I have had so much trouble attempting to study for the ACT. My sophomore year I took the pre-act and received a 23 (E-21 M-21 R-29 S-19). Then I took a mock exam in Jan of my Junior year and received a 25 (E- 25 M- 26 R- 25 S- 22). I was going to take the April statewide ACT until it was cancelled because of COVID. I registered for the July ACT and I really need to get my score to a 30+ and I would like some tips/how you all improved your scores. What books or online sites were most helpful? Did you pay for an expensive course (Supertutor, Princeton Review, etc.) or did you self-study? I really appreciate any advice. Thank you!
My kids did the SAT, and their preparation basically consisted of working their way through a whole book of official practice tests. They did a test under timed conditions every weekend (or almost every weekend) for 2-3 months, until they were intimately familiar with the types of questions, the pace at which they needed to work, and so forth. And they analyzed every wrong answer to identify any material they needed to review and any mistakes they were making in reasoning or calculation.
Fortunately they were strong students and had gone to good high schools, so their main challenge was to master the test rather than master the material. Doing all those practice tests helped them relax and feel confident when it came time to take the real test. I think that most students would benefit from such practice; however, some might need to dedicate more of their preparation time to studying/learning/reviewing.
Did you have trouble finishing sections of the ACT? It’s a very fast-paced test! My daughter, who didn’t have difficulty with the pace, still found the SAT to be much easier for her. She scored a good bit higher on the SAT. Some students find the opposite to be true.
There is an official SAT study guide with eight old practice tests . You can order it on Amazon. I’d advise taking a practice SAT test under testing conditions (timed, quiet place, etc ) to see which test you prefer. If you take the SAT you can also do free online practice with Khan Academy. Plus, the SAT has no science section, and contains a list of math formulas to use (though you have to know how/when to apply them).
Many selective colleges are going test-optional for next year due to the disruption of testing opportunities. Maybe you should consider that route, and instead put your time this summer into writing fantastic essays!