<p>I'm really confused about the scoring for the ACT. I first took it in September and got a 9/12 on my essay, which was understandable because it was honestly one of the worst essays I've ever written, with no depth or structure.</p>
<p>However, I just got my score back from the February ACT and to say I'm shocked would be an understatement. I got the same score, a 9/12, but I know it was one of the best timed essays I've ever written. It was a five paragraph essay with a hook, well-developecd into, 3 body paragraphs in the typical fashion (argument, counterargument, argument), and a conclusion. The only thing I can think of that was problematic was that my conclusion was rushed (written in 1 minute and had 2 sentences somewhat scrawled). However, I don't think it should have been given a 9. In the comments box, there was nothing but praise for it (well-developed, general statements well supported by specifics, etc.) so I'm really confused.</p>
<p>Looks like I'll be retaking it again, but any insight/tips?</p>
<p>I lost track of time during the essay and ended up with a 4. I had the whole essay written messily on the booklet they gave me and didn't start copying it down onto the answer document in time. I was sooo mad at myself.</p>
<p>Suspicious. Posts about how grammatix fails to deliver their test preparation books on time have been deleted from the forums by the moderators. Now, in this thread, we see what appears to be a troll "somehow" escaping banning by posting some good words about the grammatix test preparation regime. </p>
<p>I'd love to hear some tips about the ACT essay too. I look at the sample essays on the official ACT website, and the 5's and 6's look insane to me. I can't imagine how someone could plan out and write all of that (500+ words?) in just 30 minutes without knowing the topic before hand.</p>
<p>I think what it boils down to is that it's more a matter of opinion of the graders than anything else in many cases. Yes, they are trained to read essays, but they are real people, so surely personal opinion plays a huge role in the grading process. </p>
<p>I have a feeling that my main problem with the essay is going to be that I write so formally. In a standard essay, I usually try to use a widely varied word choice and generally try to leave my own opinion out of it, instead sticking to facts. Grammar and spelling is a high point for me.</p>
<p>But, if the practice books i'm reading to study for the essay are accurate, it seems that the ACT graders are looking for the complete opposite of that: plain words, a casual style of writing, and personal experiences/opinions about the subject rather than facts. On top of it, they tend to ignore grammar/spelling mistakes unless they majorly detract from the essay as a whole.</p>
<p>So, right now i'm trying to loosen up my writing style (or should I say "dumb it down"?) before the test date.</p>
<p>I took it for the first time in October and ended up with an 11 on my essay but I took the SAT a few months later and got a 10. I used Kaplan's book. I think I just lucked out on the grading or something.</p>
<p>One thing that I suspect (as in it hasn't been verified) is that if you throw in a big word and then reuse that word later (well reuse it correctly), your scorer will become more confident in your vocabulary. Anyone think that this would be the case?</p>
<p>^^I have to disagree on that one karot; using the same "big" words leads to unnecessary repetition and if I were reading the essay, I would think that the writer simply meorized a few "big" words and worked them in. To make your vocabulary look confident, you need to use many "big" words rather than reusing the same "big" word over and over again. It's like when you're a little kid and you first learn a "big" word...you keep saying it over and over again b/c it's the only "big" word you know.</p>
<p>Although your statement is definately a valid possibility, the problem with using many complicated vocabulary words is that they're geared toward a very specific situation. </p>
<p>One example would be the word facetious. Too many people I know use it to mean mordant when it's really playful sarcasm. To really impress someone (not just ACT readers), you can't just trying to use words unless you demonstrate a solid knowledge of how to use it.</p>