Is it worth retaking?

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>Hey all. Like many people here I'm a perfectionist. When I was studying for the ACT I was confident that a 34 would be the lowest I would get. All of my practice tests yielded scores between 35 and 36. It turns out, however, that when I was doing my practices I wasn't timing myself (it completely slipped my mind) so when it got to be test day I lost track of time and ended up guessing a fair few problems on the science and math because I simply ran out of time. As a result my composite score ended up being 29, a score about which I am extremely disappointed.</p>

<p>My question to all of the folks here is: Is retaking the test even worth it? This score really is disappointing to me and I know I could have done better had I been paying attention to the time because I knew how to do each problem I skipped. The thing is, I don't know if it's necessary. All of the universities to which I am applying de-emphasize SAT/ACT scores and a 29, while not satisfactory, is still well within the acceptable limits of my selected universities. </p>

<p>So is re-taking the test in my situation even worth it if the universities to which I am applying care less than I do? Should I spend the extra time, money, and effort when my score is decent when compared to most (most in general, not most of the people on College Confidential of course) and the rest of my academic record is great? I'm looking for honest opinions, it's fine to be rough. Thanks for any advice.</p>

2

<p>If your practice test scores were 35’s and 36’s, that means your capable of achieving that. I think you should definitely retake. But still continue practicing for it.</p>

3

<p>Definitely retake, unless you already have a good SAT score. Even if you already have a good academic record, colleges also want to see how you compare to other students nation-wide on standardized testing. Since your practice scores are significantly higher, you probably will do better on a retake, and a good ACT score can only help you.</p>

4

<p>Well I’m wondering if my score would be much better at all. If I didn’t time myself then I have no idea how much time I was spending on each test. I know I wasn’t spending hours on each section or anything but for all I know I could have been using 50% extra time and that’s a huge advantage.</p>

<p>Regarding Sylvanna’s post. If my colleges don’t emphasize standardized tests and I already meet the upper bounds of their expectations then would raising my score a few points really make a difference?</p>

5

<p>A very high ACT score may well qualify you for merit aid or a scholarship of some sort. If that’s the case for your college choices, it would definitely be worth your time to retake the test.</p>

6

<p>^Agreed. 10char</p>