<p>Hi. It was my first time taking the ACT this morning. I have followed this forum for a couple of weeks for helpful tips . A lot of people in here say they made above 30 in the previous tests or practice tests but I only made like a 21 or 22 was my best score. I had practiced very hard. I had tried a lot of strategies, but that didn't help me this morning. I couldn't finish it in time this morning. I bubbled in a bunch of answers. I feel like a failure and do not believe in myself anymore. My mommy just called me to ask about how I did this morning, but I couldn't tell her that I did badly because she works far away from home ( she works oversea for some reasons), I didn't want to let her disappointed, but the truth is still the truth. I'm going to take the ACT again in September and December to improve my score, but I don't think I will go from a 21 to 28 or 29 (29 is my goal but it's not even my ability to make a 23 or 24). I'm such a loser.</p>
<p>Okay first of all you are not a loser because you did not get a 30 on the ACT. I only got a 28 myself, it seems that every high school kid is a genius because on this board some people are sad when they get 33’s or 34’s but in reality the national average is like a 21. So if you get a 21 you got an average score not a bad score. People on college confidential are usually the people who value education but because of this they might make average students feel inferior but you should never think your a loser because of a test score. 
hope u feel better</p>
<p>good response @toby. 21 is national average, that’s not bad. my highest before june was just a 26, I’m aiming for a 27-29.</p>
<p>I think that this section is only reason why it seems that everyone on this website gets a 33+. If you go to other sections, such as the "What are my chances? section, the ACT scores won’t be as high. I think the reason why they’re so high here, is because this section is filled with people who are genuinely obsessed with the ACT. Like toby said, the national average is a 21. I know a lot of people (including myself) who go from very low scores, to very high scores. My first practice ACT I took I got a 21. My first legitimate ACT (2 1/2 years ago) I got a 24 and a 6 on the writing. I eventually worked my way up to a 34 and an 11 on the writing. I have another friend who scored a 17 and a 19 the first time he took it, and now he’s up to a 33 (he just took it again this time, so it might be even higher). Chin up, it’s your first time. Not very many people do too great their first time. Take it another time or two and I’m sure your score will go up. </p>
<p>Here’s a few tips. For all sections (especially the reading and science sections) time yourself doing practice test sections and then slowly decrease the amount of time you allow yourself. Also, be sure to learn all of the material needed for the ACT. This mainly concerns the math and English sections. Be sure you’ve taken Algebra I, II, geometry, and have a basic understanding of trig (it’s not that hard to learn trig). English is pretty easy, in my opinion, it’s always been my strongest section. As long as you’ve taken a couple years of English and know your rules, you should be fine. On the reading section, just remember that everything you need for the answer can be found in the passage, except when noted otherwise (i.e. “The word … most nearly means…”). For the science section, just know how to read and interpret graphs. You’re not supposed to use any outside information, but sometimes it can help you out. A good example would be the question from the exam today involving potential and kinetic energy, and heat.</p>
<p>Good luck in the future. Just remember that this is your first time.</p>
<p>Thank you guys for all the nice words. I feel whole lot better.
I will try my very best next time!</p>
<p>21/22 isn’t a bad score at all, like the people above said. But even if it was a bad score, you shouldn’t worry about it… The ACT is only a test. It’s good to be proactive and study hard- I certainly did- but if you don’t make a good score, no big deal. It’s just a test, and certainly not an indicator (or at least not a very good one one) of how smart you are. I have a friend who is pretty smart but has problems reading quickly, and he’s struggling to make a 20… But he’s still very smart. So you shouldn’t worry about it, even if you make a six or something. Really!</p>
<p>Yeah. You’re right. Sometimes i find that test don’t make sense sometimes. We must know the right answer immediately after we read the questions. There’s no time to think. The ACT makers are crazy. Just kidding.
Thank you for making me feel better about myself.</p>
<p>It seems like a lot of people have really helped you out so far. I’m going to be a little more specific.
You definitely have the right attitude. You definitely have the potential to score higher. Practice tests only help the people who know what to expect anyways, but need practice implementing their knowledge of the test.
You may need a tutor, but I wouldn’t reccommend it. If you do it yourself, you will learn much more comprehensively and become smart.
The key is to use your resources. You obviously have a computer or some device with internet. If you don’t know certain grammar or math rules, look them up! Read. Go online and read articles or go to the library and borrow books to read; make sure you read them as well. As you read others’ thoughts and opinions expressed clearly you’ll begin to form your own and be able to explain them in proper English. This will increase your english, essay, reading, and probably even science scores. Math is much easier truthfully. Math is something that comes with practice, repitition, and intuition. Have you ever heard of Khan Academy? Try it out for Algebra, Geometry, and Precalculus.
Good Luck!</p>
<p>Thank you! :)</p>
<p>Anyone know the exact date the June 9th ACT scores will be posted?</p>
<p>@chinablue unlike the SAT the ACT isn’t posted on a particular day. It will be about two weeks after you take it if you didn’t do the writing section and 5-8 weeks if you did.</p>
<p>Not true…assuming you bubbled in everything right, ACT scores will be posted online June 25 at midnight.</p>
<p>Thanks vladf22. CC has been great about giving the time and date of the scores.</p>
<p>Hey, I personally believe that the standardized tests are easier for some becuz it is not really an accurate measurement of ability.</p>
<p>My niece took some advice I found in CollegeConfidential about prepping for the ACT. </p>
<p>She was very concerned about her score. She has great grades, near 4.0, but she is not in any AP classes, so she is afraid the curriculum won’t be considered challenging. She was hoping she could “show her stuff” with either the SAT or ACT, but got very poor scores in her first practice tests… 18 on her first ACT practice test and the SAT was a true disaster.</p>
<p>I read that some students increased their ACT score remarkably by taking every practice test they could get their hands on. She used the “Real ACT” book set (same as what my son used for his prep), but also got the “Princeton Review ACT” and “Barron’s ACT” (all two book sets with DVDs, I believe).</p>
<p>She started out getting very low 20’s, but increased as she went through the books. She nailed a 28 on the ACT in April. She’s very happy and did not attend the June sitting, even though she had a reservation. 28 is several points higher than she needed for her top pick schools, so the risk of getting a lower score was too great.</p>
<p>My son took his first ACT on June 9th. He thinks he did well, but if he doesn’t like his score, I’m going to push him to do what his cousin did for the Fall test. Why on Earth not?</p>
<p>Reminds me of an old joke:
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?<br>
Practice, practice, practice!</p>
<p>^^^There’s no point in not having her retake it if she feels that she can do better. Colleges only look at your best score, if she got a 12 on the next one the 28 would be the only one that matters.</p>
<p>@maikai: Practice practice practice! :)</p>
<p>The ACT is in no way a future predictor of your success in life. My best friend from college got a 22 on her ACT, and she’s now a trader with a large company making over 3 times what I make - and I scored in the low 30s!</p>
<p>i hope and pray my scores in every section especially the english!</p>