 Scientific Reasoning Skills
24 The Basic Approach
25 Dual Science Passages
Part VI: How to Crack the ACT Writing Test
26 Writing
Part VII: Drill Answers and Explanations
27 Drill Answers and Explanations
Part VIII: The Princeton Review ACT Practice Exams
28 Practice Exam 2
29 Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations
30 Practice Exam 3
31 Practice Exam 3: Answers and Explanations
32 Practice Exam 4
33 Practice Exam 4: Answers and Explanations

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THE ACT
Welcome to ACT Prep, 2022 Edition. The ACT is a standardized test used for
college admissions. But you probably already knew that. In this book, we’ll
tell you all the things you didn’t know about the ACT, all to show you how to
crack the test and get your best score.
The ACT has traditionally been a pencil-and-paper exam but is now also
available to international students on the computer (what ACT calls the
“ACT Online Test,” which still needs to be taken at a test center and not at
home). Eventually, ACT plans to offer computer-based testing in the United
States as well. While the pencil-and-paper test is usually taken on Saturday
mornings, some states offer a special state-administration during the school
day. Non-Saturday testing is available but only for students who live in
remote areas or who can’t test on Saturdays for religious reasons.
Where Does the ACT Come From?
The ACT is written by a nonprofit organization that used to call itself
American College Testing but now just calls itself ACT. The company has
been producing the ACT since it introduced the test in 1959 as an alternative
to the College Board’s SAT. ACT also writes ACT Aspire and PreACT,
which are tests you may have taken earlier in your academic career. The
organization also provides a broad range of services to educational agencies
and business institutions.
What Does the ACT Test?
The nice people who write the ACT—we’ll refer to them as “ACT” from
now on—describe it as an assessment of college readiness, “a curriculum-
and standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses
students’ academic readiness for college.”
We at The Princeton Review have always been skeptical when any
standardized test makes broad claims of what it can measure. In our opinion,
a standardized test is just a measure of how well you take that test. Granted,

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ACT has spent an extraordinary amount of time analyzing data and providing
the results of their research to various educational institutions and agencies.
In fact, ACT has contributed to the development of the Common Core
Standards Initiative, an educational reform that aligns diverse state curricula
into national uniform standards.
With all due respect to ACT and the various state and federal agencies
working on the Common Core, we still think the ACT is just a measure of
how well you take the ACT. Many factors other than mastery of the
“curriculum-based” content determine your performance on a standardized
test. That’s why we’ll teach you both the content you need as well as crucial
test-taking strategies.
Focus!
If you were getting ready to take a history test, you’d
study history. If you were preparing for a basketball
game, you’d practice basketball. So if you’re
preparing for the ACT, study the ACT!
What’s on the ACT?
The ACT consists of four multiple-choice, timed tests: English, Math,
Reading, and Science, always given in that order. The ACT Plus Writing also
includes an essay, with the Writing Test given after the Science Test. (ACT
calls them tests, but we may also use the term “sections” in this book to avoid
confusion.) In Parts II–VI, we’ll thoroughly review the content and strategies
you need for each test.
For video instructions to each of the major ACT
sections, watch the Section Overview segments in
your free Student Tools. You can find a video about

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the Optional Writing Test on your Premium Portal,
too.
1. English Test (45 minutes—75 questions)
You will be given 5 essays total with some words or phrases underlined. The
essays will be situated on the left side of the page, while on the right side of
the page you will be asked whether each underlined portion is correct as
written or whether one of the three alternatives listed would be better. The
English Test is a test of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and
rhetorical skills. Throughout each essay, commonly known as a passage,
there will also be questions about overall organization and style or perhaps
about how the writing could be revised or strengthened.
2. Math Test (60 minutes—60 questions)
These are the regular, multiple-choice math questions you’ve been doing all
your life. The easier questions, which test basic math proficiency, tend to
come first, but the folks at ACT can mix in easy, medium, and difficult
questions throughout the Math test. A good third of the test covers pre-
algebra and elementary algebra. Slightly less than a third covers intermediate
algebra and coordinate geometry (graphing). Regular geometry accounts for
less than a quarter of the questions, and there are typically four questions that
cover trigonometry.
3. Reading Test (35 minutes—40 questions)
In this test, there will be four reading passages of about 800 words each—the
average length of a magazine article but maybe not as entertaining to read.
There is always one literary narrative passage, one social science passage,
one humanities passage, and one natural science passage, and they are always
in that order. One of these passages will consist of a dual passage in which
the total length of the two passages will still be about 800 words. Each
passage will be followed by 10 questions.
4. Science Test (35 minutes—40 questions)

