<p>Hey all,
I guess I've been posting quite a few thread on this board, but I still have another question lol. I've been getting 30-31 composite on PR and 32-33 composite on the Red Book.. But I want to get 35+ by September. I know like several areas I need to work on more, but I wonder how people who were already getting a high score managed to raise their scores to (near-)perfect score. Although I started from 30, it seems like it's easier to raise 23-->28 than 33-->35. Now I know most concept on the test, but I somehow get things wrong on test... I do go over the wrong questions again, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. Any idea? Thanks!</p>
<p>Ah my sectional score range: 35-36 on math / 32-33 on English / 32-33 on Reading / 30-32 on Science</p>
<p>If you started off with a 30, then you have great potential to achieve a 34+ composite score. You probably don’t have enough time to go through Barron’s ACT 36, so if I were you I would just work on my skills and do all the practice exams from The Red Book and the TPR book you are using. </p>
<p>I started with probably a 17 or 18 (I’m an average student and I had just started trying hard back then), but now I can score in the low 30s and I am aiming for a 33. I have spent over 150+ hours in preparation, which is why my score improved so much.</p>
<p>It is highly unlikely that you will raise your score to a 34+ in a month. The difference between the higher end scores are a few questions, and you would either need to put in a lot of studying time or be naturally smart to answer these questions correctly.</p>
<p>Yes, it is much easier to go from a 23 to a 28 than from a 33 to 35. This concept is referred to as diminishing returns. </p>
<p>There is really no secret method to raising your score. Just do more practice tests.</p>
<p>Is getting a legitimate 33 enough of a reason to retake the act? </p>
<p>I got a 32 the second time taking the ACT, but I did worse in 2 sections compared to the first time when I got a 30 composite. If I were to “superscore” my subscores, I’d have a 33 composite.</p>
<p>The only thing that separates a 33 from a 35 on any of the act test is a few questions…so it could happen by pure luck. Or you could log a ton of study time</p>
<p>@Bubinski Seriously? You think it’s highly unlikely to raise 2 points in a month? That’s kinda pessimistic. I saw many schoolmates who’ve done it. </p>
<p>@jibler Depends on schools you wanna apply… Getting higher score isn’t bad at all. Some schools’ accepted students score 34 on average. But if I get 33 on real ACT, I might not take it again… But if I get 35 on the first try, that’s much better</p>
<p>@kittyminxy True… But I wish I had a way to control that “pure luck”</p>
<p>Try going to a Kaplan practice test at your local library. It really helped me understand more, because there was a seminar after the practice test with a bunch of good questions.</p>
<p>I took my ACT in the March of 2012 (I am a freshman at the University of Michigan starting in September). I dedicated the month of February to studying; my basic strategy was to do a practice section every other day and then take an entire practice test with timing on Saturdays. On my first practice test, I scored a 30 without any preparation aside from my experience with studying for the SAT several months earlier. In the end, I received a 35 on the actual test. It’s certainly possible. Always go over your practice tests to identify both specific and general weaknesses and focus your time and energy there. Learn your grammar and math especially. </p>
<p>Best of luck on your exam. I know how stressful this time is.</p>
<p>@plasmaprestige, Thanks! Yeah, I started off with 30 without practice because I studied SAT as well, but I’m still getting 31-33 (I’ve taken 5 practice tests so far)… Math is not a problem for me, I always get one or none wrong, but other sections trouble me a lot. It’s easier to catch weakness in English than Reading or Science section… I really hope I can end up like you.</p>
<p>The math and English sections are the easiest to directly prepare for since the ACT is not very creative with the type of questions they present year-to-year. I found that the “Real ACT” book was definitely most reflective of the question type and difficulty on the actual exam (which is no surprise since they are actual old tests). Since you say you are struggling with everything but math, I’ll offer some section-specific advice.</p>
<p>On the English section, know your comma rules. This punctuation is by far the most versatile with many different rules. Know these by heart. Other punctuation like periods, colons, and semicolons are much easier to place on this section. They will either clearly belong or will not. Other than that, make sure you recognize parallel structure (or lack thereof) in the passages. The “Omit” option is not a non-option like the “None of the above” would be on the math section; there are definitely questions where you want to choose omit. Finally, if you are reasonably well-versed in English grammar, then you can often identify errors by just reading the excerpt. Be weary of this method, however, as grammatical errors are often conditioned into our discourse.</p>
<p>On the reading section, always skip to the passages that you are most comfortable with. If you are a science geek, answer the natural science passage questions first; if you are a social science person, go to that passage. A method I found useful that you could test on your next practice test is reading one paragraph at a time and then skimming the questions to see if you can answer any. Do NOT try this for the first time on the actual test: experiment on a practice test first and see if it works. </p>
<p>On the science section, make sure you understand the experiments and the data. You can usually answer many questions without this understanding, but if you want to boost your score from a 30 to a 34-36, then you need to be able to answer the tougher questions that require an understanding of the experiment to the extent that you can choose between opposing scientific interpretations. </p>
<p>Hope this helps. If you have further questions, feel free to reply here or PM me.</p>