If you are starting graduate school and your primary subject is chemistry, you would already know how vital the ACS exam is for you. The ACS exam is essential for most chemistry courses, and it includes questions from the whole chemistry curriculum from high school to the undergraduate program. So, some ACS exam tips and an ACS study guide will help you pass the test easily.

As the ACS exam includes General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry questions, you have to study different materials. Students often get confused regarding the preparation, which makes them stressed, and they become unable to perform well in the exam.

So, our complete ACS study guide and ACS exam tips will help you prepare for the test in no time. We have also recommended the best books for the ACS exam, which you can use to make the study process more manageable.

The Complete ACS Study Guide

Here are some tips for preparing for the ACS exam.

Understand electrons

The primary and essential step of learning General Chemistry is by understanding electrons. When we study the interaction of molecules, we are actually studying electrons. Thus, if all your concepts regarding the electrons are clear, it won’t be difficult for you to grasp others.

Attend every single lecture

You might feel it unnecessary to go to the lab, and your professor may feel the same. However, such negligence will cause difficulties for you in the future. If you don’t attend the lecture or go to the lab, your attendance will drop. Besides, you will lack behind is grasping the concepts, and won’t understand the next lectures.

However, if you miss any lecture because of a specific reason, our recommended books below will help you clear the concepts.

Make notes

If you have more time to study for the ACS exam, it is best to make your own notes. It will help you better understand the topics, and the sequence of study you make yourself will help you learn better.

It is also a good idea to make notes when the teacher explains the lecture, and combine them later. In this way, you will get easier concepts and shortcuts for the preparation of the ACS exam.

If you don’t have enough time to make notes, it’s ok. You can buy any of our recommended books and use them to study. They contain all the required information in a single book, which can help you prepare for the ACS exam before time.

Take practice exams

No matter what exam you have to give, you cannot pass it without the assistance of practice exams. Even if you have revised the syllabus multiple times and learned every detail, solving the practice exams is still essential.

These exams make you prepared for the actual ACS exam, and you can determine your weak areas by solving their questions. You can get these practice tests online or buy them. Most of our recommended books contain practice exams as well, along with the ACS study guide.

ACS Exam Tips

Now, let’s discuss some of the tips you need to adopt while giving the exam.

Avoid last-minute learnings

Last-minute learnings are never helpful. They make you forget what you learned, making you more stressed. So, complete the syllabus the night before and make sure to get better sleep. It will stay you stay fresh during the test.

Choose the largest desk

The ACS exam requires you to take a lot of material with you. You will have a calculator, pencils, a giant scantron, a test booklet, and a scratch piece of paper. To accommodate so many things, you surely need a larger desk.

As the classrooms have all kinds of desks, choose the largest one so that you can keep your things safe, without leaning down to pick the fallen ones during the test.

Solve the last page first

As we are usually panicking when the test starts, a better idea is to solve the last page of the ACS exam first. The last page contains some lab instruction questions and others that are quick and easy to solve. In this way, you will answer the easier ones first and control your nerves until you reach the others.

However, make sure not to mess up the numbering on the scantron.

Solve difficult questions at the end

Solving difficult questions at the end is a famous strategy every smart student uses while taking the ACS exam.

If you find any question that is hard to solve or takes more than 30 seconds for the calculations, it is better to skip it. Solve the easier problems first and the hard questions at the end. In this way, you won’t have to rush to answer the questions. You will solve the difficult ones at the end, and get their answers without hurrying up.

Make sure to manage the time

Even if you are well-prepared for the exam, poor time management will lead to a bad result. So, make sure to watch the clock while solving the ACS exam. It is always better to solve the test before time. In this way, you will get more time to solve the difficult questions at the end.

Recommended Books for the ACS Exam Tips & ACS Study Guide

The following books will help you prepare for the ACS exam and their study guides will provide a better strategy to prepare ahead of time.

Preparing for Your ACS Examination in General Chemistry: The Official Guide

The author of this book is Lucy T. Eubanks. The book contains an essential study guide and study materials for the ACS exam.

Pros:

• The book contains all the information for General Chemistry.
• It helps you become familiar with the formatting of the test.
• The questions in this ACS study guide are very similar to those of the actual exam.
• The book is divided into sections and each of them has several review questions.
• The information in the book is short yet descriptive.
• It covers every portion and clears concepts for everything that will come in the test.

Cons:

• Many people think that the newest edition is better.
• It does not explain all the answers.

ACS General Chemistry Study Guide: Test Prep and Practice Test Questions for the American Chemical Society General Chemistry Exam [Includes Detailed Answer Explanations]

The ACS General Chemistry Study Guide also includes some essential exam tips. It is one of the best books for the ACS study.

Pros:

• The book is very helpful for learning the basic concepts of chemistry.
• We like how the book gives a summary of the essential things for the ACS exam.
• The practice questions are beneficial for a basic understanding of Chemistry.
• Every question has a detailed answer, which makes it easy to understand.
• The book is concise, helpful, and well-written.
• It also helps to review many of the chemistry topics.

Cons:

• You might also need some online resources along with the book.

Preparing for Your ACS Examination in Organic Chemistry: The Official ACS Study Guide (Orsg)

This official guide for the ACS exam is best for those who want a firm grip over the organic chemistry portion.  Organic chemistry is difficult to learn and understand. So, this book can help.

Pros:

• This book is essential to do well in the ACS exam.
• It covers many topics that come in the test.
• The book is also straightforward without any fluff.
• The example questions are amazing. They explain why a specific answer is correct, and the others are not.
• Many people say that their professor did not teach the concepts explained in this book and came in the exam.
• The practice tests help you learn organic chemistry well.

Cons:

• It is better not to buy the used books.
• Some concepts regarding the ACS exams are not mentioned in this book.

Organic Chemistry I For Dummies ACS Study Guide (Lifestyle) 2nd Edition

The Organic Chemistry I for Dummies includes all the basic concepts for people who face difficulty learning the aspects of organic chemistry.

Pros:

• The book explains the concepts visually instead of using symbols.
• The author uses light-hearted humor that does not make us freak out while looking at the book.
• It approaches organic chemistry in simple and clear terms.
• The book also contains some tricks for solving difficult questions.

Cons:

• The book contains some typos.
• You might need other resources with it.

Chemistry in Context 9th Edition

The Chemistry in Context book is also essential for basic learning of chemistry for the ACS exam.

Pros:

• The book is very informative and arrives in good condition.
• The book also helps in providing the basic concepts for learning chemistry.
• It is an excellent choice for college students.
• The book has no problem or grammatical errors.

Cons:

• It does not explain the basics of electron bonding.

Conclusion

Chemistry seems difficult to learn, but the right books and a good study guide can make it a child’s play. Our complete ACS study guide and exam tips will make you well-prepared for the exam. Similarly, the recommended books are of excellent knowledge if you need in-depth concepts.