Come to Mt. Moriah, young people, where God demands everything and nothing must be taken for granted. The ACT is a great opportunity, but first, join me on Mt. Moriah!
Hebrews 11:17 (the first commentary on Geneis 22) says, “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son.” This man Abraham was called by God into the Promised Land. And he went. He was promised many descendants. And he waited — even into his nineties. And God gave him a son . . . but now he must go to Mt. Moriah.
Dr. William Willimon tells of a congregant who said to him one day, “I am looking for another church because when I look at that God, the God of Abraham, I feel I’m near a real God, not the sort of dignified business-like . . . God we chatter about here on Sunday mornings. Abraham’s God could blow a man to bits, give and then take a child, ask for everything from a person and then want more. I want to know that God.”1
Do you know that God? A God who means business? Not some existential reality grounded in warm fuzzy feelings, but a God who brings chills up your spine. Not the God whom we meet on the silver screen, full of maudlin aphorisms, who can barely manage happy endings.
No, the God on Mt. Moriah is the God Abraham meets in Genesis 22, the God Moses meets in Exodus 3 in the bush that is on fire but does not burn, the God who does not make polite conversation. This is the God who struck Annais and Shappirah dead for their lying and intrigue. This is the God who Abraham meets this day. This is the God who is leading you in this new century, in this post-Christian world. He means business, young people.
This is the God you will meet in this ACT preparation book.
How much does your God demand of you? Come to Mt. Moriah, where God demands everything. I am not kidding around, young people. God demands everything from you. This course demands everything from you.
This is even a different God from the one Abraham thought he knew. God had called him into the wilderness and he had gone. And God took care of him. He had come through with a child when none seemed available. But this was something new, this command of God to go to Mt. Moriah. Perhaps we, too, have known God to be our savior, our friend, our companion — and He is all these — but I wonder if we have known a God who demands everything from us.
God is not to be trifled with. You are asked, now, in this course, to devote everything you have — and more — to prepare to be the next generation of godly leaders. This is serious business — your “work” for the next 50 lessons.
Abraham knew that God is not safe, not to be controlled, not to be mocked or tampered with. He knew that God was God. And Abraham intended to treat Him that way.
This faith to which Abraham is called and for which he is celebrated — particularly in the New Testament — means the acknowledgment of a particular God. A God who means business. Who calls us to Mt. Moriah. Abraham trusts in a God who can violate religious conventions, shatter normal definitions of reality, and bring about newness. Isaac — long anticipated, finally given — is suddenly demanded back, and he is the embodiment of the newness God can bring to us. To us. To a people who know only three cars and two color TVs and affluence. To a people who really know only barrenness. This God who calls us to Mt. Moriah has no parallel, no analogy. This God we serve is not predictable, not safe, and not controllable. He loves whom He wants to love — even those whom we cannot forgive. He saves those whom He chooses. He is a God who cannot be controlled by our minds, our political situations, or our religions.
On Mt. Moriah God brings something new — a young ram. He does not merely patch up what is old. He makes something entirely new. And on Mt. Moriah we find that all that we once believed, all that once demanded our allegiance, has come in question.
The theologian Walter Brueggemann, in his exposition of this passage, challenges us to embrace the God on Mt. Moriah. The modern world that so celebrates freedom also believes that present life is closed and self-contained in known natural laws, just waiting to be uncovered. In this world there can be no real change, no newness. But our world is not after all a human artifact; it is created by God. And He shall not be thwarted by our puny efforts to control Him. Abraham knew that our world needs more than a faith whose only claim is that its God can be served without cost. No! The God on Mt. Moriah wants everything we have. This God we serve is determined to have His own way with us, no matter what the cost.
When Abraham comes down from Mt. Moriah he is a new man. God has demanded all and Abraham has delivered. God provides a substitute, but that is incidental. This faith of Abraham is replicated throughout history. Moses foolishly stands before Pharaoh and demands that he let God’s people go. Moses has been to his Moriah. Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego have been to Moriah, too. During the Babylonian captivity they are told to worship the Persian king. They refuse. They might be burned alive in the fire. “The God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up,” they defiantly tell the king (Daniel 3:17–18). They have met a God who demands everything and then more. They have been to Moriah.
My prayer is that these 50 review lessons will take you to Mt. Moriah, so that when you do well on the ACT — and I believe you will — that you will do well in college, also. Then you will get an important job, or you will raise your children at home. Or both. I pray that you remember that you serve a mighty, an awesome, a loving God. The God who calls us to Mt. Moriah.
