<p>Guys I’m on vacation so I wasn’t able to give updates so much, I’m sorry.</p>
<p>I can totally relate to your situation…because I’m kind of in it myself. I’m planning on taking the ACT in september and I’ve taken the ACT since I was in 8th grade. In 8th grade, I got a 23. I got a 26 as a freshman, and a 26 as a sophomore, which was pretty depressing. I’m gonna be a junior in the fall…hoping to bump up my score to at least 30. then I’ll see what I can do from there. I’m a straight A student thus far taking only honors classes. Took AP Bio in sophomore year and got A’s both semesters and 5 on the AP exam. So, GPA is pretty solid. ACT is totally making me feel dumb…I hate the feeling. My Indian parents freaked out and signed me up for ACT one-on-one tutoring for the reading section, cuz that’s the portion I fail at. </p>
<p>My freshman ACT:
English: 25
Math: 29
Reading: 23
Science: 25</p>
<p>Sophomore ACT:
English: 25
Math: 33
Reading: 19 …yeah…don’t know what happened
Science: 26</p>
<p>I just took a practice test from the 1296 Princeton Review Questions. For those who want to know which test I took, it was test 3. </p>
<p>English: 29 (Could have done better.)
Math: 32 (Not bad.)
Reading: 27 (Not good.)
Science: 22 (Very disappointing).</p>
<p>English: Personally I feel like I can get into the 30’s I just need to practice more and more.
Math: I just need to work on not becoming over confident and making silly mistakes, occasionally their are question to which I don’t even know how to come up with the answer.
<em>Reading</em>: GUYS I NEED HELP AND TIPS ON THIS PLEASE: I read the passage but I feel like I take too long. Not only that but when I read it by the end I don’t thoroughly understand the content of the passage.
<em>Science</em>: GUYS I NEED HELP AND TIPS ON THIS PLEASE : I read the passage but I feel like I don’t have the time to read everything given in front of me, and sometimes the question just don’t make any sense or I don’t understand the data.</p>
<p>Is it just me or is the 1296 Princeton Review Tests much harder than the actual ACT (Red Book) Tests? Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Reading and science have always been my weakness, but I don’t know how to improve. With reading and math I learned the rules and was able to improve through practice.</p>
<p>Please help, I need all the tricks and tips from you high scorers. Thanks!</p>
<p>Try the pointing method explained here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/act-preparation/1366356-how-i-got-22-34-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/act-preparation/1366356-how-i-got-22-34-a.html</a></p>
<p>Also, read up on the strategy stuff.</p>
<p>For Science, DON’T READ THE PASSAGE FIRST; you’re just wasting valuable time. You should instead go directly to the questions and look at the graphs. Only read the passage when you’re stumped.
Not only will you save time with this method but your score will also rise dramatically (because you’ll have time to check your work and your brain won’t be filled with useless stuff).
The only exception would be for the conflicting viewpoints passages. For those, you should at least skim the reading. You will most likely go back and look over the passages again, so don’t try to retain all the information the first time around.</p>
<p>Can someone please explani to me the reason behind the tense shift in this sentence.</p>
<p>Incorrect:
Mirth (has dressed) up like a ballerina every year since the third grade, and every year her friends (laughed at her).</p>
<p>Correct:
Mirth (has dressed) up like a ballerina every year since the third grade, and every year her friends (have laughed).</p>
<p>I thought the “laughed at her part” was right, why is it wrong. Thanks to who ever answers this! </p>
<hr>
<p>Since “every year” implies continuation, you need to use the present perfect (which you use when something continues: I have received many letters. It’s present perfect because I will still be receiving letters). I hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>For reading, the goal is to read the passage once, and to be able to answer most of the questions without looking back at the passage. The easiest way to accomplish this is to read tons of books in a distracting environment. The environment makes the book difficult to understand, and you’re forced to reread a part over and over until you finally understand it. You naturally get stronger and more focused as you read more. A general rule is that the harder the book is to understand, the more you’ll improve in reading when you’re able to understand it. The books that took me the longest to read but kept me hooked were Doctor Zhivago and Dorian Gray. Both are fairly difficult books. Try to make reading a hobby. </p>
<p>If you’re pressed for time, as in you can’t develop this hobby, then search for repeating words and phrases in the passage. Pay attention to word choices, as connotation questions are common. And while studying, make it a rule to never look back at the passage after the first time reading through it; only go back after answering all you can for the passage. In most cases, you only have time to read it once. </p>
<p>Small note, turning pages takes a surprisingly large amount of time.</p>
<p>Another small note : passages always have a main idea, with a few supports. It’s crucial to know whether a portion is supporting the main idea, or is the main idea. </p>
<p>Reading is something I never studied for, but got 36 on my first try, and founded my school’s book club.</p>
<p>31 writing, 34 math, 36 reading, 31 science.</p>
<p>I am currently taking Test #2 from Princeton Review’s 1296 Questions.</p>
<p>Right now I just finished the English and Math section. (lol taking a 5 min break then I’ll take reading portion)!</p>
<p>English: 32 (I make too many small silly mistakes, I know the right answer but due to the rime I kind of rush through.)
Math: 35 (Time is one problem as well as me rushing through what the question is asking.)
Reading: Not started yet.
Science: Not started yet. </p>
<p>For reading and science, I’m thinking about doing some practice reading sections and experimenting out a method that works for me. Any opinions?</p>
<p>I am using a tip that many of you that high scoring 30 reading scores have been telling me:
1.) Start with the one your most comfortable with. My pattern is starting with the 4th passage and moving down to the 1st.</p>
<p>2.) The second one sounds pretty stupid, but I am using the tip of the of the pen (in this case) and basically finger pointing as I read so I don’t loose focus. </p>
<p>I just finished…</p>
<p>Passage IV: Natural Science
My time: 6:43 18 milliseconds.
