Definition Of Customary International Law - 1710 Words

Within the scope of customary international law there are some varying norms that the international law community must deal with, which can be broken down into three different categories from most important to least important: 1) norms in which the international community allows no derogation, these are known as peremptory norms or jus cogens, 2) norms that might allow for derogation, and 3) norms that aren’t binding but some might argue should be. The classification of these customary norms is based off of both state practice and opinio juris. In order to determine state practice the states may look towards each other and how they react in similar scenarios. One debate surrounding this area is determining how many states need to sign off on an action to determine that sufficient state practice is occurring. Two sides of the argument are the actual number states versus the regionalization of the states. Opinio juris is defined as a state engaging in a certain activity because they believe they are under legal obligation to act. The idea of peremptory norms is older than modern international law itself (113). The idea of peremptory norms stems from the belief that certain actions are so heinous that in order for these to be prevented states shall not be allowed to derogate from adherence. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties shows the importance of peremptory norms in both Article 53 and 64. Article 53 states that a treaty is void if at the time of itsShow MoreRelatedPublic International Law Is Formed By Sovereign States1463 Words   |  6 PagesPublic International law is formed by sovereign states, for sovereign states and governed by the notion of consent. 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Company Profile, Environmental And Swot Analysis And Key...

CHAPTER THREE COMPANY PROFILE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SWOT ANALYSIS AND KEY MANAGERIAL ISSUES This study seeks to develop a five year human resource strategic plan for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). Specific objectives of the research were (a) to identify the current gaps in human resource management at NCCE; (b) to note the effect of the human resource gaps on organizational performance; (c) to ascertain what steps NCCE has put in place to address the human resource gaps; (d) to propose alternative solutions to help effectively address the gaps in human resource management at NCCE; and (e) to turn the alternative solutions into an action plan by way of a human resource strategic plan to be implemented by the management of†¦show more content†¦To develop policies for the consideration of Government from time to time and organize programmes at the national, regional and district levels aimed at realizing the objectives of the Constitution; 4. To formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in the citizens of Ghana, the awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people; 5. To assess for the information of Government, the limitations to the achievement of true democracy arising from the existing inequalities between different strata of the population and make recommendations for re-dressing these inequalities. Environment Analysis To be able to effectively analyze and formulate effective policies as to the human resource of the NCCE, it is important to learn about the external factors that can affect the organization. Reasons for this include the fact that, formulated policies would only work if it takes into account external factors that affects an organization. These factors could either strengthen or weaken the established project or formulated policies. According to Zalengera et al. (2014), a macro environment analysis can be diagrammatically illustrated as below: Macro Environment Analysis (PESTLE) Political Factors: It refers to the stability of the political environment and the attitudes of political parties or movements. This may manifest in government influence on public sector organisational policies, or government

Modern Art Essay Free Essays

Pablo Picasso, one of the most renowned European painters of the 20th century, has passed through various stages in his art reflected in numerous paintings. Two of his paintings, â€Å"Girl with Mandolin† (1911) and â€Å"Les Demoiselles d`Avignon† (1907), refer to the Cubist period in Picasso’s art. The two works are in many ways similar as they have been painted by the same artist, carrying traces of Picasso’s crisp and thoughtful style, and refer to the same period in Picasso’s life and same artistic movement – Cubism. We will write a custom essay sample on Modern Art Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now At the same time, the artist does not repeat himself in his paintings over and over again, so the two works are different in many ways. The earlier work, â€Å"Les Demoiselles d`Avignon†, is a group portrait of five prostitutes from this French town. They are naked, and their postures indicate that they are trying to be seductive. Even so, the women are represented in grotesque manner: their shapes are distorted, their faces are just a combination of features inadequately fitting one another, and two of the women look as if they put on rather intimidating masks on their faces. In fact, the painter here implied a connection to the traditional African masks that fascinated him at the moment when this picture was created. Picasso himself named â€Å"Les Demoiselles d`Avignon† â€Å"first exorcism painting† (MoMa). The prostitutes are depicted as ugly, intimidating creatures that have little femininity despite their obvious