I was wondering if anyone can help me sort this out with myself. Normally math is my best subject. I’m an autodidact and i did pre-algebra through precalculus easily, and now i’m teaching myself calculus 1, and plan to do calculus 2 next. I’m not as good in english in my normal day to day studies.
But on the ACT, it’s just the opposite. 34 english, 28 math, 35 reading, 32 science. What’s up with the math score? I know all the topics. The questions on the ACT are easy to me; but the timing gets me every time. I either go slow enough to be accurate, and consequently have to make guesses before i run out of time, or i go fast enough to avoid having to guess, but i make careless mistakes along the way. I get the most test anxiety on the math section too.
It might sound like i just explained my problem to myself, but i want to know why timing is even a problem for me, considering math is normally my best subject? What can i do about it when most test prep books are just for reviewing topics that i already understand? Is this hopeless?
It’s even worse because i want to be a physics major. And i want to get a PhD in it. Is this just some sort of psychological mishap, or is it a suggestion that i don’t have the aptitude for physics?
You might want to consider trying the SAT. You will still need to pay attention to time, but from what I have heard (my kids and I never took the ACT) time is not quite as tight for the SAT exam.
Some SAT-specific preparation would be advised prior to taking the SAT.
Thanks for the reply DadTwoGirls. I’ve been thinking of taking the SAT, and i do think it might suit me better. I’m still really bothered by my ACT score though. Even if i score better on the SAT, it still bothers me that i got a 28 on the ACT math section. Even if i decide to take the SAT, i still want to retake the ACT over that 28. I just can’t stand the fact that i botched it.
When you take timed practice tests is your math score higher? Is this a test day issue? First time S took ACT, he scored lower in math than expected based on his practice tests. Took it again and scored more inline with practice tests. Some just can’t solve problems fast enough on ACT. My other S could get 800 on Physics SATII practice with an extra 15 minutes, but struggles to get though 75 questions in 60 minutes on test day.
Ah, thanks for the reply svlab112. Yes, i took some timed practice tests which i scored higher on, but even on those my best score was only a 32. On average i was getting a 30. I used barrons ACT and the red book for my practice tests. Usually when i made a mistake i would look back at the question and find what i did wrong and what the correct answer was immediately, but i continued to make those sorts of simple mistakes on each practice test.
I also sometimes got hung up on questions where i couldn’t immediately find the information i needed to solve the problem; specifically the questions that involved one of those little mathematical passages. The passages that you use for reference in answering 2-4 questions. Those just seem like the most time consuming questions. It may have been better to just skip those, but i couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Just like the SAT essay doesn’t actually test how good you are at writing, these math sections are not really testing how good you are at math. They are testing how good you are at performing those things under a massive time crunch and a lot of stress. So I wouldn’t take this as some sort of indication that you’re not actually “good at math.”
On the other hand, a physics major will also include a lot of tests where you have to do calculations in limited time. Figuring out ways to improve your speed and decrease test anxiety now will still serve you well in the future.
Thanks for replying bodangles. Do you know how i could go about focusing specifically on my speed and test anxiety? I’ve decided to retake the ACT, probably will take the SAT, and obviously have a lot of improvements to make, but since prep books mostly focus on reviews for the math section, i’m at a loss as to how i should study for this.
try to do a lot of practice ACT. go to CRACK ACT to find previous tests…My kid has anxiety and she told me what helped her was to move to the next problem when she thought she struggled…