ACT Vocab Audit: September 2024
Is vocabulary really important on the ACT?
Saturdays are perfect days for test prep surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about vocabulary on the ACT today!
We talk quite a bit around here about how helpful a rich, practical vocabulary can be on the Reading & Writing sections of the SAT. Intuitively, a college entrance exam should test a college-level vocabulary, right? Nonetheless, those of us in the test prep space have often downplayed the number of tough words test takers encounter on the other influential entrance exam, the ACT.
As I was working through Form H11, the Test Information Release from September 2024, I was struck by how many of the words embedded in the English, Reading, and even Science tests have appeared or might one day be featured on this site.
ascertain (verb) - to find out, to discover, to determine or make certain
BREAKDOWN: AS- (to) + CERT- (to determine) + -AIN (act or state)
brevity (noun) - shortness of time or duration; a concise or succinct quality in expression
BREAKDOWN: BREV- (short) + -ITY (quality)
elicit (verb) - to call forth or bring out
BREAKDOWN: E- (out) + LAC- (lure or snare)
evoke (verb) - to call forth or summon memories or ideas
BREAKDOWN: E- (out) + VOK- (call)
myopia (noun) - shortsightedness or lack of vision; the medical term for nearsightedness, where close objects are clear but distant ones appear blurry
BREAKDOWN: MY- (shut) + OP- (eye) + -IA (state of)
palpable (adj) - capable of being perceived, particularly touched or felt; plainly evident or obvious
BREAKDOWN: PALP- (touch) + -ABLE (able to be)
pique (verb) - to stimulate interest, curiosity, or anger
BREAKDOWN: PIC- (to prick or sting)
reciprocal (adj) - mutually felt, operative, or binding; also, in math, the multiplicative inverse of a number
BREAKDOWN: RE[CI]- (back) + PRO[C]- (forward) + -AL (pertaining to)
ruminate (verb) - to mediate or ponder; to chew over, as a ruminant chews cud–partially digested plant matter
simulation (noun) - a process of enactment or imitation under anticipated conditions or rules
BREAKDOWN: SIMUL- (same) + -ATION (process of)
Many of the challenging words we haven’t covered yet were based on word roots:
allusion (noun) - an implied, indirect, or passing reference intended to call something to mind
BREAKDOWN: A- (to) + LUD- (to play) + -ION (act or state)
conjecture (noun) - an inference or opinion based on incomplete information
—conjecture means to generate a conclusion without proof or sufficient evidence
BREAKDOWN: CON- (together) + JECT- (throw) + -URE (act or state)
converge (verb) - to incline or bend towards a common meeting point or conclusion
BREAKDOWN: CON- (together) + VERG- (bend)
culminate (verb) - to reach a peak, climax, or final result
BREAKDOWN: CEL- (be prominent) + -MEN (result) + –ATE (make or do)
depict (verb) - to show, represent, or describe in words or pictures
BREAKDOWN: DE- (down) + PICT- (to paint)
dogmatic (adj) - holding strongly to philosophical tenets; arrogant, opinionated, or dictatorial
BREAKDOWN: DOGMA- (belief) + -ATIC (characterized by)
emit (verb) - to produce, send out, or give off
BREAKDOWN: E- (out) + MIT- (to send)
petition (verb) - to beg for or request, often in writing
—a petition is a formal written request , often a compilation of signatures collected to show broad support
BREAKDOWN: PET- (seek) + -TION (act or state)
potent (adj) - powerful or strong; having great influence, force, or effect
BREAKDOWN: POT- (power) + -ENT (full of)
resolute (adj) - determined, purposeful, or steady; resolved
BREAKDOWN: RE- (back) + SOLU- (release) + -TE (being)
venture (verb) - to brave the dangers of; to dare; to risk
—venture is an undertaking that is dangerous or of doubtful outcome, especially a speculative business deal
BREAKDOWN: VENT- (to come) + -URE (act or state)
synchronize (verb) - to cause to occur, operate, or coincide at the same time or rate
BREAKDOWN: SYN- (same) + CHRON- (time) + -IZE (make or do)
vex (verb) - to cause distress, annoyance, or worry
BREAKDOWN: VEX- (annoy, harass)
visceral (adj) - instinctive or emotional rather than intellectual or rational; like a gut feeling; of or pertaining to internal organs
BREAKDOWN: VISCER- (bowels or guts) + -ATE (make or do)
Some of the most challenging words had more tenuous or tortured connections to classic roots but still fall squarely into the category of words college students should know, including calibrate, drastic, slate, and vernacular.
UNDEFINED SCIENCE TERMS
The ACT Science section doesn’t hold back as far as scientific vocabulary goes, but technical terms are often defined in parentheses next to the words themselves. On this exam, test takers were expected to know certain science words without further explanation:
nodule
spectrophotometer
eukaryote and prokaryote
mutualistic and parasitic
If you are either taking or preparing others to take the ACT, let me know what you think about vocabulary on the ACT!