wish for attraction. The specific Cubist forms serve to underscore this brutality of their looks. The setting of the brothel, as will become typical of Cubist works, is not explored in depth. Rather, it serves as a pale background for the picture that is simply there in order not to leave the girls hanging in the air by themselves. The background then serves mostly as framing for the figures that take on the primary importance in the picture. The fruits on the table, the walls – all of this is only secondary to the group in the foreground. â€Å"Girl with Mandolin† (1911) is a much more Romantic image. Here the Cubist manner begins to converge with Abstract art, a tendency that is yet to assert itself. The form disintegrates even further, the surroundings are unclear, and only the girl’s figure stands out from the background of the picture, appealing to the viewer with its elegant, shapely form. The girl, much like Avignon prostitutes, is presented as a set of cubes, but these cubes unite to create a simple and elegant whole rather than a disgusting shape. The mandolin, a musical instrument, is represented in a much more realistic way, but the whole environment in which it placed creates a light air of surreal music. The viewer is seeing a picture that creates the impression of uttering a sound so that the audience can feel the sounds emanating from the work. The Cubist shapes are there not to make the girl lose her feminine shape and look ugly; on the contrary, they make her look like a celestial creature that is too elevated and unreal to be depicted in gross, realistic terms that will depict in detail the texture of her dress, color of the hair, etc. instead, the artist presents a generalised picture of nearly pure femininity. Thus, the two pictures are similar in the first place through their Cubist method. Among the styles developed by Picasso, Cubism is perhaps the best known, focused on dealing â€Å"with envisioning objects from multiple vantage points at the same time† (Pablo Picasso).   The composition of the painting as an object consisting of several perspectives of the same object creates the peculiar angular form that is present in both â€Å"Girl with Mandolin† and â€Å"Les Demoiselles d`Avignon†. At the same time, the later â€Å"Girl with Mandolin† is in a sense even ‘more Cubist’ as it completely leaves out the traces of realism, such as depiction of fruits on the table in â€Å"Les Demoiselles d`Avignon† that are not broken down into the Cubist multiple shapes. The message of â€Å"Girl with Mandolin† is totally different from that of â€Å"Les Demoiselles d`Avignon†, as the first picture is a hymn to ethereal femininity, while the second is the grotesque portrayal of the five prostitutes who strike the viewer with their awkward forms. Thus, viewers of the two paintings can trace in them the evolution of Picasso’s style as he progresses from the initial conception of Cubism to the well-developed idea of that style that has in itself become a certain canon for other artists. Cubism, with its emphasis on the sculptural form of the objects, is also focused on the unexpected representation of the portrayed figures. Like in many classical works, the artist strives for generalization of either attractive or unattractive womanhood, portraying its different poles. The two paintings are a vivid example of how an artist can use the same method to convey two different messages, that of glorifying and denigrating an object, and be successful in both cases. Picasso in each case creates a vivid and memorable image that chimes in with the reader’s innermost ideas and perceptions. Bibliography Picasso, Pablo. Girl with a Mandolin (Fanny Tellier). 1911. 5 December 2005 http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/picasso/tellier.jpg.html. Picasso, Pablo (1883-1971). 5 December 2005 http://www.incompetech.com/art/picasso.html. Picasso, Pablo. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Paris, June-July 1907. 5 December 2005 How to cite Modern Art Essay, Essay examples

AGL Energy Limited - Comparative Analysis Of Financial Free Sample

Question: Discuss about the Comparative Analysis of Financial for AGL Energy Limited. Answer: Introduction Ratio analysis is the financial statement analysis, which helps to gather a quick suggestion regarding the financial performance of the firm in several key areas. Ratios can be of different types depending on the liquidity, profitability, market performance, and solvency of the specified firm. In this report, two companies named AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited of the same industry (energy sector) have been selected to analyze the financial condition of both the firms by comparing and contrasting the ratio values and their trends. In order to analyze the trends and ratio of both the firms, the historical value of last two years 2014 and 2015 of both the firms have been gathered from their respective annual reports. Company Background Genesis Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited was founded in the year 1999 and it is a public type company enlisted in both NZX and ASX as GNE. It belongs to the energy sector and is the predecessor of the company named Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (Genesis Energy 2016). The particular company deals with LPG, electricity generation, natural gas and electricity retailing company. Genesis Energy Limited is the largest natural gas as well as electricity retailer in New Zealand as in the financial year 2013-2014, the firm had a market share of 42% and 26% respectively (Genesis Energy 2016). AGL Energy Limited AGL Energy Limited was founded in 1837 as the