I did the same thing as @suzyQ7’s son. I downloaded practice tests from the Internet and completed them strictly timed. 32 to 35.
I am also in a similar position as @aabraham . Are the practice tests from 5 years ago still good to use?
IMO, I wouldn’t place too much of an emphasis on practice tests since nothing really compares to the real thing: time of day, adrenaline & stress, and classroom setting. I took 1 practice test before the April test (33) and still ended up running out of time on math, but after the April experience alone I felt confident enough to go into the June test and had no issues (35). My advice would be to sign up for the upcoming test date, take it without too much prep, see how you do in those conditions, and then evaluate what you need to do for the next sitting.
@ZBlue17 Yeah, from the December the to Feb test test, i just studied rigorously with the red book, especially during the breaks during those times (Christmas break, MLK). Did its practice tests and had to make sure I understood what I missed. As for my friend, he had a private tutor that paced on a fixed schedule and had him take practice tests every 1 or 2 weeks. I’ve messaged people on here in regards to raise mine and the most common response you’ll get is to just keep practicing. Good luck!
@RiceFarmer thank you so much!!
I was able to move from a 32 in summer 2015 to a 36 in February 2016 through the use of the Princeton Review book for strategies and just working through 15-20 timed tests. I truly believe repetition is the best way to beat the ACT since you slowly get used to the patterns and types of questions within the test as you practice more. Good luck and if you have any more questions feel free to message me!
My son took it 3 times - 25 with NUMATS (7th grade), 33 (10th grade), 36 (11th grade). He is pretty disciplined and self-studied for a month or so prior to the last test and concentrated on the area’s where his scores were lower. He was able to improve his reading score from 30-35 and the others all to 36. He did well in math and science on the 2nd test so he did some minor review, especially of trig functions. He mostly used the official book and a few others.
Some of the ACT dates let you get copies of your questions and answers for an extra charge, that may help you.
Unfortunately I don’t think there is a one size fits all study approach. My child had a private tutor to work through the strategies of taking the test. They worked on areas that she was weaker. She always took FULL length practice tests before each session with the tutor. She took the ACT one time and got a 36. I think it was a combination of being a good standardize test taker, being smart, having a personal tutor to work on areas of weakness, her diligence, and just plain ole good luck with the day she took the test! I do think it is only one piece of the entire college app process, so spending tons of time studying and retaking the test multiple times isn’t always the best use of time - i.e., you could be doing more on your EC’s or taking more rigorous classes, etc. Best of luck!
Biggest thing as everyone else has said is doing a lot of practice tests.
The hardest thing for me was finishing reading and science on time, but once I practiced them around 5 times, I was able to finish with 5 minutes to spare.
As for math, I think Sparknotes has a pretty good guide of all the math you need to know. You say that you are having issues with time management, so I guess just don’t double check your work until you finish and do all of the easier problems first. Other than that, maybe if you know anyone who has gotten a 36 on the Math have them tutor you a bit.
@Gh0st3737 Would it really make that much of a difference though? I make sure to go to a local college’s classrooms to take tests to make sure I’m not in the comfort of my home and I’ve already had a good amount of experience with standardized across AP tests and SAT. If it really does make that much of a difference then I guess I can take both of the upcoming tests but I would’ve preferred to do it in one sitting.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I’ve been taking strictly timed tests as you suggested and have definitely been seeing some improvements. My english averages at around 34 (currently getting around -3), my reading averages at 35 (I’ve gotten -1 on all 5 tests but the curve varies), and my science (thankfully) has been a consistent 36 since the first test. My biggest problem right now is math which I’m currently averaging around 33 for. I’ll check out sparknotes as some of you suggested, and I’ll try to relearn some of the content that I seem to be rusty on (it’s been a long time since I looked at certain geometry and trig concepts). Hopefully I can come back to this thread in a month and be able to say that, with your help, I was able to get a 36 
I know plenty of idiot tutors who charge $200+ per hour, yet have no concept of “efficient”. They will drag the entire process out until the student is in the whole for thousands of dollars with barely a C25 to show for it.
Yes, you can get lucky and find the right tutor who can guide you to your goal quickly, efficiently, and rather inexpensively, but if a student is motivated, he/she can get the same results by using all the practice tests readily available online (FREE) and all the strategies available either online (like on this website) (FREE) or in a cheap $20 book (not free, but almost).
Motivation is everything.
Then don’t wast your time practicing science or reading. Focus on the other 2 only