My thoughts pertaining to the September 2010 ACT

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
1

<p>I'll go in chronological order through the test.</p>

<p>English:</p>

<p>This section seemed pretty easy to me. I probably got 2-4 wrong, if any. I managed to get through all 75 questions in 37 minutes, which sparked joy in me.</p>

<p>Prediction: 34</p>

<p>Math:</p>

<p>Math is my speciality, and I think I got a 36, however this math section was a lot more difficult than my first ACT. I usually finish the math sections in 30 minutes, but this one took me 45 minutes.</p>

<p>Prediction: 36</p>

<p>During the break:</p>

<p>At this point I felt on top of the world. I was feeling really good about myself going into the reading section.</p>

<p>Reading:</p>

<p>I definitely think I've improved my score from the 27 I got on my first reading ACT portion to at least a 30. I had to guess on the last 4 questions, but I'm sure that I only missed 1 or 2 at most on the other 36 questions.</p>

<p>Prediction: 30-32</p>

<p>Science:</p>

<p>This is the section that pretty much killed me. I've always considered science to come naturally to me, but that didn't exactly happen this time around. I was also discontent with the fact that there wasn't a passage with the 2 arguing scientists. It threw me off my game. I'd like to say that first 5/7 of the experiments were extremely simple and I got all but 1 or 2 correct on those; however, the other 2 experiments were extremely difficult to me. I couldn't comprehend what was going on for the most part. Towards the last experiment I was sort of panicky, but kept my cool. I probably guessed on 4~6 questions. I scored a 29 in this on my first go with no prep, so I'm hoping with prep I scored higher...</p>

<p>Prediction: Hopefully 31+ (I've gotten 34's+ consistently on practice tests though..). If I get below a 29.. like a 26, I'll shoot myself :). </p>

<p>Break before the essay:</p>

<p>At this point I was very discontent due to the reading/science struggles I had.</p>

<p>The essay:</p>

<p>I EXTREMELY disliked the topic. I had to side with either collaborative learning or individual learning, and I sided with collaborative although my points were pretty bad, and not unique in any sense. I know I could score an 8 without even trying, so if anything I'll get an 8, however, I'm hoping for a 10+.</p>

<p>Prediction: 9~10</p>

<p>Composite: 32~34. </p>

<p>I'll be satisfied with a 32. I'm applying to Ivy Leagues, and that would place me in the 50% mark in all of them, and my other parts of my application will definitely shine and make up for it.</p>

2

<p>

Yeah right.</p>

3

<p>If so, I finish in 10 minutes.</p>

4

<p>I finish in 10 picoseconds; you guys don’t compare. /sarcasm</p>

5

<p>not to be arrogant, but i consider myself a math genius. It took me about 50 minutes to complete the section and i got 1 wrong because i didn’t know what a “rational number was” lol I learned it in 6th grade</p>

6

<p>^ Like you mean USAMO level math genius?</p>

7

<p>Nerds.
[…]</p>

8

<p>^no i could never do USAMO because we don’t have it at our school. So i don’t know if i would know how to do those kinds of problems simply due to lack of exposure.</p>

9

<p>I’m ranked 3rd in my state for mathematics… & ACT mathematics is straightforward. You don’t have to believe that I finished my previous ACT math section in 30 minutes and this one in 45 minutes.</p>

10

<p>^ Oh, so you do USAMO?</p>

11

<p>Let’s keep in mind that some states in our country aren’t blessed with three USAMO qualifiers. And top three in the state does not imply that it was the AMC track. It could have been some Wyoming Math Meet, or something…</p>

12

<p>I’ve done USAMO questions and tests in my free time for fun, however, no. I compete in the Texas UIL Mathematics events.</p>

<p>So in a sense, yes I do USAMO questions for fun, but I don’t compete in it. I would compete in those events, however, I don’t have the luxury of time on my hands :(</p>

13

<p>^my school doesn’t even have a math team</p>

14

<p>^^ People who ranked 1st and 2nd probably finish in 15 minutes then.</p>

15

<p>^ Perhaps, and if they did then I applaud them. I know both of them are extremely fast.</p>

16

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<p>I don’t care if you learned it in 6th grade, a genius would know what a rational number is.</p>

<p>HUZZAHHH!!</p>

17

<p>You didnt even really need to kno what a rational number was. Just look at all of them and see all of them were long numbers with decimals and never ending except the 0. Using that logic you could still figure out the answer. So math genius?i think not. lol</p>

18

<p>I do agree that the ration number question was fairly simple. The hardest one for me on the mathematics portion dealt with some guy living a certain distance from the school and someone else living another distance from the school and then you have to find the distance of another person.</p>

<p>I remember that it turned out to be 5^2=(4-a)^2+(3+a)^2, which means a = 1. It was something along those lines.</p>

19

<p>finishing the math section in 30 min is not difficult at all…I’m not sure why you are surprised webass.</p>

<p>However, doing it in 30 min AND getting all of them right is a bit more impressive.</p>

20

<p>I finished the math section in 5 minutes; I didn’t even read the questions, I just knew all of the answers because I’m ranked 1st in the country for math. The hardest problem in the math section is equivalent to 2+2=4 for me. I was happy I could get a nap in.</p>