<p>It seems to me that College Confidential is a website where people anxious about being accepted to college post about their problems. I know nothing of this anxiety, but I do enjoy taking part in and attempting to understand the popular activities of the masses; hence, the fact of my posting this thread in addition to its topic.</p>
<p>One question I have often asked myself is what people find hard about the ACT. The math section involves performing basic algebra, the science section involves answering questions to which the answers are given freely on the same page, the English section involves having a second rate understanding of elementary school grammar textbooks, and the reading section asks questions which are so unbelievably easy that my intelligence drops from even looking at them. Could someone explain to me why this test is hard?</p>
<p>I suppose it should go without saying, but I achieved a 36 on this test without studying, and in fact had just spent the entire previous night awake with a copy of Joyce's Finnegans Wake for a bit of light reading.</p>
<p>Is this a ■■■■■? This post almost reads like a parody of us. “the reading section asks questions which are so unbelievably easy that my intelligence drops from even looking at them” reeks of pretentiousness.</p>
<p>I’m not too familiar with this website, so I’m not sure if my post seemed authentic. I was trying to make a point that the reading section was extremely easy, although I grant my wording was a bit verbose.</p>
<p>This is starting to require a lot more effort than I really wanted to put in to this, but I suppose if it proves that I’m not trying to trick you, I’ll give you all a picture of my results.</p>
<p>To answer the original note…some people are very very good at taking tests…in fact, it turns out to be the thing they’re best at. And for those folks, standardized tests such as the SAT are (relatively) easy to summit. </p>
<p>Time constraints, and I see even you made some mistakes Some people just made more mistakes than you. It’s not that hard to understand. Don’t be a ■■■■■■■■■.</p>
<p>Thanks to SouthernHope and bodangles for saving me from the superficiality of those other commenters. But you have told me nothing that I don’t already know. Obviously, people make mistakes on the ACT; otherwise, I wouldn’t be commenting. My original question was what people find hard about the test. If people only made a few mistakes, they would still get a 36, as was my case, as you pointed out, bodangles. But how could there be so many questions that people find hard on this test that they don’t even manage to get a 36 with that amount of leeway? And as for the math section, I completed the test not only without sleep, but without a calculator, as mine ran out of batteries. Please forgive my forgetfulness.</p>
<p>It is not going to happen. The score is based on curves and percentiles. If everyone can score 36, they need to make the test harder until they can differentiate the students.</p>
<p>Many years ago, I had a friend in high school who had a photographic memory (only she called it a “photogenic” memory because she didn’t know any better - LOL) and she could literally not understand how anyone could get less than 100 on a test…she was honestly baffled. Some kids retain 100% of what they learn in class…and then they’re able to reproduce that on a test. Other kids are either 1) not as smart 2) not as single-focused (they’re thinking about other parts of life…not just academics 100%) or simply not as into it. LIfe is way way more than SAT scores. And success in life is way more as well.</p>
<p>You got a 36 on your ACT…you’re smart enough to come up with the reasons why. </p>
<p>Are you trying to compensate for something, David? Or is there some logical reason that you need to justify your existence by making a brag thread on an online forum, while at the same time feigning ignorance of a fairly simple concept?</p>
<p>The thing is, you do know why not everyone gets a 36. Mistakes happen, or there might be a few questions the test taker just doesn’t know. Missing four or five questions will probably get you a 35, and that’s on a 200 question test.</p>
<p>There’s no question being asked here. This is either trolling, or incredibly pretentious bragging.</p>
<p>I see no need for these ad hominem attacks. I merely started this thread by asking a question, but people seem to think that I am trolling, even though I showed you a picture to prove that I’m not. My intention with this thread was not to brag; I was only led down that path by people who commented later. I suppose people could be jealous of my 36.</p>
<p>It seems that the general consensus so far is that the ignorance of the American populace has forced the ACT into manufacturing an easy test, but I would like to see some more serious responses, if that is possible, please.</p>
<p>Thanks for helping me to understand, tmo2112. I knew of the ACT but very little about it before taking it, and only took it because the Ivy League colleges demand the results from it for an application. I thought going into it that it would be difficult, but I was sorely mistaken.</p>
<p>That image confuses me. It’s a screen capture, not a scan of something printed. But my daughter’s online score report looks a lot more sophisticated than that, different colors and text, etc. (I happen to have a screen capture of it sitting right on my desktop.) So is it old? If so, why post about it now?</p>
<p>Hahahaha… this thread officially takes the cake for poster with the biggest head. Good luck in the real world (and in college/job interviews!) with your “holier than thou” attitude. </p>
<p>As someone else said, surely if you got a 36 on your ACT you’re smart enough to figure out why others may not have been so successful - let’s see, short attention span, bad schools. Heres some food for thought, 20-25% of children under 18 live in poverty, and approx. 45% live with low-income families. These children don’t have access to some of the higher education opportunities posters on CC do. That is one HUGE reason for lower scores on the ACT. </p>
<p>Maybe you could use your gigantic brain to solve world hunger or poverty since the ACT is so obviously below your intelligence level. Please do us all a favor and act at least somewhat modestly.</p>
<p>For all of you conspiracy theorists (WasatchWriter) here is my printed version with the date on it. David Humphrey isn’t my real name, and I have left it off of this picture for reasons of anonymity. But thank you for understanding my humor… I was hoping someone on this website would. I do honestly enjoy Joyce’s work, however. megans113, if you can’t find the willpower to write a reply that anyone would want to read, please refrain from writing anything.</p>
<p>Actually, as anyone would quickly realize, this is a public forum with varied opinions. Insulting those kind enough to reply to your post is uncalled for. Is this E.L.? Congrats on your 34 Megan. ‘David’ I have noticed all 7 of your posts are on this thread. Seems like a ■■■■■. 5 students at my h.s. got a 36 on their exam and could be doing this as a prank, perhaps you need a little extra attention? Anyway, it has been entertaining and congrats on your 36. However, as has been stated on cc often, it is what you complement your scores with that completes the package. A brilliant person would see the mediocrity in this thread.</p>
Some people just made more mistakes than you. It’s not that hard to understand. Don’t be a ■■■■■■■■■.</p>