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No specific scientific knowledge is necessary to do well on the Science test.
You won’t need to know the chemical makeup of hydrochloric acid or any
formulas. Instead, you will be asked to understand scientific information
presented in graphs, charts, tables, and research summaries, and you will
have to make sense of one disagreement between two to four scientists.
5. Optional Writing Test (40 minutes)
The ACT Plus Writing contains an “optional” writing test featuring a single
essay. Although most schools do not require the ACT Writing, if you apply to
even one school that does, you’ll need to take it. Plus, many colleges
recommend taking it, and a strong essay score can help boost your
application. For that reason, we recommend you take the “ACT Plus Writing”
version of the test. The essay requires that you consider a socially relevant
prompt and three perspectives on that prompt. The essay is scored by two
graders. Each grader will assign four scores of 1–6 that are then averaged and
combined for a total score of 2–12. This score will NOT factor into your
composite score.
How Is the ACT Scored?
Scores for each of the four multiple-choice tests are reported on a scale of 1
to 36 (36 being the highest score possible). The four scores are averaged to
yield your composite score, which is the score colleges and universities use to
help determine admission. An average ending in .5 or .75 is rounded up,
whereas an average ending in .25 is rounded down. Next to each score is a
percentile ranking, which refers to how you performed on the test relative to
other people who took it at the same time. For instance, a percentile ranking
of 87 indicates that you scored higher than 87 percent of the people who took
the test, and the other 13 percent scored equal to or higher than you.
Some of the scores have subcategories. For instance, English is broken down
into Usage/Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills. In these subcategories, scores
are reported on a scale of 1 to 18 (18 being the highest score possible). These
scores are also reported as percentiles.

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ACT will also give two cross-test scores called “STEM” (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and “ELA” (English, Language
Arts). Your STEM score is simply an average of your Math and Science
scores. Your ELA score is taken from your English, Reading, and Writing
scores. (If you don’t take the Writing test, you won’t receive an ELA score.)
Neither score has any influence on your composite, nor, frankly, as far as we
can tell, on your college admission.
On your score report, ACT also indicates if you met their “College Readiness
Benchmark Scores”: 18 in English, 22 in Math, 22 in Reading, and 23 in
Science. ACT maintains that these benchmarks can predict college “success,”
defined as a “50 percent or higher probability of earning a B or higher in the
corresponding college course or courses.” These scores and their meaning
have been determined by ACT’s own research and data, not by any studies
done by colleges and universities themselves.
When Should You Take the ACT?
If you haven’t already, go to ACTStudent.org and create your free ACT Web
Account. You can register for tests, view your scores, and request score
reports for colleges through this account. You can also view the specific test
dates and centers for the upcoming academic year.
The ACT is given seven times a year: September, October, December,
February, April, June, and July. The July administration is not available in
New York.
Many states also offer an additional ACT as part of their state testing. Check
with your high school to see if and when your state offers a special ACT.
Your school will register you automatically for a state ACT. You must
register yourself for all other administrations.
Traditionally, most students wait until the spring of their junior year to take
the ACT. Many high schools still recommend the spring of the junior year
because the content of the Math test includes topics some curricula do not

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cover before then. However, these topics appear in only a handful of
questions, and many juniors take their first ACT in the fall or winter.
We recommend that you consider your own schedule when picking your test
dates. Do you play a fall sport and carry a heavier load of extracurricular
activities in the fall? Is winter a quiet time in between semesters? Do you act
in the spring musical and plan to take several AP exams? Have you been
dreaming of attending Big State University since you were a toddler and
already plan to apply for early decision? Let the answers to these questions
determine your test dates. But we recommend taking your first test after
you’ve done some prep and feel comfortable that you’ve learned enough in
school to achieve your goal score. For most students, this is sometime in
junior year (grade 11).
How Many Times Should You Take the ACT?
For security reasons, ACT will not let you take the exam more than 12 times
in your lifetime. But we certainly hope no one is dismayed by this restriction.
There are certainly better things to do with your time on a Saturday morning,
and we don’t believe any college will accept “taking the ACT” as an
extracurricular activity!
The Princeton Review recommends that you plan to take the ACT two to
three times. If you achieve your goal score in your first administration, great.
Take the money and run. On the other hand, if after three tests you have
reason and motivation to take the ACT again, do it. On your first day of
college, you will neither remember nor care how many times you had to take
the ACT.
In fact, at many colleges, the median number of times admitted students took
the ACT (or SAT) is 3. In other words, it’s perfectly fine (and normal!) to
retake the ACT.

