I took a practice ACT score in January and these were my stats:
Composite: 28
Math:20
English:23
Reading: 32
Science: 35
I plan on taking the ACT about three times so I have the best chances of improving my score. What’s the best way to primarily improve my math and English stats with a very busy schedule (intense school work load)? My goal score is 32
?
Given that your lowest scores were in English and math, and given the discrepancy between those scores and your other scores, I’d say that with continued practice, you should be able to raise your math and English scores significantly. Your other scores are excellent.
Was it a timing issue or was it the difficulty of the questions that tripped you up? In either case, both are easily surmountable once you know what the testers are testing and once you have enough practice.
With the English section, you will find that the same types of questions crop up time after time. You just need to know what the testers are looking for and not get tripped up by them…the biggies are:
1 - Subject/verb agreement: Make sure you know what the subject of the sentence is (HINT: it’s often nowhere near the verb)
2 - Subject / pronoun agreement (e.g., EACH ONE…HIS or HER – never THEIR). Always check your antecedents.
3 - Comma usage – make sure you know when to use commas and when to use semicolons. Always opt to remove superfluous commas.
4 - Accusative vs. nominative pronouns – and pronouns in general: (e.g., Who/whom; me, myself, and I)
5 - Common misspellings, especially with respect to possessives (e.g., their/they’re/there; its/it’s)
6 - Parallel structure: If you start with infinitives, make sure that all of the the subsequent verbs are in infinitive form; if you start with gerunds, make sure that all the subsequent verbs are in gerund form. Keep the tenses consistent and don’t mix and match!
7 - Keep it simple. Often they are looking for the simplest way to express things. Make sure there aren’t any redundancies or unnecessary phrasing to get the point across. Never pick a fancy word when a simple one will work just as easily in the same context.
Here’s a website with a list of common themes:
http://grockit.com/blog/top-10-grammar-rules-beat-act/
As for the math, make sure you know the concepts and practice, practice, practice.
The good news is that you can make substantial gains in both math and English through preparation and practice.
@LoveTheBard No it wasn’t the timing, math is just my worst subject and I’m not the best the writer so grammar stuff isn’t my strong suit. Thank you so much for the feedback