I took the ACT in June with moderate preparation - took a few tests out of the book and got a 33 on them. Read books like Barron’s 36, but I only ended up with a 31 ( E 33, M 30, R 28, S 32) SO I signed up to take the ACT in December and want to know how I can bump that up to a 33 or above. Should I just take tons of tests on crackact.com and review what i got wrong??
The best way to study for the ACT is to practice with REAL ACT tests. The 3rd edition of the Real ACT Book (Red Book) has 5 tests to get you started. They are old, but you will get a feel for most of the concepts. Then move on to released tests from 2013/2014/2015.
TIME each practice session to simulate the real test.
English 75 questions in 45 min.
Math 60 questions in 60 min.
Reading 40 questions in 35 min.
Science 40 questions in 35 min
Score your test, and then review only what you got WRONG after each practice session.
I suggest the following schedule:
Take 1 section each week night/with review for 4 nights/week.
Twice per month on a Saturday or Sunday take a full ACT test/with review.
Track your progress!
Here is a detailed sample schedule to get started, modify it to meet your needs:
Mon: English section with review
Tues: Math section with review
Wed:. Reading Section with review
Thu. Off
Fri: Science Section with review
Sat: FULL ACT with review
Sun: Off
Take a bunch of tests. Get the official ACT book, do all of those tests, make sure you understand what you got wrong, time yourself. I also got this book with pretty good tests, there were i believe 10 in there. I took at least 3 tests a week for my 35
as @PaulDi said, make sure you use real tests, understand what you got wrong, and time yourself. Good luck!
The most important thing is that when you take those tests you learn from them. For reading (which I struggled with too), emphasize on trying to find out the organization of the passage, not necessarily what the passage is saying. This past October test my Reading section improved by 6 pts with this strategy so hopefully it can help you out too! I used CrackACT to practice this strategy.
@HereToHelpYou Thanks, that schedule looks good. But this is my last chance, so would 8 total tests be enough practice, with 4 being single sittings?
@Sddsy63 That strategy sounds good, but I read veryyy slow. Would reading the questions first work well?
I actually recommend NOT studying. It defeats the purpose and can create poor habits. If you’re nervous, I’d recommend practicing (at most) a few problems on their website and reacquainting yourself with the format of the exam.
No studying on my part (aside from what’s listed above, so about 30 minutes total) and I received a 34. You can do the same; it’s all about focus. These tests are designed to measure ability but fall short on occasion. You can boost your chances not by studying but by getting yourself into the frame of mind necessary to complete each section. The ACT is a time crunch, that’s it. Read quickly, answer intelligently (think through the question) but don’t spend inordinate amounts of time on each section, and you’ll be fine.
Well it sort of depends. Personally my opinion is that if you read very slow train yourself to act interested in the passage. I know that sounds terrible, but if you think about it, you tend to read faster and understand better a passage you enjoy rather than one you don’t. Fake it till you make it 
Another thing I suggest is that don’t get so hung up on all the details, which is why I suggested you should look for organization rather than meaning. Before I used to tell myself that the only way I’d get above a 28 on the reading section is if I understood the passage well enough to answer the questions, but in the end you just waste time. What I did was look for organization, how it was arranged, why it was arranged that way, and what’s the purpose of that part being in that particular point in the passage, and then go to the questions to refer back to the passage. Looking for the organization should cut the amount of time you’re spending reading the passage, since you won’t be so hung up on every detail.
For the questions, I’ve heard that works for some people, but it’s up to you. If you improve your score that way, then go right on ahead. Really all these strategies add up to how you can remember where everything is in the passage. The reason why people read the questions first is because they can quickly note what kind of questions are directed towards which part of the passage. For me, it’s sort of hard to do that because one) I’m really bad at memorizing things quickly if I don’t understand what they’re talking about 2) I just end up forgetting. Some people quickly jot down margin notes and be like “Misconception… questioning”. And some people don’t even have to take those notes because as they read, they’re so into it that they know where to refer to in the passage. Whatever strategy you do decide that works best for you, PRACTICE… like crazy with CrackACT. The thing with the ACT is that they like to write the questions with the exact phrasing, which is why referring back to the passage is something most people will always do, not so much about understanding the passage.
Hopefully I helped. Good luck!
Yes if you were able to complete 8 tests in a timed setting you would be setting yourself up for success. The key is timing and reviewing what you got wrong until you understand your mistakes.
Ok first, go to the ACT site and get the pdf that breaks down how you did on your previous ACT test. I think they usually have like specific sections that you might have problems with. For example, I struggled with coordinate geometry in the math section. Since you have a month left, focus on those weaknesses!
Since reading is your weakest subject, focus most of your time on that section. Try doing gradual timed tests. Like give yourself more time than it’s allowed and cut down slowly until you can finish the entire section and do relatively well while still being within the time limit. And for math, I find that memorizing formulas is pretty helpful. There’s bound to be stuff you don’t know so if there isn’t a lot of time to study, focus getting the stuff that you already know really well.