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Looking for more help on the ACT? Check out
princetonreview.com for information on self-paced
courses, live courses, and tutoring!
Does ACT “Super Score”?
As of April 2021, ACT will “superscore” students’ results for them. What’s a
superscore? A superscore is a new score report (including a new composite
score) that takes the best results in every section (English, Math, Reading,
Science, and Writing (if you took it)) over any number of test dates. In other
words, if you did better on Reading and Science in February, but better on
English and Math in April, ACT will take your February Reading and
Science scores and combine them with your April English and Math scores to
create a new, higher superscore. As soon as you take your second ACT test,
your superscore will be calculated and posted in your ACT account.
In addition, many schools (and the Common Application) will ask you to list
the score and test date of your English, Math, Reading, and Science and then
calculate a superscore based on these scores, separate from ACT. Therefore,
if you worry that some scores will rise as others fall when you take the ACT
again, the superscore will reflect your best results.
However, not every college will accept ACT superscores. Therefore, The
Princeton Review strongly recommends that you research each school you’re
applying to. While ACT will send the results only from the test dates you
request or ACT’s generated superscore, you should decide which and how
many dates to send based on your scores and the school’s guidelines about
superscoring. Moreover, some schools require that you submit all test scores
from every administration, and you should abide by any such requirements.

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WHAT IS THE ACT ONLINE TEST?
The ACT Online Test is the ACT that you take on a computer, rather than
with pencil and paper. Despite the name, you can’t take the ACT from the
comfort of your own home; rather, you’ll have to go to a testing center
(possibly your high school) and take the test on the center’s computer.
The ACT Online Test has the same overall structure, timing, and number of
questions as the pencil-and-paper ACT. The scoring, score range, and scoring
method are also the same. If the ACT Online Test is basically the same as the
pencil-and-paper ACT, who would take the ACT Online Test?
WHO TAKES THE ACT ONLINE TEST?
ACT has been offering versions of the ACT on the computer since about
2016. The first group of students to take the ACT on the computer were
students taking the test at school. Schools and school districts decided
whether to give the test on the computer.
As of September 2018, all students taking the ACT outside of the United
States take the test on a computer (except for those students with
accommodations requiring the use of a traditional pencil-and-paper test).
Eventually, all students in the United States will have the option to take the
ACT Online Test instead of the traditional pencil-and-paper version. Students
choosing this option will get their scores in about two to three business days
(e.g., take the test on Saturday, have your score the next Wednesday). In
addition, any students taking advantage of the Single-Section Retesting must
do so on the computer.
Single-Section Retesting
Students who have already taken the full ACT will soon be able to choose to
take one, two, or three sections again using Single-Section Retesting. ACT
will then produce a superscore consisting of your best results in all tests
(English, Math, Reading, Science, and, if you took it, Writing). Note that not

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all colleges accept a superscored ACT, so do your research before taking
advantage of this option. ACT had originally planned to roll out this option
along with the ACT Online Test and Superscoring; however, Single-Section
Retesting has been delayed until 2021 or later to allow more students to take
the full-length ACT during the coronavirus pandemic.
Single-Section Retesting will be an incredible option
for students when it becomes available. However,
colleges still have the option as to whether to accept
these new scores. Research your target schools
early so you know your options!
ACT ONLINE TEST FEATURES
So, then, besides the obvious “it’s on the computer,” what are the differences
between taking the ACT on the computer and taking it on paper? Let’s start
with what you can’t do on the ACT Online Test. You can’t “write” on the
screen in a freehand way. You’re limited in how you’re able to mark the
answer choices, and each question appears on its own screen (so you can’t
see multiple questions at one glance). You will also be given a small
“whiteboard” and dry erase pen with which to make notes and do work.
The ACT Online Test will have some useful features and some you may
never use. You can flag questions to come back to them later, eliminate
answers on the screen, or even hide the answers until you are ready for them.
You will also be able to highlight the text, magnify it, or cover part of the
screen to focus on one relevant window. To see all these features in action,
go to ACT’s website at http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-
services/the-act-non-us/test-preparation.html. If you are registered for a
Princeton Review course or tutorial, you will also have access to more ACT
Online Tests on our website, http://www.princetonreview.com.