The ACT Test: General Overview
The ACT test assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. It does this by assessing students’ performance in high school and, therefore, it is more a measure of college readiness than it is a prediction of college performance. The converse is true for the SAT. The ACT is an achievement verses aptitude test. An achievement test is based upon a corpus of information. The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. If students are competent in these areas, if they know enough information related to these disciplines, and can apply this information to cognitive challenges, then they will receive a high score. In that sense, the ACT is of the same genre as an Iowa Basic or Stanford Achievement test.
The SAT, on the other hand, is an IQ-type test. It is not based upon epistemology; it is based upon critical thinking. In other words, the SAT measures students’ ability to problem solve. The ACT measures students’ knowledge acquisition. Therefore, the SAT preparation ideally needs a commitment of one to three years. Students cannot raise their IQ scores nor improve critical thinking skills overnight, or even in two months. But students can raise ACT scores in 50 days.
The writing test, which is an optional test on the ACT (but not on the SAT) measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.
For a long time, the SAT was by far the most popular college entrance exam in the United States. Even though a high percentage of high school students who hope to go on to a university still rely on the SAT to show their academic prowess, the ACT has gained a lot of ground over the years.
The ACT is divided into four individual subject examinations, each one covering a separate subject area. The material includes:
English — Students are tested on grammar rules and rhetorical skills. Rhetoric requires students to discern the writing strategy of a passage. The exam consists of several literary passages, which are followed by several questions on the passage or selected parts. The test is designed to check understanding of English usage, not spelling and vocabulary. Indirectly, though, vocabulary is important because the student will need a robust vocabulary to understand the subtleties in the reading passages. Spelling is important in the writing section. The single best preparation event for the ACT is active reading of challenging literary works. Students should read about one book per week.
Mathematics — Students are tested on mathematical concepts and practices endemic to 11th grade goals. The test is designed to check for mathematical reasoning and basic computational skills, so no complex formulas or elaborate computations will be included in the exam. Calculators are allowed, although there are restrictions.
Reading — Students are tested on direct reading comprehension and inference based on the material presented. Similar to the English exam, the test consists of several different literary genre passages from multiple disciplines, which are followed by several questions on the passage. Since reading skills such as determining the main idea and understanding causal relationships are being tested, rote fact checking is not included in the exam.
Writing — The writing test, which is an optional portion of the ACT, is a short written exercise that is given at the end of the regular exam. It is my firm belief, based upon decades of coaching the SAT and ACT, that the writing section is literally a gift horse the students are looking in the mouth. It is a great opportunity! The bar is so low, the grading criteria so easy, that it would be a poor writer indeed who received a poor score on this section of the ACT. The writing section itself consists of a writing prompt, generally about a social issue that a high school student would be expected to encounter, and two opposing points of view on the subject discussed in the prompt. The student is expected to then write a short essay defining the student’s position on the issue and explaining the reasons behind it. There is no guideline on the essay structure, and the student may write as long or short an essay as he or she is capable of in the time allotted. Remember: longer is always better! Scoring of the writing essay is different than that of the regular exam. Two essay readers will read the student’s essay and score it on a scale of 0 to 6, 0 being assigned if the essay is illegible, not in English, blank, completely off-topic, or fails to meet the stated guidelines for the exam in some other fashion. The scores are then summed to create the composite score for the exam. If the graders disagree by a margin greater than one point, then a third grader evaluates the essay and provides a final scoring.
Science — Students are tested on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students should have had courses in biology, earth sciences, and the physical sciences by the 11th grade. The test consists of several data sets presented as data representation (graphs, charts, etc.) and research expressions of conflicting hypotheses, which are followed by several questions after each set. Calculators are not allowed during the science exam.
What Is It?
Like the SAT, the ACT is a standardized test. With the exception of the optional writing section, all of the questions are multiple choice. There are 215 questions in all, and the exam takes about three hours to complete. The questions focus on four core academic subject areas: math, English, reading, and science, and scores range between 1 and 36.
What does the ACT Measure?
ACT questions focus upon academic knowledge that high school seniors should already have acquired. Since the four sections of the ACT correspond with introductory courses most students will be required to complete during their freshman year of college, the ACT is a good indication of whether or not students are adequately prepared for the academic challenges of the university. In my opinion, the SAT is a better predictor of college performance; the ACT is a better evaluation of high school performance. If then, the SAT is like an IQ test, the ACT is like a national achievement test.
