I have tested three times and got around 31 for all three tests. I think I’ve reached a plateau, but how do I get out of it and increase my score? The reading and science sections are particularly hard for me. They are in the high 20’s. Any suggestions for how to improve my reading and science scores? Do I read the passage first or skip to the questions? I am taking the September test and would like to study as much as I can during the summer when I have time! Thanks.
I recommend experimenting to find what works for you through several individual Reading and Science practice tests. I know people who swear by reading the questions first for reading, but that did not work at all for me. I used to score around 25. By reading the passage first rather quickly while “annotating” (basically just underlining phrases that seem important), I increased my score to 33. And that score has improved to 35-36 on recent practice tests by fine tuning my strategies and scrutinizing my mistakes. I personalize everything because some people completely disagree with my strategies, but they work perfect for me!
Everyone has their own opinion and suggestions and I recommend doing some research to get ideas, but then do some practice and eventually you’ll find your groove on those weaker sections.
“The reading and science sections are particularly hard for me. They are in the high 20’s.” - Forget improving Reading section, not possible. Science? Just get more familiar with the format, there is no science in the science section, just reading at the slower pace and paying attention to details.
My advice is to improve your strongest sections to be able to compensate for the lower scores in your weak sections. I know someone who scored a 33 despite of 28 in Reading. She just focused on her strongest section - Math during preparation. In fact, after getting familiar with the format of each section, she ONLY practiced math and nothing else. It worked out very well and exactly as predicted on the very first try.
My daughter went from 30 to 36 in reading just by practicing and working on the timing. It is possible, but you have to put in the time taking the practice tests.
Don’t listen to the guy who says you can’t improve reading. I did it! I was just like you, getting 28’s and 29’s on practices but I got a 36 on the June reading ACT. Always read and annotate first and do the questions after. But the biggest piece of advice for reading is find the passage that you suck at most: the narrative, social science, humanities, or science. For me it was always the narrative. Drill the one you are worst at as many times as you can, doing practice tests and always annotating. Once you get used to the questions you will be able to predict what they are going to ask while you are reading, even before you look at the questions. This info that jumps out at you should be annotated, nothing else. (Always pay attention to lists within the story and chronological events-those are common questions and they waste time if you do not have them annotated).
For science I also went from 31 to 36 by practicing. It’s pretty much a logic test with some scientific knowledge required. Never read the passage or graph first, start at the questions and look for the answers after you understand the question. Be extremely careful because once you get in the 30ish range it’s mostly silly mistakes that drag you down. Another piece of advice is draw all over the graphs. Stop eyeballing data points and draw lines everywhere to make sure everything is matched up.
Yes, you can achieve anything you set your mind to, besteffort123.
I took the ACT in April and received a 30. I was very dissapointed because I have studied for several months. I received a 34 English, 34 math, 23 reading and 30 science. I am taking the act in sept and it is my last chance and I need to get 34. My reading is usually around 28 or higher so I was unlucky in April. I have studied an additional 50 hours during the summer so far and last three practice tests were 33, 32 and 33. My goal is to make my reading a 34 and my science a 34 so I can score a 34 in sept. I’ve been laughed by my friends about my reading score and I intend to prove them wrong. If you need help, please ask me because I know a lot of reading strategies. My reading is consistently above a 30 for right now. I actually more afraid of science now. Please ask me for help, I want to help you!
I actually did just that - improved my score from a 31 to a 34. Science was my weakest section on the first test (I got a 24 on it, though my reading score was a 36 the first time). For science, you need a lot of drills/practice sections, and a lot of luck. Some science sections are ridiculously easy, and some are very hard. Get as comfortable as you can with the format/possible material on the section, knowing that you don’t actually need to know any science. It’s just reading comp, basically. Then pray for an easy section when you take the real test. It worked for me, and I got a 36 on science my second time.