ACT Questions

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>So, I’m taking the ACT for the first time on the 8th, and I’m rather freaked out. The minimum requirement for a program I’m applying for is a 32 and I’ve never taken it formally before… I’ve only taken a practice SAT (under simulated conditions) and the PSAT.</p>

<p>On the practice SAT, I got a 1980, but I didn’t have a watch and didn’t manage my time properly. I had a few problems that I had to hurry up and guess on in each of the sections. Even though I don’t know my score yet, I feel like the PSAT went a lot better for me. I had time left over to skim over my answers.</p>

<p>So I have a few questions:

  1. I’ve been working on a CD-rom to study (Kaplan’s Higher Score) and I got a pretty nasty shock when taking a full length practice test. I had ~5 minutes left over on the writing and math, but in the reading I was barely done with the third passage when my time was up! In the science section, I had ~4 questions left. Hopefully I can get it done faster with the added adrenaline of test day?</p>

<li><p>What’s raw score to scaled score for the test? I can’t seem to find a chart. I got -2 on the math section and -6 on the writing, which translated to 32 and 30 respectively. Now, I can understand the 30 in the writing section, but I don’t understand how -2 equates to a 32? Especially since I’ve heard that you can even get one wrong on the SAT and still get an 800.</p></li>
<li><p>Any tips for improving a score in three weeks? Before my practice test, I had only ever studied for the SAT (and even then it was only a bit of their math tips and the College Board’s Question A Day email). Is there a huge disparity between the reading & math of SAT vs. reading & math of ACT? Any tips & tricks?</p></li>
</ol>

2

<ol>
<li><p>I think that "extra adrenaline" hurts most people. people I talk to tend to work slower on test day. I know I do.</p></li>
<li><p>that's a very harsh curve. I guarantee I got 5+ wrong on math in October and I still got a 31. your guidance/college counselor should have a free ACT booklet, and it will have curves. on the practice test in that booklet, 5 questions off every section ends up with a 32 or 33 composite, I forget.</p></li>
<li><p>in general, the ACT is straightforward. the math questions don't try to trick you; the reading questions are less conceptual than those of the SAT. anyway, the best way to study: practice tests. go to your counselor to get the freebie ACT booklet with 1 practice test, then buy a prep book or two. at this point, I would ignore most strategy (there really isn't much for the ACT), and just take tests.</p></li>
</ol>