On September 10th I got a 25 on my ACT exam after a whole summer of studying for 1-2 hours a day. I’ve never been a very good test taker but I didn’t expect this to be my score. I’m getting really discouraged about whether or not I will be able to improve. It’s even discouraging me about my capabilities in my other interests.
So I need some help.
On all the 15 practice tests that I previously took, I had never gotten below a 30 and would usually get between 31-33 but on the real test, I got a 25. I would usually get 31-33 on maths as well, but on the real test, I got a 29 (I’m not too mad about that). For science and reading I was getting between 24 and 27 but I actually got a 24 in science and a 20 on reading. I WAS DOING REAL PREVIOUS ACT EXAMS, not even ones from the books. I’ve done an 800 dollar online course called 2400expert which did help me get the high scores on my practice tests, but not on the real thing.
What am I doing wrong? I’m seriously having a hard time believing that the ACT is a measure of how hard you work because this is ridiculous. I’m starting to feel like at a point my score plateau’s and it can’t get much better after. I feel as if it caters only to specific kinds of students. What makes it worse is that all my friends get at least 28 and above without even studying. I did better than 4/5 of all students but I haven’t met 1 student yet with a score below mine.
I know that no one is here to show me sympathy, but can anyone give me some advice on what to do and how to prepare? I know for sure I have a really hard time with timing, AND I timed myself for every practice test that I took. I’m just so lost and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
Well if you got 30+ on 15 practice tests you might just have had a bad day. Just retake it and you will most likely get a better score. Plus it was your first time taking the ACT so test day nerves may have kicked in the second time you will be more calm.
Some students do better on one test or the other - SAT or ACT. I would suggest taking the SAT. Did you take the PSAT? Usually that’s a good indicator of what your SAT score will be.
Prep does not work for everybody. Even though you’re using real ACT tests, the environment is not the same, the tests may have changed in subtle ways, etc.
There are more and more test optional colleges so be sure to check them out.
To keep your score in perspective, you should know that, depending on your GPA, a score of 25 would potentially qualify you for a merit award of $3,000 to $4,000 at the University of Montana. If your GPA is at least 3.5, you can attend the Unversity of New Mexico at (very low) in state rates with their automatic Amigo scholarship (if you apply early enough, funds are limited).
My point being that even though you are disappointed, your score actually garners you some academic recognition.
Even though your friends say that they didn’t student, they 100% did, whether they tell you or not. To me, it just sounds like you’re a nervous test taker. If you take it again, work harder on relaxing before hand and clearing your mind. If this doesn’t work, try out the SAT. I think this day was just an outlier and you will definitely do better next time, especially if your practice tests show that you have a higher performance level. Just take deep breaths next time and try not to be worried or frantic (I especially know that this can be hard).
Here are two questions you need to consider:
Are you taking the practice exams under the same circumstances test day would give you?
When you take the actual exam, do you ‘feel’ like you’re answering the questions correctly? I assume you’re confident while doing the practice exams, but do you feel the same way while taking the actual exam?
Your story is exactly why, in my opinion, many schools are going “test optional.” It’s just a test. At the end of the day a student is made up of so much more than a test score. Take both the SAT and ACT and do the best you can and then put it to rest. There are so many great schools, not just the ivies. If you have a good GPA and have a lot to offer as a member of the student body, you will be successful. Not to worry.
Our son took 3 tries to get the score he wanted. Fortunately the ACT is a relatively inexpensive and accessible test. You’ll improve on the next one. He concentrated on his two lowest score areas on the 2nd try, and the lowest on the final one.
@Empireapple I agree partially. While the ‘format of the test’ is not for everyone, I believe that SAT/ACT really does measure Reading/English/Math skills. You need to have high reading comprehension skills to score well on the Reading section and a good understanding of grammar/rhetorical skills to score well on the English. Similarly, you need to have extensive knowledge of various HS math topics to do well on Math. A lot of students feel like they’re ‘too good’ for taking tests or that they’re ‘bad test takers’. Some of whom are right; they are not accustomed to the way the test is testing those skills. But for the majority of us, exams measure exactly what they were designed to measure. If you are not doing well on exams and don’t have some sort of test anxiety disorder, for example, study what you’re scoring badly on. It makes a difference.
Do you dig deeply into why you missed each question on the practice exams? My kids did that, and asked for help if they were at all unclear. They made flash cards of what they missed (although one flash card said “Don’t be stupid” – for dumb math mistakes). If you can’t make a card telling yourself what to do next time, then you probably don’t truly understand the issue. My kids took a few problems in to teachers and asked for their help understanding them.
Agree with intparent, did you go over each missed practice question? Second, do not spend time on areas you do not need help on. It looks like you are happy with your math score, so study the other subjects and only those areas you need work on. Take timed subsection tests. Go over the answers you got wrong.