{"id":4877,"date":"2022-05-20T15:44:30","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T15:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/?p=4877"},"modified":"2022-05-20T15:44:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T15:44:34","slug":"must-know-formulas-for-the-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/must-know-formulas-for-the-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Must Know Formulas for the ACT"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If you’re at all familiar with the format of the SAT, you’ll know that the exam has a provided formula sheet for the math sections of the test. Unfortunately, the ACT is not as giving. The ACT does not have a formula sheet, meaning students taking that test will need to memorize key formulas to succeed on the test. But which ones are the most important?<\/p>

That’s where we come in! This blog post is dedicated to the most important formulas you should have prepped and primed in your brain on test day.<\/p>

Looking to find out all of the differences between ACT and SAT math? Check this out!<\/a><\/p>

Feeling Overwhelmed? Get 1-on-1 ACT Help from a Test Geek Tutor<\/a><\/h4>

Number and Quantity Formulas<\/h2>

Here, the ACT is looking to test you on your ability to deal with complex number systems. Expect to see about 10% of ACT Math questions dedicated to these concepts; don’t forget to memorize these formulas!<\/p>

Sequences:<\/h4>

Sequence with a constant of C:<\/p>

Arithmetic Sequence:<\/strong><\/p>

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Geometric Sequence:<\/strong><\/p>

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These formulas can be really helpful in solving sequence problems quickly. Sure, you can figure these out by solving longhand, but time is valuable on the ACT so consider all shortcuts your friend.<\/p>

Logarithms:<\/h4>

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Rates:<\/h4>

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Functions<\/h2>

Short and sweet here, but not simple. It’s not uncommon to struggle with function notation, and I don’t think anyone is necessarily itching to relearn trigonometry.<\/p>

Function Notation:<\/h4>

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Note: this is different from fg(x), which is f(x) * g(x).<\/p>

Trigonometry on the Coordinate Plane:<\/h4>

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Algebra Formulas<\/h2>

General algebra makes up a large portion of the math you’ll see on the ACT, so even if this section seems familiar to you, don’t overlook it. Memorize these formulas, but for this portion specifically, understand how to interpret them and determine variables from a graph.<\/p>

Linear Graphs:<\/h4>

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Slope-intercept formula:<\/strong><\/p>

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Distance formula:<\/strong><\/p>

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You’ll know to use this formula if you find a question asking the length of a line segment given two points, or if they outright ask the distance between two points on a graph.<\/p>

Midpoint formula:<\/strong><\/p>

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Questions are fairly straightforward when they are asking for the midpoint, so it will be easy to identify when you’ll need this. Expect them to look something like this: what is the midpoint of a line segment that goes from point A to point B?<\/p>

Quadratics:<\/h4>

FOIL (First, Outer, Inner, Last):<\/strong><\/p>

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You might be tired of hearing about FOIL, but it’s a formula that’s commonly needed on the ACT. It may have been a while since you last used these, so be sure to refresh your memory before the test.<\/p>

Quadratic formula:<\/strong><\/p>

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If your experience is anything like mine, your early math teachers probably already made you memorize this. If not, you should! It is long and a little complicated, but it will be a big help to have on the ACT when you’re trying to solve quadratic equations.<\/p>

Discriminant:<\/strong><\/p>

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If…<\/p>