Max time possible: 8.75 (35/4).</p>
<p>I have to see how this method works for the rest of the passages. WMGL!@</p>
<p>Passage III: Humanities
My time: 6:54:47
Max time: 8.75 (35/4)
Total time: 13:38:05</p>
<p>So far, I believe this pen pointing technique has helped me retain information as well as stay focused on what I’m reading. (Only time can tell.) </p>
<p>Next on to the Passage II: Social Science…</p>
<p>Passage II: Social Science
My time: 6:23:47
Max time: 8.75
Total time: 20:01:52</p>
<p>I became a little too over confident and tried to fall under my traditional method of reading. Over time and through practice I will definitely improve through the pen technique. </p>
<p>Finally on to Passage I: Prose Fiction…</p>
<p>Okay guys big news. </p>
<p>Before: Normally I started with the Prose Fiction and I did all the passages in order, ending with the Natural Science passage. By the time I’m on that passage I usually have like 5 minutes or less to read and answer the questions, which is a time constraint. I make a ton of mistakes and usually get 27 or less.</p>
<p>After:
Using those new techniques I literally jumped from a 27 to a 32. Those new tips I used might have sounded lame to my ear but when I applied it I finally realized how impressive they were. Not only that, but also I was left with 5 minutes to spare as well. I started with the section I was most comfortable with and did the one I loathed the most last. Which was good because I was left with 15 minutes for the the passage I found the most time consuming.</p>
<p><em>I hate reading personally, by that I mean I never read outside of school unless it’s an assignment.</em></p>
<p>I will continue to take tests and see how it goes. </p>
<p>Now I need to find some techniques for the Science section. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>I have trouble with the reading section of the ACT as well. I hate reading just as you do, never been a big reader. Could you clarify the pen point technique? I read it in your previous post, but didn’t really understand it. Do you just follow along with your pen or what? Also, how did you feel about going backwards with the passages? I considered going in a different order rather than 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th… but I thought it would just be harder to skip from passage to passage and on the bubble sheet too, wasting valuable time. Did you feel that way, or did you like it better? Also, let me know if you found any useful techniques for the Science section when you are done. Do you plan on reading the little passages before the charts and graphs or skipping them?</p>
<p>@tkr116 You and I would get along very well. Just like you: I NEVER read, I HATE reading, and the last time I read for actual fun was back in elementary school. You get the idea haha right. </p>
<p>The pen point technique is basically following along with your pen or pencil. Personally, if someone told me this technique I’d would tell them that’t not helpful. But trust me from first hand experience, this will help you in many ways: It lets your mind and eyes focus on to each and every word, and it also helps you retain the information you read; this helps you with 8/10 questions (It will also save you time on those questions that make you go to a certain paragraph and ask you what the purpose of it is because you retain the information you are able to recall it).The other 2/10 questions will be the one’s that make you go back to a specific line and define a word or something. </p>
<p>I felt the same way as you about messing with the order of the passages. Someone told me about it like a couple months ago, and I never really liked the idea: 1.) Because it’s a change and you are worrying about improving your score and managing time. As well as its very different. </p>
<p>After getting 27 (after using the technique I got up to a 32) and below on the past practice tests, I though why not try it. I started with the Natural Science passage because that’s the one I felt the most comfortable with (since I like science) and went back words. Based on past experience I always spent a lot of time on the first passage (that’s that one I find personally the most hardest). In the end when I got to the Prose passage I was left with 15 MINUTES! That’s a lot. Normally when I USED to go from passage I to IV, by the time I got to passage IV I would be left maybe 5 min or less time to finish READING and ANSWERING the ten questions. </p>
<p>If you go any other questions or confusions ask and ill clarify. </p>
<p>Try it out and see how it goes. You don’t have follow the same passage pattern I do, go with the passage you’re most comfortable with. (It saves time, leaving you with the most time on the passage you feel is the hardest)</p>
<p>You may have faced a different type of problem when doing the reading passage, but mine was basically retention and this method of mine really helps.</p>
<p>For science I’m still working it out, I haven’t figured a solid method out. I need to find out through experience with science passages I can skip and which ones I can’t then accordingly I will manage my time. </p>
<p>Good luck and tell me how it goes!</p>
<p>I learned so many tips from all of you people! thank you!!</p>
<p>and Goldenmonkey, your progress is inspiring… keep it up man i’m rooting for you</p>
<p>@GoldenMonkey Same! The last thing I read for fun was Harry Potter in elementary school. Anyway, thanks for clarifying the pen point technique. I will definitely try it out the next time I do a practice test as well as the order of the passages trick.</p>
<p>There’s a new ACT test on ACT.org under prep.
It’s the 2012-2013 one.</p>
<p>Yea, that’s the one I’m working on right now.</p>
<p>Alright, so I’m about to take the science section. For those who want to know it’s number test number 2 from the Princeton’s 1296 questions review book.</p>
<p>These are the tips I’m currently using: Not reading any passages unless it’s the debating scientists section. Going straight to the questions.</p>
<p>New tips I’m using: Time is one of the biggest problems, so my goal is to go 5 minutes per section in the science. </p>
<p>If anyone has any <em>different</em> success tips for the science section please do tell. </p>
<p>Alright about to start WMGL!@!</p>
<p>All right so I am breaking this science section to each passage to see how much time I’m spending on each section. </p>
<p>Passage 1: (Study 1, Study 2, Study 3… etc.)</p>
<p>Time it took: 2’ 51’’ 74’’’</p>
<p>Experience: Their was an urging feeling to read the passages because I felt unsure on one of the questions but then I forced my self not to look and I feel like I got them all right. Pretend the words aren’t there all you have are the graphs and tables. </p>
<p>Next on to passage two!</p>