Australian Gas Light Company; however, later it was founded as AGL Energy in the year 2006. It is a public company enlisted in ASX and is head quartered in North Sydney (Agl.com.au 2016). AGL Energy Limited belongs to the energy as well as utilities sector and its key products are coal seam gas and hydroelectricity, energy, natural gas generation and wind power (Agl.com.au 2016). It has been found that AGL Energy has more than 3.8 million residential as well as business consumers across South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. Profitability Ratio: Return on Assets: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Return on Assets (Net income/ Average Total Assets) 0.013768 -0.027937551 0.013502342 0.029761905 Table 1: Showing the Return on Assets (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) The return on assets of AGL Energy mainly declined from 2014 to 2015 indicating low sales generated from operations. However, the return on assets of Genesis Energy mainly increased, which indicates an effective deployment of management function. After the effective comparison of both the company it could be concluded that based on ROA Genesis energy could be identified as the most valuable stock for investment. Christensen and Nikolaev (2013) argued that during an economic crisis the overall valuation of the company assets and revenue could be hampered, which projects a low ROA of the company. Net Profit Margin: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Net Profit Margin (Net Income/ Net Sales) 0.020415808 -0.036591928 0.024475524 0.050529355 Table 2: Showing the Net Profit Margin (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) With the help of table 2, net profit margin of AGL Energy could be identified as weak compared to Genesis Limited. This reduced net profits margin of AGL Energy could be because of the declining sales or increasing administrative expenses incurred by the company to conduct its operations. Moreover, the rising net profit margin of Genesis Limited could be helpful for investors to receive higher dividends. Stahl et al. (2012) stated that with the help of net profit margin investors are able to identify the overall administrative expenses incurred by the company to generate sale, which might be helpful in achieving sustainable growth. Liquidity Ratios: As commented by Healy and Palepu (2012), liquidity ratios help in vivisecting the capability of a firm in order to write off its existing debts and obligations. Hence, these ratios help in gauging the cash availability of an organisation to convert its assets into cash. Current Ratio: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Current Ratio (Current Assets/ Current Liabilities) 1.457648546 1.405013709 1.44534413 1.119354839 Table 3: Current ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above table, it has been found that the current ratio of both the firms has experienced a marginal decline in the subsequent years. This depicts the increase in the liability base of both the organisations in contrast to the average current asset base (Hoberg, Phillips and Prabhala, 2014). Therefore, it could be inferred that both the organisations are suffering from poor liquidity position as far as the current ratio is concerned. Quick Ratio: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Quick Ratio [(cash + cash equivalents + short-term investments +current receivables)/ Current Liabilities] 1.29 1.242 1.064 0.861 Table 4: Current ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above table, it has been evaluated that the quick ratio of both the organisations has declined over the consecutive years. In case of AGL Energy Limited, the ratio has been high compared to the ideal standard and vice-versa for Genesis Energy Limited. This implies that the former organisation has focused on accumulating higher inventory compared to that of the market demand. The latter firm, however, has been struggling to meet off its existing debts and obligations. Capital Structure Fan et al. (2012) mentioned that the process through which the business entity gathers external finance through the various sources of fund has to evaluate by the management of the business enterprise. The debt equity ratio as well as the equity ratio for both the business entities has to be computed . Debt to Equity Ratio The debt to Equity ratio calculates the amount of finance coming from creditors as well as the investors (Refer to Appendix). AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Debt to Equity (Total Liabilities/ Total Equity) 0.44323 0.4572 0.4819 0.4827 Table 5: Debt to Equity Ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) It can be stated that the ratios of both organizations can be considered healthy in the context of the global market. Robb and Robinson (2012) mentioned that this indicates the strong financial health of the company. In the context of AGL Energy Limited, the debt to equity ratio of the organization was 0.44 in the year 2015. The debt to equity ratio in the context of the Genesis Energy Limited has enhanced from 0.481 in the year 2014 to 0.482 in the year 2015. Therefore, the liabilities of both the firms have shown substantial growth. Equity Ratio The equity ratio is the financial ratio that indicates the portion of equity that facilitates the financing of the assets of the company (Refer to Appendix). AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Equity Ratio (Total Equity/ Total Assets) 1 1 1 1 Table 6: Equity Ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) From the table, it can be stated that the equity ratio of both the organizations have shown consistency in