Okay, so I’ve taken the ACT twice now. Both times, I got a 31 composite, although technically I did a little bit better on the 2nd one in terms of section breakdown, except for math. (1st time: 35 E, 34 R, 31 M, 23 S. 2nd time: 36 E, 35 R, 28 M, 26 S) I’m applying to a lot of top-tier schools (Northwestern ED, Yale, Brown, Columbia, etc.) so I know I need to get around a 33 if I want to have a chance. My English and reading are great, but I really need help on science and math (which somehow went down from last time?) If anyone has any tips for those two sections, I would really appreciate it!
@oligrayeug1 For Math, solve the problem and move on to the next one, unless you are certain you made a mistake. If you want to check your answer, circle it and come back to it at the end, if you have time. Also, your calculator is your best friend if you are familiar with it. I used the TI-Nspire. Practice with the polynomial roots function and the solving systems of equations functions, for they can save a lot of time. In addition, the graphing function is very helpful even for applications you would not expect.
For Science, read the passage, or at least the first paragraph, but don’t get bogged down by numbers and measurements. I know this goes against what everyone else says, but it works for me. Make sure you understand the experiment. In the Fighting Scientists portion, underline the key differences in each theory.
What math classes have you taken and which math classes does your school offer? Taking Precal/Trig helped me immensely.
For math, practice doing the last twenty questions is twenty minutes, that made the difference for my second time around. My math went up 4 points cause I had time for the harder questions
Your english and reading scores are superb, and your math and science scores can be easily improved with a bit of practice. I took the ACT twice and here’s how I fared:
First time - 28 C (29 E, 29 M, 29 R, 25 S)
Second time - 35 C (33 E, 36 M, 35 R, 34 S)
I think a lot of people have the idea that if they take a standardized test more than once, and prepare the same, that their scores should improve. This is not always the case. Here’s what I did to drastically improve my math and science scores:
Go out and purchase or borrow a Princeton’s Review ACT book, or any of the other test books that come with practice tests. The more practice tests, the better. Don’t get caught up in what brand is the best - I didn’t read a single page of the book, and relied solely on the practice tests.
Begin by taking the test you most struggle with, I assume for you this may be the science. The science section of the ACT is unique in that it is least like the name it carries. The section does not require you to have extensive knowledge in various fields of science, but rather, tests your ability to quickly analyze given information. My advice here, take the time to read through the questions, and the prompt. When you begin to take the practice tests keep in mind the timing allotted for each section. I assume you are already familiar with this as you’ve taken the test twice.
For your first run with a practice science test, forego the timing limitation. Do not time yourself, but rather, spend the time figuring out the answers to each question. You’ll find the more you do this, the quicker you become at it. Begin to time yourself as early as the second time you practice, or even the third. Only you know where your strengths lie.
When you check your answers, be sure to note why you got certain ones wrong. You’ll find that after you take enough practice tests, you’ll be able to recognize mistakes you’ve made continuously, and eventually eliminate them.
Moving on to the math section. Improving in math can be a struggle at first, but you’ll find that once you begin to practice, the test becomes a sort of second nature. The math test contains 60 questions that you answer in 60 minutes, and the questions are in order of difficulty. You’ll probably find that the first 20 questions require 30 seconds or less to complete, while the last 20 might have you stumped for 2 or even 3 minutes.
Take the same right mentioned earlier for the math section. Math is probably the only section that if you practice enough times you can begin to answer all the questions correctly. Take note of the different types of math concepts you’ll be tested on and study up on the ones you carry the most weakness in.
Best of luck to you, I hope that you find a nice increase in your scores your third time around!
Regarding the science section, I personally found it best to go straight to the questions. Most of the time, you will not need to read the entire passage in order to answer the questions. This will save time, which is one of the biggest issues in the science section. You should definitely keep practicing and going over the problems that you had trouble with. Make sure you understand why you made that mistake (whether it was from not reading the problem right or not knowing where to find the answer). Once you know where your mistakes come from, you can focus on improving.