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HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE ACT ONLINE
TEST
If you are going to take the ACT Online Test, you should incorporate some
computer-based practice into your prep plan. ACT’s website has practice
sections for each of the four multiple-choice parts of the test and for the
essay. We recommend that you do those sections toward the end of your
preparation (and close to your test date) to give you an opportunity to practice
what you’ve learned on a platform similar to the one you’ll be using on the
day of the test.
Remember!
Your goal is to get the best possible score on the
ACT. ACT’s goal is to assign a number to you that
(supposedly) means something to colleges. Focus
on your goal!
If you are planning to take the ACT online, you should practice as if you’re
doing all your work on the computer, even when you’re working in a
physical book. Use a highlighter, but don’t use the highlighter on any figures
(as the ACT Online Test won’t let you do so). Use your pencil to eliminate
answer choices and have a separate sheet of paper or a whiteboard to do any
work you need to do, instead of writing on the question itself.
Also, remember that our approaches work. Don’t get misled by ACT’s
instructions on the day of the test—their way of approaching the test won’t
give you the best results!
How Do You Register for the ACT?
The fastest way to register is online, through your ACT Web Account. You
can also obtain a registration packet at your high school guidance office,
online at ACTStudent.org/forms/stud_req, or by writing or calling ACT at the
address and phone number below.
ACT Student Services

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2727 Scott Blvd
PO Box 414
Iowa City, IA 52243-0414
319.337.1270
Registration Tip #1
The registration includes ACT’s survey on your
grades and interests, but you are not required to
answer these questions. To save time, you can
provide only the required information, marked by an
asterisk.
Bookmark ACTStudent.org. You will start at this portal to view test dates,
fees, and registration deadlines. You can also research the requirements and
processes to apply for extended time or other accommodations. You will also
start at ACTStudent.org to access your account to register, view your scores,
and order score reports.
Check the site for the latest information about fees. The ACT Plus Writing
costs more than the ACT (No Writing), but ACT also offers a fee waiver
service. While you can choose four schools to send a score report to at no
charge, there are fees for score reports sent to additional schools. As of July
2019, students with ACT waivers are able to send scores to up to 20 schools.
Registration Tip #2
If you take the December, April, or June test, sign
up for the Test Information Release. Six to eight
weeks after the test, you’ll receive a copy of the test,
the answer key, and your answers. This service
costs an additional fee and is available only on
these test dates. You can order the Test Information
Release up to 3 months after the test date, but it’s
easier to order it at the time you register. It’s a great
tool to help you prepare for your next ACT.
Test Security Changes

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As part of the registration process, you have to upload or mail a photograph
that will be printed on your admissions ticket. On test day, you have to take
the ticket and acceptable photo identification with you.
Standby testing is available, but you must register in advance, usually before
the prior Monday. Check ACTStudent.org for more information.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE ACT
The Princeton Review materials and test-taking techniques contained in this
book should give you all the information you need to improve your score on
the ACT. For more practice materials, The Princeton Review also publishes
1,523 ACT Practice Questions, which includes more than six tests’ worth of
material.
Other popular coaching books contain several complete practice ACT exams.
We strongly advise you not to waste your time taking these tests. In some
cases, the questions in these books are not modeled on real ACT questions.
Some of them cover material that is not even on the real ACT. Others give
the impression that the ACT is much easier or more difficult than it really is.
Taking the practice tests offered in these books could actually hurt your
score.
Cynics might suggest that no one else can license ACT exams because ACT
sells its own review book called The Official ACT Prep Guide. We think The
Official ACT Prep Guide is well worth the price for the three real tests it
contains (make sure you buy the most recent edition). We recommend that
you either buy the book or ask your high school to send away to ACT for
actual ACT tests. You should get a copy of Preparing for the ACT Test from
your counselor. It’s free, and it contains a complete, real ACT. The same test
can be downloaded for free from ACT’s website.

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More great titles by The Princeton Review
1,523 ACT Practice Questions offers the equivalent
of 6 whole ACT practice tests.
While we advise you to obtain these practice tests to further your preparation
for the ACT, it is important that you use them properly. Many students like to
think that they can prepare by simply taking test after test until they get the
scores they want. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work all that well. Why? Well,
in many instances, repetitive test-taking only reinforces some of the bad test-
taking habits that we address in this book.
You should use practice tests for the following four key purposes:
to determine your starting score, strengths, and weaknesses before
beginning your prep
to build up familiarity with the exam
to learn how to avoid the types of mistakes you are currently making
to master our techniques and strategies so you can save time and earn
more points
Do I Need to Prepare If I Have Good Grades?
Let’s take the hypothetical case of Sid. Sid is valedictorian of his class, editor
of the school paper, and the only teenager ever to win the Nobel Prize. To
support his widowed mother, he sold more magazine subscriptions and gift
wrap than any other person in recorded history. He speaks eight languages in
addition to being able to communicate with dolphins and wolves. He has
recommendations from Elon Musk and Oprah Winfrey. So if Sid had a bad
day when he took the ACT (the plane bringing him back from his Medal of
Freedom award presentation was late), we are pretty sure that he is going to