growth for both 2014 and 2015. From the equity ratio, it can be identified that both the organizations have shown similar trends, and have delivered consistent business performances over a period of time Market Performance: In the words of Loughran and McDonald (2014), the market performance portrays a vivid description of the organisational performance in the target market. Therefore, in order to dissect the market performance of both the firms, the ratios related to dividend per share and earnings per share have been taken into consideration. Dividend per share: This ratio helps in gauging the percentage of the actual net profit, which is distributed to the stockholders on the part of the organisation. AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Dividends per share (Sum of dividend/ No. of outstanding shares) 0.591 0.68 0.079 0.8 Table 7: Dividend per share of Genesis Energy Limited and AGL Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above figure, it has been inherent that both the organisations have increased their dividend payout to the shareholders over the subsequent years. In case of AGL Energy Limited, the dividend payout has increased from 0.59% in the year 2014 to 0.68% in the year 2015. However, this ratio has been high in case of Genesis Energy Limited, since the same has increased from 0.079 in the year 2014 to 0.8 in the year 2015. The possible reason behind such increase is the rise in net profit, which might have resulted from the higher amount of sales in the Australian market. Thus, the amount of dividend for both the firms has increased over time due to the higher income earned over the subsequent years. Hence, it could be inferred that both the firms have increased their dividend payouts; however, Genesis Energy Limited is enjoying a competitive advantage. Earnings per share: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Earnings per share [(Net income Preferred Dividends)/ Weighted average common shares outstanding] 0.33 0.23 0.1 0.12 Table 8: Earnings per share of Genesis Energy Limited and AGL Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) Based on the above graph, it has been evident that AGL Energy Limited has experienced a decline in its share earnings possibly due to the indifferent motive of the investors to invest in the organisation. However, the scenario has been opposite in case of Genesis Energy Limited, since the company has experienced an increase in its earnings per share. Therefore, Genesis Energy Limited is enjoying a competitive advantage over AGL Energy Limited as well. Comparing AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy limited: Both AGL and Genesis energy are from the energy sector and the ratio comparison effectively helps in evaluating the overall performance of companies. In addition, with the help of liquidity, profitability, market performance, and capital structure the overall performance of both the companies are effectively evaluated. Moreover, Genesis energy limited is mainly identified as the most valuable stock, which could provide investors with adequate invested return. Ally (2013) stated that with the help of ratios investor are able to identify the most favourable stock, which might help in providing higher return from investment. Conclusion It can be concluded that Genesis Energy limited and AGL Energy Limited require more improvements in order to run the businesses successfully in future. It has been noted that both companies need to put more effort on their profitability, solvency and liquidity ratios for improving their financial conditions. Recommendations The investors should invest more in AGL Energy Limited as Genesis Energy has a relatively poor solvency situation. Additionally, it has been found that AGL Energy has a better financial position in liquidity and market performance ratios. Reference and Bibliography: Agl.com.au. 2016.AGL Energy Limited. [online] Available at: https://www.agl.com.au [Accessed 26 Aug. 2016]. Ally, Z., 2013. Comparative analysis of financial performance of commercial banks in Tanzania.Research Journal of Finance and Accounting,4(19), pp.133-143. Callen, J.L., 2015. A selective critical review of financial accounting research. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 26, pp.157-167. Christensen, H.B. and Nikolaev, V.V., 2013. Does fair value accounting for non-financial assets pass the market test?.Review of Accounting Studies,18(3), pp.734-775. Fan, J.P., Titman, S. and Twite, G., 2012. An international comparison of capital structure and debt maturity choices. Journal of Financial and quantitative Analysis, 47(01), pp.23-56. Genesis Energy. 2016.Power Company - Electricity Companies - Genesis Energy NZ. [online] Available at: https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz [Accessed 26 Aug. 2016]. Healy, P.M. and Palepu, K.G., 2012.Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Hoberg, G., Phillips, G. and Prabhala, N., 2014. Product market threats, payouts, and financial flexibility.The Journal of Finance,69(1), pp.293-324. Kirkham, R., 2012. Liquidity analysis using cash flow ratios and traditional ratios: The telecommunications sector in Australia.The Journal of New Business Ideas Trends,10(1), p.1. Loughran, T. and McDonald, B., 2014. Measuring readability in financial disclosures.The Journal of Finance,69(4), pp.1643-1671. Robb, A.M. and Robinson, D.T., 2012. The capital structure decisions of new firms. Review of Financial Studies, p.hhs072. Stahl, F., Heitmann, M., Lehmann, D.R. and Neslin, S.A., 2012. The impact of brand equity on customer acquisition, retention, and profit margin.Journal of Marketing,76(4), pp.44-63.

