I am new to the college confidential community but am anxious to get involved! Anyways, I am seeking advice. I have taken the ACT three times thus far and I am currently a Junior. The last one I took was in February and I increased by three points. I am currently at a 28 and am looking to get to the mid 30s (33-35). Prior to the February test, I was just doing practice tests and going over them with my teachers. Timing is a big problem for me, usually during practice I have no problem or am finishing right at time. However, during the real test I have struggled to get to the last passage in English and several of math problems. Therefore I am confident I would have done better on February’s test if I was able to complete the tests on time.
I started with a local tutoring place directly after February’s test and I just do not think they’re equipped to help me. The cost is very high as well and I am on a limited budget. I am looking for a new ACT online prep program. The one I am leaning towards is Magoosh because of the cost and the score point guarantee.
Regarding the score point guarantee, I am conflicted. I want to start right away to boost my chances and time with the material, however I feel like I could do better than a 28 on my own. I’m afraid that if I start before getting my April ACT scores back that I will get to a 32 and may not have that guarantee anymore. Also, should I expect to gain 4-7 more points considering I’ve already gained 3?
I was wondering if anyone could share their personal stories, opinions, and recommendations on tips/tricks, prep programs, and score point guarantees? \
I had no help or tutor and I was able to get a 35 as a sophomore in high school. My first score was a 29 when I was a freshman so I knew that I was hoping to get a 32+ the next time. I used free resources, just about any that I could find to get help with the ACT. I really recommend honestly to watch ACT videos and example questions on YouTube. It sounds weird but that’s what really helped me.
I didn’t have a tutor either and just like IvyDreams13, I used a lot of free resources. First, you need to identify your weakest section(s) and focus on those by running practice sections and carefully analyzing your mistakes. Understand WHY you got it wrong and how you could prevent it the next time. I did this and put it all in a notebook.
Some resources I used were ACT Online Prep (by ACT which is free if you qualify for fee waiver), McGraw Hill’s 10 practice tests, For the Love of ACT Science (breaks down question types in Science), and if course the official ACT released tests. You can search for these on Google.
As for your point increase, if you’ve taken the ACT 3 times already and haven’t seen too much of an increase, you might need to accept that threshold. Perhaps try the SAT if timing is an issue for you? For me personally, the ACT was easier, but I noticed timing was a lot more strict. However, after practicing A LOT, I was able to finish every section on the actual test early. So practice is key! But make sure you still analyze those mistakes! There’s no point in practicing if you don’t go over what you did wrong. You’ll just make the same mistakes!
Keep doing full practice tests and see if your results improve. The scores from your practice tests are a very good indicator of how you will do on the real test. Best of luck!