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be just fine anyway. But Sid wants to ensure that when his colleges look at
his ACT score, they see the same high-caliber student they see when they
look at the rest of his application, so he carefully reviews the types of
questions asked and learns some useful test-taking strategies.
Want to know which colleges are best for you?
Check out our College Search engine at
princetonreview.com for information on more than
1,000 schools.
I Have Lousy Grades in School. Is There Any Hope?
Let’s take the case of Tom. Tom didn’t do particularly well in high school. In
fact, he has been on academic probation since kindergarten. He has caused
four of his teachers to give up teaching as a profession, and he prides himself
on his perfect homework record: he’s never done any, not ever. But if Tom
aces his ACT, a college might decide that he is actually a misunderstood
genius and give him a full scholarship. Tom decides to learn as much as he
can about the ACT.
Most of us, of course, fall between these two extremes. So is it important to
prepare for the ACT?
If you were to look in the information bulletin of any of the colleges in which
you are interested, we can pretty much guarantee that somewhere you would
find the following paragraph:
Many factors go into a college’s acceptance of a student. Test
scores are only one of these factors. Grades in high school,
extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendations are also
important and may in some cases outweigh test scores.

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(2022 University of Anywhere Bulletin)
Truer words were never written. In our opinion, just about every other
element in your application “package” is more important than your test
scores. The Princeton Review (among other organizations) has been telling
colleges for years that scores on the ACT or the SAT are pretty incomplete
measures of a student’s overall academic abilities. Some colleges have
stopped looking at test scores entirely, and others are downplaying their
importance.
So Why Should You Spend Any Time Preparing for the
ACT?
Out of all the elements in your application “package,” your ACT score is the
easiest to change. The grades you’ve received up to now are written in stone.
You aren’t going to become captain of the soccer team or editor of the school
paper overnight. Your essays will be only as good as you can write them, and
recommendations are only as good as your teachers’ memories of you.
On the contrary, in a few weeks you can substantially change your score on
the ACT (and the way colleges look at your applications). The test does not
pretend to measure analytic ability or intelligence. It measures your
knowledge of specific skills such as grammar, algebra, and reading
comprehension. Mostly, it measures how good you are at taking this test.
THE ACT VS. THE SAT
You may have to take the ACT anyway, but most of the schools in which
you’re interested also accept the SAT. In order to determine which test may
be better for you to take, invest the time to take a full-length, timed practice
test for each to (1) see how you score on each test and (2) assess how you feel
during each test. The time spent on this exercise will be incredibly beneficial
for your test preparation planning. You can take these tests as part of your
free Student Tools at princetonreview.com. Once you’ve decided which test

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is the better fit for you, you can then use that initial score as a baseline for
planning your preparation to hit the target score for your dream college.
Need a Study Plan?
Go to your Student Tools to download our study
plans tailored specifically for 4, 8, or 12 weeks of
available prep time!
What Exactly Are the Differences?
Both the SAT and ACT can be pressure-packed tests, so knowing the
structure of each can help you decide which test may be better for you. Let’s
take the Reading Tests for the SAT and the ACT as an example. The SAT’s
Reading Test is 65 minutes long and has 52 questions covering 5 passages;
the ACT’s Reading Test is 35 minutes long and has 40 questions covering 4
passages. In short, you have an average of 75 seconds to answer each SAT
Reading question, whereas you have an average of about 53 seconds to
answer each ACT Reading question. However, ACT Reading questions tend
to be more directly answered by the passage, whereas SAT Reading
questions can require a bit more close reading to determine the right answer.
In general, students who prefer more straightforward but faster-paced
questions lean toward the ACT, whereas those who appreciate a bit more
time with each question, even if those questions themselves require a bit
more effort, gravitate toward the SAT. Our advice—take a practice test of
each and see which one you prefer.

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American College Testing

Princeton Review ACT Premium Prep 2022 8 Practice Tests + Content Review (2022)

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