Hi! I took the October ACT and got a 33 (E: 34, M: 30, R: 35, S:34). I know it is not the best score or anywhere close but here is what I found helpful:
English: If you can, buy/borrow an ACT prep book that has a list of the grammar rules that you need to know. Make sure you know them like the back of your hand. Also, be sure to read both the sentence(s) before and after the sentence that needs to be corrected. You will make less careless mistakes that way as you will not miss any possible changes in tense and choosing the best word that fits the sentence.
Math: I didn’t do too well in math so I can’t say much for it. I guess what worked for me was reviewing the math concepts that are tested. Because I had learned them so long ago, the concepts were not fresh and I had forgotten many of the little rules, etc. For strategies, I recommend plugging in numbers, creating numbers to substitute into values, or creating algebraic equations if that works for you. Again, I didn’t do well in math so I can’t really say.
Reading: IMO, this is possibly the most intuitive of the ACT sections. If you are good at “reading between the lines” then you will find that reading will come naturally to you (as it did for me). Of course some are born with this skill but to develop it, I would recommend reading books when you can. You will begin to pick up on different styles and understand what the writer is implying based on word choice, etc. Some people have issues with timing. To combat this, you should try to read the passage thoroughly in ~2 minutes. When reading, use your pencil/finger (I prefer to use a pencil cause your finger might get covered in ink) to guide your eyes. You tend to miss out on important details when not using anything to make sure your eyes don’t skip around. Maybe practice this skill by reading this post with your finger to guide you. Underline anything that seems important. You will learn what details are most likely going to be important through taking practice tests. For some people, writing a short summary of each paragraph helps them go back and find the information. Because I have a somewhat photographic memory when it comes to the reading section, I didn’t do this as I feel that it wastes time. When reading each question, circle key words. For example: “Which of the following emotions did Donald Trump feel after he won the election?” would have the key words as ‘emotions’, ‘Donald Trump’, ‘after’, ‘election’. Go back into the passage and find the paragraph with this information. The answer is usually verbatim to the answer choice. I noticed that the new ACT has a few viewpoints (A and B). I would read Viewpoint A first then answer those questions and do the same for B. Now that you have read both, you can answer the questions that pertains to both. I find it helpful to write a short summary of each at the top so you can immediately eliminate answer choices.
Science: This is a lot like reading. Even though some of the topics can scare the bejesus out of you, don’t let it. First, don’t look at the passage-go right to the questions. Use the same strategy with reading where you circle key words. Then, use the graphs to answer the question. For example: “According to Graph 1, what time does the TheTennisNinja go to bed on Thursdays?”, you would circle ‘Graph 1’, ‘time’, ‘TheTennisNinja’, ‘Thursdays’. When you circle ‘Graph 1’, put your finger on ‘Graph 1’. NOTE: Check carefully to see if you are to point to Graph OR Table-mixing up the two can cause confusion and waste valuable time. Then, put your fingers on the ‘Time’ and ‘Thursday’ sections on the graph. Once everything is lined up, you should arrive at your answer (which is probably ~7 hours :D). But what if the answer is one that can’t be found in any of the graphs and charts? That’s when you look to the paragraphs. The information you need should be in there somewhere. Now, for the Conflicting Viewpoints passage. Read the passages first instead of going straight to the questions. Write a one sentence summary for each one. Then answer the questions.
Does that help you? Dang I wrote a lot. I think I’m going to watch The Office now. PM/send me a reply if you have any more questions. By the way, are you a senior? If you are, then I wish you luck on your last ACT.