Racial Issues in Music Essay Example For Students

Racial Issues in Music Essay Articles all over the internet have the same remarks to pose Rap these days is all about pitches, hoes, and drugs. In a sense, rap is generalized by a few songs and the assuages poised by the songs are assumed to be the three things listed above. In actual, this is untrue and there are various artists that rap about problems they faced in the ghetto and real life situations that African Americans face in their day to day life. However, for this blob write up the main purpose is to prove that songs like Hot Amiga by Bobby Samurai coincide with the stereotypes that rap songs are basically portraying African Americans as violent individuals who partake in illegal actions such as the consumption of drugs and the use of weapons. The specific idea of race Ewing portrayed negatively in this song is very easy to comprehend. Almost everyone in this song is an African American residing in East Flatfish, Brooklyn. Samurai goes onto rap about his friends and gang members that carry weapons such as a 9 millimeter pistol. It is also evident in the video that Samaras actions specifically reference the use of weapons. This links in with the stereotype that black people are linked with violent actions and connected to the use of weapons. Moving on, there are also references made in the lyrics of the song and the video where the listener as a glimpse of the use of marijuana, another point that helps connect African Americans to the use of illegal substances and unruly behavior. However, not every African American should be generalized into a category of gangsters that Samurai portrays them to be, the general public feels it is right to paint every African into the same category. This is the reason why in America there are brutal killings of innocent African Americans. The population of people postulate the African race to be indulged in matters of violence and illegal activities due to people like Samurai. Myself am an avid listener to Rap music and artists like Bobby Samurai, however his songs have a beat that helps me liven up the atmosphere. When it comes to lyrics and actual rap music, I would pick artists like Kindlier Lamar who rap for the African race and outline the struggles they go through. I feel it is wrong label the African American race as gangsters because at the end of the day they are humans and should be treated with due respect even though due to a few rotten apples their name is tarnished in society.

Spanish Settlement Of The West Essays - Presidency Of James K. Polk

Spanish settlement of the west International borders have always been centers of conflict, and the U.S.-Mexican border is no exception. With the European colonizing the New World, it was a matter of time before the powers collided. The Spanish settled what is today Mexico, while the English settled what is to day the United States. When the two colonial powers did meet what is today the United States' Southwest, it was not England and Spain. Rather the two powers were the United States and Mexico. Both Counties had broken off from their mother countries. The conflict that erupted between the two countries where a direct result of different nation policies. The United States had a policy of westward expansion, while Mexico had a policy of self protection. The Americans never had a written policy of expansion. What they had was the idea of "Manifest Destiny." Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had the right to expand westward to the Pacific ocean. On the other hand, Mexico was a new country wanti ng to protect itself from outside powers. Evidence of U.S. expansion is seen with the independence of Texas from Mexico. The strongest evidence of U.S. expansion goals is with the Mexican-American War. From the beginning, the war was conceived as an opportunity for land expansion. Mexico feared the United States expansion goals. During the 16th century, the Spanish began to settle the region. The Spanish had all ready conquered and settled Central Mexico. Now they wanted to expand their land holdings north. The first expedition into the region, that is today the United States Southwest, was with Corando. Corando reported a region rich in resources, soon after people started to settle the region. The driving force behind the settlement was silver in the region. The Spanish settled the region through three major corridors; central, western and eastern. The first settlements were mainly through the central corridor. The Spanish went thorough what is now the modern Mexican state of Chihuahua into the U.S. state of New Mexico. Eventually the Spanish established the city of Santa Fe in 1689. The eastern corridor was through modern day Texas and led to the establishment of San Antonio. The eastern expansion was caused by the French expansion into modern day Louisiana. The Spanish crown wanted a buffer between the French in Louisiana and central Mexico. The last corridor of expansion was in the west, through the sea, which led to the establishment of San Diego in 1769 and Los Angles in 1781. The Spanish were not the only European power to colonize the new world; French, English and the Dutch also settled North and South America. The Spanish and the French settled what is present day U.S.