Hi all, this is my first post here! 
So I got my scores this morning for the April test date:
C 33
E 34
M 36
R 26 (!)
S 36
It was my first time taking the ACT and I didn’t study until the night before. I’ve got to say I’m fairly pleased, but I walked out of my testing center feeling confident for a 34+. I took the PLAN at my school last year and only missed one question on the reading section and I thought I did a lot better than a 26 on this test so I’m wondering…
Is requesting hand scoring worth it?
I talked with my guidance counselor at school and we both agree a 26 on my reading section seems very uncharacteristic.
Can someone tell me about the process for requesting hand scoring? What kind of scoring mistakes could lead to scoring errors that would prompt a request for correction? Should I order a TIR first before I try going through with this?
Answers, comments, and advice please, especially if you’ve gone through the hand scoring process!
I would order the TIR
Hand scoring could theoretically correct problems with the scanner/scanning software misinterpreting one or more marked answers. If you tend to leave a bunch of stray marks all over your paper, then I suppose it’s possible that a scoring mistake was made.
I have known a handful of students in the past ten years who have requested the hand scoring service. In all of those cases, not one revealed a scoring error.
From an economic perspective…
Cost of hand scoring the multiple-choice sections: $45
Cost of hand scoring the essay: $45
Cost of hand scoring the multiple-choice sections and the essay: $90
Cost of retaking the ACT Plus Writing: $54.50
If you think you can do better, I’d recommend that you retake the test. It’s far more likely the automated scoring was accurate and that you legitimately earned the 26 on Reading.
Order the TIR anyway. It should give you some insight into what prevented you from getting a higher score.
Good luck.
Thanks for the advice. I’ve got the SAT this weekend so hopefully that goes well.
What is a TIR?
The TIR is the test information release. You get your answers back and a copy of the test. Very good tool to learn from.
I will tell you that hand scoring rarely changes a score. I know of five students who have tried, and not one had a change.