<p>I really need to improve my reading speed. I find that I can get a 34-36 if I were to allow myself 5-10 extra minutes than the 35 that are provided. When I confine myself to the 35 minutes, I struggle to get a 32.</p>
<p>Reading: 33
Science: 33
Math: 36
English: 33*
Essay: 8*</p>
<ul>
<li>= Didn’t officially finish.
Sorry, just keeping track of progress.</li>
</ul>
<p>@thesoxpride10 I was having the same problem, bubble in your answer sheet after each story and you’ll save 2-3 minutes. In the past two tests I’ve managed a 35 in reading using this strategy.</p>
<p>Double post.</p>
<p>Thanks for the math advice in the first few posts! Into the thirties on my last few practice tests, final section I need to master and it looks like I’m relatively close to it. Hope it stays that way on the real test!</p>
<p>Does anyone know if ACT ever reuses old tests? </p>
<p>@kanyeftkanye The Feb. 2014 test was practically the same as the Dec. 2012 if I recall correctly.</p>
<p>I’m an international so I never get the re-used tests lol, or maybe I get re-used international tests but finding anyone that took the same version of my test in December was impossible so I guess I’ll never find out</p>
<p>Hi everyone. I’m done with junior year of high school. i signed up for this upcoming act test. so i hear there are curves. i was wondering what the curve means for the act and how do they work? also how will the curve affect this test?</p>
<p>i did the school required act and did pretty bad. i expected myself to get 25C but got
C22
E17
M27
R20
S23</p>
<p>Also what can i do to improve my score in the next couple days?(I want a 26 but i don’t think i can do that well) yes, i have been doing something to help me, the real act red book for the past 2 week.</p>
<p>@XxarpanxX </p>
<p>The ACT curve is basically the way that the ACT can accommodate for tests taken on different days (different exams). Sometimes one exam may be harder or easier than the one taken a few months or a few years ago. The ACT uses and adapts the curve on each exam so that your score of, for example a 23 in the Science section means that you did pretty much the same as someone who got a 23 a few years ago, or someone who will get a 23 this year, regardless of the difficulty of each test. If you look at the very back of your Real ACT you will find the curves for each practice exam. Notice that, although they are very similar, they might differ by 1 point in a few cases, and in others by even two points (that is if you get 10 wrong, on one test you might get a 27 and in a different one you might get a 26). The tests are made to be as similar in difficulty as possible, so the differences won’t be by much, but a lenient vs harsh curve (easy or difficult test) can make a 1-3 point difference on your score</p>
<p>As for what you can do to improve:
Try to pinpoint where you are making your mistakes. Is it that you are running out of time in the sections? Have you covered all the material (especially for math) at school? For the English section, make a habit of reading out each of the answer choices aloud in your head (if that makes sense). Trust your feeling what sounds right. Often the answers in the English section are the simplest ones (i.e. they usually dont require adding a lot of punctuation or unnecessary words) If the sentence makes sense if you remove it, then Omitting is the best option. </p>
<p>Hey thank you very much. that helps so much and helps explain the curve thingy a lot. I do run out of time on everything but the math. for the English section i had been using for tip and it has been helping me and it had made me improve. on science i took a lot of practice but i always have 5 problems left when time is out, i can figure that out. but my real issue is the reading, i spend about 4 min reading the passage and 5-6 minute doing the questions and i always end up not finishing all of the reading sections. i just don’t know what to do, i just hope the reading is easy for this act. i have tryed looking at the question first and then looking for the answer but that doesn’t work out so i read the passage first.</p>
<p>thanks so much for the help again.</p>
<p>Good luck man @XxarpanxX I am in a similar situation as the guy who just posted. I got a 23 composite score when i took the ACT in April. I also have the ACT red book. However, i have serious time issues on science and reading, and a bit of time issues on english… I have done four of the practice tests in the book and only have one left.</p>
<p>Good luck too u also @Daminus i hope we both get the score we want cause we both have the same exact problem. the practice tests help so much and i found out if you get a stop watch and try to beat a passage or set of questions in certain amount of time, it helps so get faster.</p>
<p>someone make a google doc</p>