When Was the ACT First Administered?
The first group of students were tested on the ACT in 1959. From the very beginning, the ACT was intended to be a competitor to the SAT. Today, the test is administered and overseen by ACT, Inc. It is more popular than ever before and, in 2007, a little over 40 percent of U.S. high school graduates opted to take the ACT in lieu of the SAT. Part of the reason for this preference is the belief among many educators that the SAT is culturally biased and therefore an unfair assessment tool.
How Are ACT Scores Used by Colleges?
Exactly how a student’s ACT scores will be used by a college varies from school to school. In some schools, a student’s ACT score, along with his or her GPA, is the chief criteria upon which acceptance decisions are made. At other schools, ACT scores play only a minor role in determining acceptance, and applicants’ GPA, class rank, and cultural backgrounds may be viewed as more important. In the case of homeschoolers, for obvious reasons, a standardized test — in this case the ACT — is significantly more important than grades, recommendations, or any other admission criteria.
In any case, a strong ACT score will boost students’ chances of being accepted to the college of their choice and, concurrently, will greatly increase the chances of generous financial aid and scholarships. Along with using ACT scores to make acceptance decisions, colleges can use a student’s test results in other ways as well. Some colleges offer different course sections — there may be a regular and an advanced course in English literature, for example. Looking at a student’s scores on the English and reading sections of the ACT can help college officials choose which course selections would be more suitable to student skill level (adapted from the official ACT website).
Finally, the writing section of the ACT (and SAT) is extremely important. Many colleges purchase copies of the ACT writing section from the ACT. These colleges compare the ACT essay with student college admission essays. If there are marked differences, the ACT essay can hurt student admission chances. On the other hand, if the ACT essay is better than the college admission essay, then students have a much better chance to be admitted and receive a scholarship at aforementioned colleges.
The ACT and College Preparation Course for the Christian Student
This book includes the following components:
- Scripture Memory Verse (in the lesson and in the appendices)
- Devotion
- Test-taking Insights
- Test Practice
- Math
- Vocabulary
- Reading
- English
- Writing
- Science
It is critical that ACT students develop two habits:
- Reading (vocabulary and reading skills)
- Prayer (stress reduction)
Both a prayer devotion guide and a college preparation reading list are found in the appendices.
Ideally, students will go through this book about 50 days before the exam. It can be repeated several times.
Implementation Suggestion
Since the ACT is an achievement test, it does not require a long, arduous preparation experience — as opposed to the SAT, which is more of an “IQ” type test. Therefore, students can complete this book 50 days before the exam (and complete one lesson per day) or complete this book 50 weeks before the exam — one lesson per week. I recommend that you spend about a year preparing for this exam. This course is also perfect as a one-semester private or public school course. If you would like a 17-week suggested implementation schedule, write me at jpstobaugh@forsuchatimeasthis.com.
Special Circumstances
The ACT has several contingencies in place to help students overcome issues of disability, economic hardship, and other limitations. Students who meet certain qualifications as listed on the official ACT fee waiver form are eligible to receive a total of two fee waivers, but only a certain number are granted each testing year. Students at any grade level with a documented disability are eligible for special arrangements for the ACT. For further information, visit http://act.org. Students who have religious beliefs that prevent them from Saturday testing may apply for non-Saturday testing. Students who are too ill to leave their residence or are confined may use the ACT Request for Arranged Testing application to arrange testing. Whatever special challenges students face, they should begin the application process at least a year before their scheduled ACT.
Students should note that the ACT does not make accommodations for limited English proficiency; the ACT is not offered in any other language than English, and limited proficiency is not at present an eligible reason to request extended time periods for testing. Likewise, at the present time, the student will have to take a handwritten exam — there are no ACT computer exams.
Stress Reduction
My 35 years of coaching remind me how important stress reduction is to high ACT scores. In fact, in my opinion, it is the most important preparation variable. Much research supports my argument. For Christians, at least, stress reduction is best accomplished by a frequent and thorough devotional and Bible memorization program. The ACT and College Preparation Course for the Christian Student amply discusses this point and provides preparation exercises that will equip the student to be ready for the ACT. If you need Bible verses to memorize and to meditate upon, see the appendices.
An example of a “living in Scripture” meditation exercise is provided in Appendix D.