<p>Hi,
I'm a junior this year and have had a very odd trend in my scores. When I took the Plan in the fall of tenth grade, I got the following scores (scale of 1-32):
Composite-30
English-30
Math-31
Reading-26
Science-31
Estimated ACT Composite Score Range-32-35</p>
<p>I was thrilled when I got these scores. Later in tenth grade, we took a practice ACT in March. Here are my scores
Composite-27
English-25
Math-28
Reading-28
Science-28</p>
<p>I had expected scores around this range. Now, as a junior I've begun studying for the ACT and am enrolled in a semester long ACT Prep class at school. We've taken 2 practice tests there and I'm puzzled by the results that I'm getting.
English-23, 28
Math- 28, 26
Reading- 36, 21
Science- 25, 35</p>
<p>My scores are all over the place! I'm so concerned that my scores aren't very consistent and not at all what the Plan had estimated for me. I've been studying and taking practice tests, but I don't know how I can become more consistent in my scores. If anyone has advice or has experienced something similar please share it! It'd be greatly appreciated! </p>
<p>are you using official practice tests</p>
<p>@mathgeek2013 I am. I forgot to mention I’ve been using the Red book and all the tests we’ve used in school are official tests and are recent ones. </p>
<p>do you review your tests after you take them?</p>
<p>Yes, there are stupid and careless mistakes and a lot of errors that I couldn’t have prevented. For example, the 36 on the reading was because I “clicked” with the test. But the 21 I got, I struggled throughout the entire test. </p>
<p>Your score variation is probably due to psychological factors. You have the capacity for excellent performance, but you can’t always perform at your peak. Your going to have to learn how to get in the ‘zone’ more consistently.</p>
<p>My guess is that you are loosing focus leading to those careless mistakes you talk about. The question is why? Are you getting bored, anxious, thinking about other things in life? You will need to do some self monitoring to figure out what is causing you to lose focus.</p>
<p>Once you know the cause, it is time to start working on the solution. Lots of things can improve focus. You need to be sure that you are well rested, hydrated, and have had enough to eat (but not too much). If other things in your life are provoking anxiety, you will need to distance yourself from them. For example, if you just got in a fight with a friend, it could make it hard to focus on an exam. So avoid friends that cause drama. Obviously, the sources of stress in your life will be different. The important thing is to identify them and come up with strategies to avoid them.</p>
<p>You may also want to look into various meditative practices. One trick I use to build focus is to focus on my breath. I breathe in and out about 70 times trying to think only of breathing. If my mind wanders, I gently pull it back to focus on the breathing again. After doing this I find that I am more relaxed and focused than I was.</p>
<p>Does this advice sound helpful to you?</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your advice! It’s very helpful. I have noticed that I’ve done better on practice tests at home than school, where I don’t always feel in the right mindset when taking the tests. Hopefully on test day I’ll feel a lot more focused than I am at school. I’ll make sure to try your exercises for focusing.</p>