ACT February Thread 2018

Any tips or advice for February test-takers?

Parent here but my S19 is mainly taking sample tests - the actual samples available online and the ones in the red book. It is helping him immensely.

Hello! I’m a current student, how is he reviewing his errors? And how much is his score improving by?

After I score my son’s practice tests, he reviews each of the incorrect answers. I think his act specific test taking skills are getting better. He has done full tests and a couple of sub sections. Today he actually got a 33 on English and a 36 on math (two wrong though). These scores are far better than his actual PSAT score although he never did actual practice tests andvlikelt faked studying.

So who took the ACT this morning and how was it?

My kid took it and felt good about most of it, although there was one math concept that had two questions that he completely forgot about how to solve.

He also met a cute girl who’s homeschooled and got her number, so the ACT was successful in more than one way.

My DD’19 took it this morning. I was awake a lot wondering if it would be cancelled due to snow but it wasn’t. She felt good about it. She was already confident on English and Reading and thought those went well. She thought Math would be better than Science, but ending up feeling the opposite because she ran out of time on math and had to guess on the last 4 or 5. But she thought she knew what she was doing on most of the rest.

Very curious to see how she comes out. She got a 25 as a freshman with no preparation, hoping for 29-30 this time but I really don’t know!

My D’19 took it this morning too. This was her second time (first time was in Dec). She thought the math was much harder this time - said there were two concepts that she has not even learned yet in school (she is in Honors Precalc). She thought the English/Reading were pretty easy and that the Science was OK.

I actually took it this morning and found it to be much harder than many of the practice tests I took. There were a few math questions that were fairly difficult, the writing section was normal as was the reading. The science question was a little difficult as well, particularly because some prior knowledge was needed for this test, compared to previous tests. Hoping for a favorable curve as many students at my testing center felt it to be one of the more difficult tests.

This was my daughter’s first official test. She has been doing some practice sections. She felt that Reading and Writing were good…There were a few grammar questions that she thought were a little confusing, she said, but she thinks she figured it out. Math she said was good, but there were some advanced concepts like matrices and something she didn’t know, but felt she could narrow it down and science was harder than some of the other practices she has done.

I thought it was way harder than any other practice test I have taken. The math is usually pretty good for me, but it was really hard and had a lot of Stat questions, which unless you are in AP Stat wouldn’t know. Overall hoping that April will be better!

you mean like combinations??

Anybody else have sample tests after the actual test? DD’s group took short tests after they were done, I guess to try out new questions. Hers was Science and 16 questions.

@malaalenase mm… There were only basic stats stuff in there. Things you would learn in pre calc or algebra.

My S19 said there was one trig question on math that has yet to be covered in precalc and one english question with a whole bunch of semicolons he feels he may have gotten wrong. Son will take AP Stats next year but didn’t mention anything about trouble with any stats questions.

I thought it was way harder than the practice tests in the official red book. Reading and writing were both pretty easy, but math was extremely difficult imo. Science was moderately hard but not impossible. I think there’ll be a decent curve on this test, but I definitely didn’t do as well as usual.

Math wasn’t as bad as everyone is making it out to be – AP Stats wasn’t necessary. If you just have common sense and 30 - 45 seconds to work through the problem, you can get the right answer. That being said, there were some very odd and time-consuming logic problems on the test.

From what I understand, scores for the multiple choice section usually begin to be available 10 days after the test is given. The ACT website states that they will begin notifying us of scores on February 21st. I guess they celebrate the George Washington’s Birthday holiday and that’s why they are later than usual?

For me the math section was horrible. None of the normal “giveaway” questions on perimeter, area, slope etc. that appear on almost every test without fail. Other sections were fine, but math was totally unlike any of the ACT’s I have taken. very upsetting.

you never know. You might have done better than you expected. If not, you can retake in April and hope its a better test. That is the plan that D and I spoke about. If one section wasn’t good, she can really focus on that and then hope for a nice superscore