I am taking the December 9th ACT and I took a released practice test yesterday and my results were:
E: 32
M: 35 (made silly mistake, will probably get a 36)
R: 28
S: 36
Composite: 33
My goal for this ACT is to score at least a 32 on the reading. I think I will be able to score at least a 34 or higher on the english section but it’s the reading section that’s bringing down my composite. Is it possible to raise 4 points on reading in 5 days?
well first off adding 4 points means a composite score of 37 which isn’t possible… its hard to raise it that much in 5 days but it might be possible to raise it by 2 points
whoa whoa whoa… how do you get a 36 in science??? that’s my weakest because as the tests runs on i get more and more tired. how do you do that? pls lmk!
also, it definitely think its possible. what study sources do you use?
@pl215382 OH LMAO I meant adding 4 points on reading. It’s currently 28 rn and I want a 32 on reading
@greatjuice Thanks! And I took SAT Biology and Chemistry in the past and I studied the heck out of those materials so I have a good general background in science. But what I do when I take the test is that I just scan the experiments real quick to have a general idea (spend like 10 seconds) and I got straight onto the questions. Most of the questions are usually trend-based and it’s mostly all patterns. Usually there will be 1-2 questions in the section (or none) that will be pretty confusing so if it comes down to that, just read the background text slowly. All the questions is IN THE INFORMATION section so if you don’t know an answer to a question, just refer back to the text.
Of course it is possible to increase from 33 to 34, however, you do not need to increase 4 points in reading, you only need to get a composite of 33.5, therefore, you probably may need to get an additional one or two answers correct in the other three areas. My kid normally does better during test than with the practice test as she said the environment helps her to stay focus.
On the other hand, I suggest you try a few more practice tests. I felt when students are at this high level, an additional one point may depend on the type of questions given. My kid also got 36 in the Science and reading sections in the actual test, but she felt that she couldn’t guarantee that she will get the same score a second time around. She never got 36 during practice tests.
Therefore, while it is easy to aim at improving 4 points, you need to make sure your other scores are consistent.
Yes, you can do it.
Given that it’s right around the corner, I would recommend looking at past tests and seeing if there is a way you can improve the process, as you described above with science.
My first two tries on the ACT, I spent the night before cramming in one last practice test and only got 6 hours of sleep. I got a 33 both times because I couldn’t concentrate on the reading.
On my last crack, I spent the night before hanging with friends and was in bed by 9:30. I felt relaxed and well rested. I could concentrate much better on the reading section and brought my reading score from a 29 to a 34 and ended up with a 35 composite.
I don’t know if this was helpful but don’t overlook a good night sleep as the reading section requires strong concentration.
It would be easier to bring up your english score. As you get closer to a 36 subscore in english the points become contingent on individual problems. The best way to bring up that score is to go over each answer and plug it back into the sentence and see what sounds most natural. obviously you have to follow grammar and spelling rules when they apply, but I used these methods and got a perfect English score on my first ACT and missed 1 on my second.
I think if you work harder to improve the sections you’re already fairly comfortable with, you could raise your composite up, instead of trying to improve a weaker section (Reading in your case) and spending too much time trying to raise that score.
Sorry this is late but it’s completely possible! I scored a 33 on my ACT the first time I took it, with my weakest section being a 30 in English. I studied just this section and was able to bring my English section up to a 35 the second time I took it, and I had a composite of 34.
My daughter is preparing for February test, and found that her practice test scores varied significantly among three books (the red book, Barron’s and Princeton review). Does it sound normal? Which book(s) did your kid use? What kind of study method and strategy would you recommend? So far her practice test scores were from 32 to 35. Her goal is to get 35. It will be her first ACT test on Feb. 10.
@annamom My daughter is preparing for February test, and found that her practice test scores varied significantly among three books (the red book, Barron’s and Princeton review). Does it sound normal? Which book(s) did your kid use? What kind of study method and strategy would you recommend? So far her practice test scores were from 32 to 35. Her goal is to get 35. It will be her first ACT test on Feb. 10.
@qunqun I highly recommend using the official practice tests from ACT. DS19 found those to be the most helpful. He first did an online class and had practice scores of 31/29/31. He used the official ACT practice tests and did timed sections eventually getting practice composites around 34-35. Took December ACT and scored a 36.
@mountainmomof3 thank you for the information, it is very helpful!
It most definitely is. I got 36r 36s 35m 35e my first time taking it for real (took it a couple times in MS). My first practice test was a 31. I suggest taking as many practice tests as possible and knowing why you got stuff wrong everyone. I suggest googling how to get a 36 in [insert section] to find prep scholars articles