<p>Can someone critique this essay too? I need to know if it’s better to use more concrete examples to center my essay around or to use multiple good supports for an argument. I’m just not sure what is a better structure, so I went with using several ideas. I reiterate a lot of ideas, can someone help me on that as well? Thanks.</p>
<p>Prompt: some high schools, teachers have
considered allowing each student to choose
the books he or she will read for English
class rather than requiring all students in
class to read the same books. Some teachers
support such a policy because they think
students will greatly improve their reading
skills if they read books they find
interesting. Other teachers do not support
such a policy because they think that
students will learn more by participating in
class discussion with others who have read
the same books. In your opinion, should
each individual student be allowed to choose
the books he or she reads for English class?</p>
<p>Our future is compromised of two things: the kids growing up right now, and their education. Students who are studying behold the power to change our future politically, economically, and socially, and what impacts their knowledge more than their education? Ensuring a strong, focused curriculum for all students can help fortify their future endeavors. Reading books in English class can surprisingly have a huge impact, for books entail many ethereal ideas that kids can use. By standardizing a list of books that kids in English should read, schools will see their students becoming more determined and better leaders of the future. </p>
<p>Allowing students to choose their books only leads to distraction from the central English class topic. Why let students pick their favorite story tale and elaborate on that book, which they might have already read for an easy 100? Students should not be given the freedom to do in class for any book wanted, for they will digress into impartial fragments that don’t relate. For example, when in 7th grade, my group in English chose to read “The Lightning Thief” a Greek myth spin-off to discuss certain stock Greek elements and myths, but instead we got caught up in the romantic story of the two protagonists. This freedom to choose novels hindered the potential of our education. However, if kids want to read out of class, it is not a problem.</p>
<p>When a list of must-read books is given to a student, they are not given a list of books they can only read. They are allowed to stray away and read as much as they want outside of the class, and the list only provides a bare minimum for all students to read. It helps equalize the reading level across schools if all students are culturally aware of certain situations through reading as well. For example, private schools significantly are less aware of certain important novels from Shakespeare of Twain than public schools. This is due to how private school students do not require a reading list for their students to use, so they don’t get the same minimum reading achievements as public school students. </p>
<p>Though the arguments against students picking class books to read seems well supported, many others believe quite the opposite. Books required by schools promote fascism and less creativity for students! Why would following a boring standard of curriculum books inspire students to read more and grow smarter? Although people may have a point, by requiring lists, students still do get the chance to choose outside books they want to read, but just at home. If so inclined, they can even host out of school discussions about the book. Also, by choosing classic novels that teach a wide range of morals rather than just vague teen-culture books, school districts get more scrupulous graduates. </p>
<p>Even if an individual student doesn’t choose his or er own book to read in class, there are plenty of opportunities to read outside of the classroom. By having a district-mandated list of books, English classes allow for the more well-rounded student, less distraction from the discussion topic, more appropriate topics, and a more equal distribution of education among students. Though some may apprehend that it’s too late to change the school system and it might ruin students’ views of school, as Franklin D. Roosevelt once said," The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."</p>
<p><<link removed="" by="" moderator="">></p>
<p>GOOGLE DOC to discuss test after june 2014 ACT</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE: Links to anything other than authoritative websites are NOT ALLOWED. An ACT representative asked that this link be removed. Knock it off!</p>
<p>I’m sorry i’m new to this, but what is that^^^^^^?
@Busybee123</p>
<p>Thanks @Busybee123 ! 
</p>
<p>hey can you use second person in an ACT essay?</p>
<p>It’s generally not a good idea, as far as I’m aware. Refrain from using “you”.</p>
<p>However, in certain contexts, “we” and “us” is acceptable, but if it can be said in another way, you’d probably want to use that. (Or so my english teacher has told me)</p>