<p>OK, so i took my first ACT test on April without writing and got 21. I never studied ACT and had no idea what will be on there.
After I got my score, i was shocked and started studying really hard during summer. On the September, I took ACT with writing ,and i felt really good about it.
Today i got my score of 32. However, I heard that people who has a dramatic score rise gets mail from ACT and has to retake the whole test. I am very nervous, because I am a senior and will be applying to college this fall. What is the chance of ACT looking at my score suspiciously? like 100percent? will they just automatically flag my score and make me retake the test?? I really need help guys!! I am so nervous about this...</p>
<p>What were your scores in each section for both tests?</p>
<p>every sections increased about 10 points… would that be suspicious? </p>
<p>Getting a score that high when you don’t seem to understand basic subject-verb agreement would be suspicious in my eyes, yes. But if that’s a valid score, you should be able to repeat something close to it, so don’t worry.</p>
<p>Yes, it would be for the same reason Mathyone gave and others as well. If you’ve done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to worry about. </p>
<p>Just wanted to add, this is one reason why I think the idea of taking these important tests without studying, often described as “for a baseline” (a baseline for what??), is terrible advice that just doesn’t seem to go away. Studying can raise scores significantly and therefore also put you under suspicion of cheating.</p>
<p>This is going to sound like dreadful advice, but I would take it a 3rd time if I were you. Be proactive. </p>
<p>Two reasons:<br>
- Another score of 32 or more will shut down any notion that you’re an ACT 21 applicant. I think colleges will regard the 21 as a fluke because you’ll have already proven that the 32 was real. It’s still September, you’ve got time to do this.</p>
<p>2) Study again and you can raise that 32 even more. Every point you can add beyond 32 will be worth an increased odds of acceptance and more scholarship money in some cases. I think going from a 32 to even a 33 is worth a lot more than going from a 21 to a 22.</p>
<p>A third ACT Test isn’t something to fear, it’s a huge opportunity to embrace. Go for it!</p>
<p>Also, don’t lose sight that there’s much more to a college application than your ACT score. This is just one factor, albeit one of the most important.</p>
<p>@Deuga7 What would happen if I dont take the 3rd time ACT? Will they be more suspicious and flag my grade for sure? Is there even any chance that they would not do anything with my score and just let me go with 32 score?</p>
<p>Old article but I believe policy is still the same.</p>
<p><a href=“SAT, ACT cheats face no penalty”>http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jul/14/local/me-cheat14</a></p>
<p>@Deuga7 is right. Take it again. It was the first thing that popped into my head…why freak out about being asked to take it again, just sign up yourself and retake it. Even if you got a 31 or 30, it’s not going to invalidate the 32…and you may get a 32+.</p>
<p>BTW…you are acting like it isn’t your score. You seem to resist the idea of taking it again, as if you did have someone else take the test for you. I’m not saying that you did, but you seem to be resisting the idea of retaking.
You are focusing on what the ACT testing folks are going to do. Why aren’t you concerned that the schools that you will be applying to will wonder if you had someone else take the test for you?</p>
<p>An 11 point jump, particularly going from a 21 to a 32 in only 5 months would raise eyebrows. Take the test again.</p>
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<p>I completely agree. I see parents and students write this all the time “didn’t study for the first test for a baseline”. That is shallow thinking! (Well, we now know their baseline 
) Why not study, take the first test, see where you are STILL weak, and then study more? (Guess that is too logical for some folks.)</p>
<p>Before you take it again, I would look at the colleges and see if they require all scores to be sent. With ACT you order scores by test. If you colleges don’t specifically ask for all scores you can send the one you want.</p>
<p>Did you take the SAT? Are your SAT (or even PSAT) scores in line with the ACT 32? If so, that could also help. Isn’t there a PLAN test that is like a PSAT for the ACT? Did you take that? As others have said, you may just want to take the ACT again. </p>
<p>The article is interesting. It may be that the testing companies do not want to deal with a rash of law suits or have to prove that a kid cheated if they don’t have solid evidence. Cancelling the score and requiring a re-test under tighter security will probably expose most cheaters. If your story is true, it would turn out to be very frustrating to have to re-take. But as others have said, given the time constraints for applications, you may want to take it again. </p>
<p>Have the scores already been released? The test was just given a week ago Saturday. That seems awfully fast compared to April. Or is this a hypothetical question? Which seems more suspicious… </p>
<p>Take the test again. I have to say that I too have an issue with your score when compared to your competency in basic English grammar. FYI, my D2 took both the SAT and ACT multiple times. Her score increased to a 31 and 1450 (CR+M). </p>
<p>@mom2and i have a Act score of 27 that i took at school. Will that help? However, that score is not posted online because I did not have an account, so i only have a paper.</p>
<p>Saynet, you’re digging your own hole! How can you have taken a test (and have a “paper”) without having an account?? If it’s a practice test, no, that won’t count. If it’s somehow a REAL test why would you not have mentioned that from the start of this thread???! </p>
<p>@abasket That ACT test was taken only by our school. it was not a nation-wide test, and our principal made all thef juniors take it. At that time I did not have a ACT account, so that is why I only have the paper. So will that help me?</p>
<p>@saynet That was most likely a practice test then. You should ask your school. From your description, that is not part of your testing history.</p>
<p>EDIT: Sounds like you took the PLAN test, not the ACT.
<a href=“http://www.act.org/planstudent/score/index.html”>http://www.act.org/planstudent/score/index.html</a></p>
<p>If it’s not an official test under proctor and all that, it’s not going to count. Why are you so hesitant to just take the October ACT??? If you’ve got the goods, prove it. </p>
<p>@guineagirl96 @abasket no it is an official test. We had an test under proctor. My friends who took it are going to apply colleges with that ACT score. The reason I decided to take it again on September is because I needed the writing test. The Test we took in our school did not include the writing test. I did not worry too much about the April test, because I thought that Most colleges does not require the writing test, However, I found out that most schools do, so I studied hard during summer and got 32 on September test with writing. I dont really wanna take the test again on October, because Im already busy with essays and other college applications and schoolworks. Do you think that if I get a mail from Act, they will accept my reason?</p>
<p>If the school has a record of an official result at 27 that will help. If it was a practice with a proctor, and your guidance counselor will attest to that, may help with an appeal if that is needed. If the school used the ACT (or even if it was the PLAN), the higher score should help. Ask your GC. She/he will be able to give you some guidance. </p>