<p>I took a practice test without any prior preparation and got a 35 (but I didn't do the essay). Do the practice test scores correspond well with actual exam scores? Did your essays bring you down significantly?</p>
<p>The essay doesn't affect your composite score. If you do the essay, you'll be given the scores on all the sections and your composite score as normal, and then you'll get two new scores: your essay score (2-12) and a combined English/Writing score, which is on the standard 36 scale. So you'll actually get an English score and another English/Writing score.</p>
<p>Anyway, the accuracy of practice test scores depends on the test itself and the conditions you took it under. For me, I actually did better on my practice tests than I did on the real thing. I got a 34 on my first (and only) practice test, but a 32 on the real thing. I used the practice test available in PDF format from the ACT website.</p>
<p>When I took the ACT in April, I scored one to two points lower on each subtest than on the practice tests.</p>
<p>In addition, where have the practice tests you are taking come from? The Real ACT book and practice tests from ACT itself are the only good ones. Others tend to be either too hard or too easy.</p>
<p>Essay doesn't affect composite.</p>
<p>What practice book did you use? Some are very inaccurate.</p>
<p>I agree with those above me. The practice tests in the Barron book is significantly more difficult than the actual exam. I never made above 33 on any practice tests on the Barron but got a 35 on the actual ACT. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>I got a 34 on a McGraw Hill, lol. Waaayyyy tooo eassssyy.</p>
<p>I have the Real ACT Prep book. That's the most accurate, then?</p>
<p>yeah, thats pretty much it from what ive heard.</p>
<p>Can you guys answer this for me?</p>
<p>How many wrong am I looking at for each section to get a 34? a 35?</p>
<p>Yeah I'd like to know that too. I hope barrons will help be get a 34 or so.</p>
<p>McGraw Hill's questions themselves are pretty accurate (besides all of the typos everywhere), but their scoring for in the 30's is way off. I missed five on a practice test in the science and it said that should be a 33. On another science section I missed 2 and got a... wait for it... 37?! But I guess you could get a general idea if you go by ACT's curves.</p>
<p>37? That's POSSIBLE?</p>
<p>mayb he means 31?</p>
<p>How accurate is the Princeton Review "Cracking the Act"?</p>
<p>No, the way McGraw Hill grades involves using equations to figure out your score and then adding or subtracting a number specifically designated to the section you are grading.</p>
<p>The formula probably equated to 35 and it told him to add 2 (or something along those lines)</p>
<p>I found the math and science easier in the Real ACT book, and the reading harder than on the actual test.</p>
<p>i got a 28 on my practice test and a 33 on my real one, and there wasn't much prepping between the 2, so i think it just depends which one you do</p>