-Mexico border region. The French settled modern day U.S. midwest, while the Spanish settled present day Mexico and U.S. southwest. As time went on, European influence in the region diminished.. The French sold there claims to the United States, in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Once the United States bought the Louisiana Purchase, western expansion began. This set the stage for major conflict in the region. The United States gained independence from England in 1775. After 1775, the Americans started to expand west. By the time Mexico gained independence, the United States had reached the Mexican frontier. Mexico needed to protect its northern borders. To protect the border region, Mexico needed to populate the area. Mexico continued the policy started by Spain of allowing Americans to settle Texas. The Americans had to follow Mexican law, religion and customs. The settlement of Texas played into the United States' expansion plans. Eventually Mexico City closed Texas from more Americans from entering. This angered the Americans wanting to enter and Americans already living in Texas. Texas revolted from Mexico in 1833. Mexicans did live in Texas, and fought for the independence of Texas. The majority of Texans were Americans and fought for their independence. After the war the Americans intentionally or non-intentionally forced most Mexicans out of Texas. The ones that stayed faced racial tensions that continue to today. After gaining independence from Mexico, Texas wanted to join the United States immediately. The U.S. Congress voted

The Best ACT Diagnostic Test and How to Use It

The Best ACT Diagnostic Test and How to Use It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips An ACT diagnostic test is an important part of your ACT prep, but there’s a lot more to it than just answering a few questions and seeing how you score.A diagnostic test can be one of the best tools for shaping your ACT study plan, but you need to know where to find the right ones and how to take them properly. In this guide, we explain what an ACT diagnostic test is, why it’s such an important study tool, where you can find the best diagnostic tests, and every step you should take to get as much valuable info from your diagnostic test as possible. What’s an ACT Diagnostic Test and How Can It Help You? An ACT diagnostic test is a practice test that you take at the beginning of your studying. This is more than just any practice test though. You can use your diagnostic test results to figure out your strengths and weaknesses on the ACT, how well you’re currently scoring, and how much you need to improve.All of these are key pieces of information for developing an effective study plan that’ll get you the ACT results you're aiming for. Without an ACT diagnostic test, you’ll find it much harder to study effectively for the ACT because you won’t know how much progress you need to make or which areas you should be focusing on. We recommend that every person studying for the ACT take a diagnostic test early in their prep. What Are the Best ACT Diagnostic Tests? There are lots of free ACT diagnostic tests out there, but the best ones to take will always be official ACT practice tests.Official ACT practice tests are retired real ACTs, so they'll be very similar to the ACT you see on test day. This is key because, if your diagnostic test isn’t a good replica of the real ACT, your diagnostic test results won’t give you a very accurate idea of how well you’d score on the ACT, so you could end up studying too little, studying too much, or studying the wrong subjects. It’s key that your diagnostic test mimics the difficulty, content, and format of the real ACT.Fortunately, this is easy to do. There are lots of high-quality and free ACT diagnostic test pdfs out there.We actually have links to every free and official ACT practice test available online. Use one of these for your diagnostic. If you’re looking for a shorter free ACT diagnostic test, your options are somewhat limited. There are many unofficial practice quizzes available, but we don’t recommend them since they aren’t as high-quality as official resources.ACT Inc. offers short quizzes for each section of the exam. There are five quizzes for each exam section, and each quiz has five questions. If you choose to take some of these quizzes for your diagnostic test, know that you won’t be able to get an accurate score estimate from them since their format is so different from the format of the actual ACT.Instead, you can use the quizzes to get a general idea of the areas where you’re doing well and where you need to study more. How Should You Take an ACT Diagnostic Test? When you take your ACT diagnostic exam, it’s crucial to mimic real testing conditions as closely as possible so that you can get the most accurate score from your diagnostic.If you give yourself more breaks or time than you’d get on the real test, your diagnostic test results won’t be as useful. Here are the main rules you should follow when taking your diagnostic: Take the test with pencil and paper (You’ll be taking the real ACT this way, so we don’t recommend taking your ACT diagnostic online.) Take the test all in one sitting Keep strict timing for each section (don’t give yourself even one minute extra to complete a section!) Use only the breaks you’d get on the official exam (10 minutes after the Math section and 5 minutes before the Writing section if you’re taking it) Minimize distractions (no music, TV, people talking in the room, etc.) For a more in-depth look at the best way to take ACT practice tests, check