<p>@gminor Yes! I’m fairly certain I did not have a comparison passage on my September one and when I saw it on the October one I freaked and messed up my timing. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry so much about a difficult science test on the December exam since the October exam had such a difficult science. I would, however, be worried about a difficult english or reading section. September had a difficult math test from what I’ve heard, and October had a ridiculous science section, so it’s going to be english or reading on the December.</p>
<p>For you all struggling with fluctuating Reading scores, what is your strategy on that particular section?</p>
<p>I can share some tips, but I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, either.</p>
<p>@leftwichqb7 My strategy is to first look at prose then humanities and choose which one looks easier/shorter and do it first. Before i start i put a mark next to questions that look like they will be answered in the text and then start reading. i take very light notes and then work the questions and do this for the rest of the passages and then the 4th one, natural science, i do it very quickly because i’m under serious time constraints but i tend to get through it without answering maybe 1-2 questions. My biggest problem is intellectual stamina. I feel completely out of gas after math and i don’t feel like i can read when i’m like that. i typically do 31-34 on practice tests but lower when i don’t feel like reading. any tips on consistency would be helpful.</p>
<p>@gminor Having your own personal order of difficulty is a good strategy with respect to the passages as a whole. Additionally, it can even be a great strategy for the questions within those passages. </p>
<p>Here is what I advise, after you’ve determined your personal order of difficulty relative to the passages:
- Quickly analyze - but don’t close read - the questions. For any questions that refers to a specific line or group of lines, put a star (or another symbol you prefer) by those questions. You will do these immediately. For any questions that refer to a specific and unique phrase, person/place’s name, or date <em>but</em> do not refer specifically to a line or group of lines, do these second (and mark with some other symbol of your choice). The questions you’ll save for last are those “big picture” questions that can really only be answered after having read the entire passage. </p>
<p>2) READ the passage. While reading, underline or circle any proper nouns, dates, or phrases, particularly those you identified when analyzing the questions in Step 1. </p>
<p>3) Answer the questions in the order you placed them in while performing Step 1. </p>
<p>The reason why I advise you analyze questions first is because you can not only quickly identify which are the “easy”, “medium”, and “hard” questions when you are ready to answer, but also so you can quickly familiarize yourself with any phrases, dates, or names while reading. This will help you read closely.</p>
<p>Step 1 should take <30 seconds. If you take 7.5 minutes to both read and answer questions (ideally ~3 min. reading and 4.5 or less answering), you’ll be on pace to finish the Reading portion in 32 minutes and have 3 minutes left over to go back and check those you were unsure about. </p>
<p>If possible, I strongly you advise you keep track of your reading time. It really needs to be at 3 min. or less, on average. Timing that alone will also tell you how long you are taking to answer questions (once you know you’re always taking <30 seconds on Step 1). </p>
<p>@GodsGem322 Try to get the red official ACT prep guide, it helped me a lot. </p>
<p>Anyone have any ideas about the difficulty of the different sections? I know some people were saying to expect a harder reading or english section this time around. Anyone have any other thoughts?</p>
<p>Hey, people…ACT dec date is closing in and I am out of practice tests and I am freaking out…could someone please help me with some practice tests possibly with those of jun or sep or oct 2014 or anything else??? PM me if you want to help me…Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Hey guys, I have a question regarding the essay portion of the exam. Can you write the essay in first person and still get full marks? </p>
<p>I wrote a little bit of my essay in first person (personal examples) and got a 10.</p>
<p>The best tip for reading is PRACTICE and FOLLOWING THE WORDS WITH YOUR PENCIL. I can not stress the second one enough. If you have a hard time concentrating, doing the 2nd tip will help a lot. </p>
<p>Mobster did you end up getting the 36 on your ACT? I remembered reading one of your posts that said you think you got a 36.</p>
<p>This will very likely be the last ACT I will ever take, but I hardly feel I am improving (if not worsen) …</p>
<p>Eeep. We’re almost to test day. O.o</p>
<p>I’m really nervous for this test, but feel much more prepared compared to September and October</p>
<p>So I took it December sophomore year and i got a 32 overall. I’m taking it again and I’m really hoping to get a 34 or 35. Any major tips? Also, how many times have you guys taken it, is 4 too many?</p>
<p>This will be my 3rd and I’m hoping to improve from my 30 composite </p>
<p>hello thread. 4th time now, 29 is my best. last time went awful with a 20 godddam 3 in reading and 27 comp. I’ve finished the princeton review book as well as the real act book and am currently using the gruber book for math and english and doing the practice tests from the mcGraw-hill book with 10 tests. this is my last shot. hoping for a 31 at least. here’s what i think i’m going to score:
english:31-33
math:31-34
reading:29-34(?!?!)
science:27-32
comp:29-33
how are you guys prepping for science? i started at a 25 and am now at a 29. i’m trying to do tons of practice tests and reviewing how they are wrong. also, i never do just </p>
<p>i never do just 1 subsection test when i do practice tests. I do at least 2 to simulate the loss of stamina.
has anybody used speedreading software? any results with that?</p>
<p>@gminor </p>
<p>I taught myself the basic premise of speed reading; I also downloaded some online tutorials and bought a drill book. On average I can read around 780wpm - comparably better than the average of 220. On my reading practice tests I usually score around a 33-35 and finish with time leftover. The biggest dent on my composite (fluctuating between 31-34) is science. On my last practice test I got a 25 on science!
Anyways, I’d recommend you look into speed reading, even though it does require practice.
One of the best things is to you use your hand to guide your eye when reading. No joke, your speed and comprehension will increase. </p>
<p>Does anyone know about the recent changes being made? I’ve heard science and reading are being shifted around this time or something. Is this true?
What should I expect different? </p>