out our guide specifically on the topic. How Should You Analyze Your ACT Diagnostic Test Results? Big Picture Questions After you’ve taken your diagnostic test, you’ll need to break down your test results to understand exactly what you need to work on and where you can improve. Here are three of the first questions you should ask yourself. Which Sections Were Your Best? Your Worst? After you’ve looked at your overall score, review your section scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science. How do they compare to each other? Are some section scores significantly higher than others?Students often divide their study time equally between each of the ACT sections or read entire prep books all the way through to make sure they’re learning everything they can. However, if your section scores vary widely, this isn’t the most efficient use of your time. You want to concentrate more study time on the section(s) where you need to make the biggest improvement. So if, say, your Science score is the lowest of your section scores, you’ll want to spend more time studying Science than you would studying for Math, English, or Reading. Which Types of Questions Did You Struggle the Most With? When your review the results of your ACT diagnostic test, you’ll be able to see not only which sections you were stronger or weaker on, but also which question types you struggled with the most.For example, the Science section has three different types of questions. Maybe you did pretty well on Data Representation questions but struggled on the Conflicting Viewpoints questions. The more detailed your analysis is, the more it’ll help you develop a study plan that effectively targets your weaknesses and helps you raise your score.We have guides that explain the different question types you’ll see on each section of the ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Were You Pressed for Time? The ACT is strictly timed, and if you ran out of time on any section of your diagnostic, that’s absolutely something you need to focus on during your studying.Leaving just a few questions blank on each section because you didn’t have time to answer them can have a major impact on your score. The ACT expects you to answer many questions in a limited amount of time, and many students struggle with completing the test within the time limits.If you felt you knew most of the information being tested but just didn’t have the time to answer all the questions, working on your timing skills will be key to improving your ACT score. How Should You Analyze Your ACT Diagnostic Test Results? Nitty Gritty Questions Once you’ve looked at the big picture info you got from your diagnostic, it’s time for a more detailed analysis. To do this, you should go through every question you got wrong (or just guessed on) on your diagnostic ACT and figure out why you answered it incorrectly. For each question you answered incorrectly, think about why you got it wrong. There are generally four reasons people make mistakes on exams: Time Issue: You didn’t have enough time to answer the question. Question Comprehension Issue: You knew the information needed to correctly solve the question, but the question was too complicated, you weren’t sure what exactly was being asked, or you were tricked by the question. Procedural/Content Issue: You weren’t sure how to solve a question, or you didn’t have the background knowledge needed to solve it. Careless Error: You knew how to solve the question, but you made a silly mistake that caused you to choose the wrong answer. We give detailed explanations for how to overcome each of these issues in our guide to going over ACT questions you got wrong, but below are key solutions for each of the four issues. Time Issue To get a better handle of the ACT’s timing and maximize the amount of time you get on each section, there are several techniques to try.First, don’t get stuck on a single question and waste so much time on it you don’t have a chance to answer other questions. If you’ve stared at a question for 60 seconds and have no idea how to solve it, skip it and move on. You can always come back to it at the end of the section if you have more time.Second, for many questions, you’ll see some questions that are obviously incorrect. Do yourself a time-saving favor and cross these off in your booklet immediately. The faster you can eliminate wrong answer choices, the faster you can solve for the correct answer. Finally, one of the best ways to get faster on the ACT is to take lots of practice tests. By doing so you’ll become more familiar with the test and know what to expect and what shortcuts you can use to answer questions. Question Comprehension Issue This issue is especially common with people who read questions quickly in hopes of saving time. Even though you’ll be pressed for time on the ACT, spending an extra few seconds to figure out exactly what a question is asking you is well worth your time. Many students underline key parts of a question to make sure they’re not missing any important information when they read it.This can be particularly helpful for Reading and Science questions, where you’ll need to get your information from long passages. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for can help you save time and ensure you’re looking for the right information. Procedural/Comprehension Issue Both of these issues can be solved by building up your knowledge of what the ACT tests and how its questions are worded.For procedural problems, the best way to improve is to answer lot of practice questions so you become familiar with what ACT questions look like. ACT prep books can also give you insight into how to solve questions.For comprehension issues, you can brush up on the content the ACT tests by using class notes, textbooks on the material, or an ACT prep book. Careless Error In order to stop making careless errors, you need to figure out what’s causing them in the first place.Were you pressed for time? Then improving your time management skills will help.Did you get tripped up by one of the ACT’s common tricks, like only solving for x when you were supposed to solve for 2x? Reading prep books to learn common tricks can help you avoid making those mistakes again.Leaving yourself a few minutes at the end of each ACT section to go over your answers can also help you catch any careless mistakes you may have made. 6 Steps to Creating the Best ACT Prep Plan for You After you’ve taken your ACT diagnostic test and reviewed your results, you can use that information to create your ACT study plan. Below are the six steps to follow to create a study plan that’ll help you strengthen your weaknesses and get the ACT score you’re aiming for. #1: Set an ACT Goal Score Once you have the results from your ACT diagnostic, you need to set a target score so you know what your goal is when you take the actual ACT.To set a target score, first make a list of the colleges you want to apply to. Then find the average ACT scores of admitted students for each of those schools. (This info is usually available on each school’s class profile.)Find the highest average ACT score on your list. That's your goal score because reaching it will give you a good shot at getting into each of your potential schools. Once you have your goal score, compare it to your diagnostic score. Are they close? Far apart? Are there certain sections where you met your goal score but others where you didn’t?Having this info will help you determine your actions for the rest of the steps in your study plan. #2: Figure Out How Long You Need to Study How much you need to study for the ACT depends on the difference between your diagnostic test results and your goal score.Here are our estimates for the total number of hours you'll need to prep based on the ACT score improvement you want: Composite ACT Points You Want to Improve Hours of Study Needed 0-1 points 10 hours 1-2 points 20 hours 2-4 points 40 hours 4-6 points 80 hours 6-9 points 150+ hours Once you know how long you plan on studying, you can decide how many hours you want to study a week and work backwards to figure out how many weeks/months you’ll need to prepare and when you should take the ACT. #3: Get High-Quality Study Resources In order to have a great study plan, you’re going to need to use the best study materials out there.We’ve already discussed the importance of using official practice tests when you study for the ACT. Unofficial practice tests can sometimes vary greatly from the real exam, which means you’ll be taking tests that don’t help or, worse, prepare you for the wrong material. Always use official practice ACTs when you can. A prep book can also be one of the most useful tools for your ACT studying. They can be especially helpful at explaining tricky concepts and breaking down how to solve different types of ACT problems.Check out our guide to the top ACT prep books to learn which are the best prep books out there. #4: Focus on Your Weaknesses As we discussed above, it’s important for you to identify your weak areas and prioritize strengthening them. Once you know which subjects or question types you want to improve in, there are several ways to go about doing this: Reviewing content: either in a prep book or school notes Answer practice questions Asking for help if needed: If you’ve read through all your relevant notes on a subject, you may want to try asking a classmate who is also taking the ACT for help or look into getting a tutor. #5: Take Regular Practice ACTs Your ACT diagnostic isn’t the only practice test you should take before exam day. Regular practice tests will help you track your progress and get more familiar with the exam.We recommend taking three to six full-length practice ACTs before test day.There are currently five official practice ACTs available for free, so definitely make use of them. #6: Regularly Check Your Progress As you study for the ACT, you should regularly step back and analyze how things are going. Are you making the progress you’re wanting? If not, what do you think you should change about your study plan? Are you able to get in the number of study hours you want to? Where are you still struggling? How can you fix that issue? This is a key step to follow because if something’s not working, you’re not going to see the improvements you want, no matter how often you keep doing it.If you’re stuck you might consider looking at tutors or reading our list of the 18 best tips for the ACT to get some new study ideas. What's Next? Ready to get a perfect ACT score? Read our famous guide on what it takes, written by an expert 36 scorer. Looking for more ACT practice tests?Check out our massive collection of official and unofficial ACT practice tests. Not sure when you should take the ACT?Get a complete study plan for the ACT to figure out the best date for you. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial: