<p>LONG STORY SHORT:
I went through 50+ posts on this forum. Tried most tips and guides (even the one from 2011 someone bumped).
I went through the Real ACT, Barron's 36, PR book, PR 1296, and Mcgrawhill.
I scored a 30 on practice ACT but a 29 on the actual ACT in June.
It's frustrating because I've taken 11 AP classes by Junior year with five 5s and four 4s, so I expected to get higher on the ACT since I try my best in school. I've studied for a month now. I wouldn't be so discouraged if my score went up at least 1 point in the past month. But I'm doing more practice and my score is consistent. </p>
<p>I AM going through all my wrong answers and seeing why they are wrong. But still no improvement.</p>
<p>I CAN'T afford a tutor or a prep class. I went through most major books. I'm at a dead end. </p>
<p>What can I do?</p>
<p>by the way, SAT is even worse.</p>
<p>What’s your SAT score? What are your dream colleges?</p>
<p>I was in a very similar situation. It’s all about the timing in my opinion if you are in the 29-31 range. Use a stop watch. It may really help you</p>
<p>SAT I think was 1800. Dream school is Cornell so I’m aiming for a 33 on ACT.</p>
<p>I always use a stopwatch or else I cant pace myself</p>
<p>Knowing the answer to a problem (versus what you did) isn’t sufficient to improve, if you think that’s supposed to be the case. </p>
<p>You likely aren’t studying correctly, but studying itself is a really hard skill to learn by itself.</p>
<p>I think I’m in a quite similar situation as you are… (I’m not as awesome as you in school though…LOL)</p>
<p>Anyway, have you tried to learn the answers and explanations? I mean, learning your own mistakes should definitely be helpful.</p>
<p>Read material from Barron’s ACT English, then do a practice test everyday, then check your answer. I went from a 23 to scoring a 30 within a week of this method.</p>
<p>Yeah I do understand what I’m doing wrong. I don’t just look at the answer. Studying in general is no problem. Its just the ACT that won’t work. Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>really need help guys!</p>
<p>what were your individual scores? Did you get a 29 in all of your sections?</p>
<p>Have you tried adjusting your diet or exercising prior to taking the test. I only suggest this because it is obvious you have all the knowledge, you just aren’t able to perform up to your high expectations on test day. Do you deal with a lot of stress during the test? I know I do and it really affects me. Relaxation techniques might help. Sometimes when you are at a dead end, it is good to think outside the box. Sleep patterns, stress, diet, exercise. Just going through more books does not seem like it will help. </p>
<p>I hope you get it figured out. I still deal with stress, especially with the time limits. I am trying to learn better ways to deal with it because it definitely affects my score.</p>
<p>@houstonmom I had a 25 E, 29 M, 29 R, 32 S.
@smoky thanks I suppose I’ve been neglecting my health. Ill try what you said</p>
<p>You can definitely raise your English score a lot more. Trust me. You don’t have to be naturally smart to get a high score. I’m for sure not naturally smart; I just work my butt off. The first time I took the ACT, I got a 25 in the English section. I took many English practice tests, I made sure that if I got an answer wrong, I would find out which grammatical rule it related to and go over it in depth. I probably spent about two months studying for the English section along with other sections. And the studying I did really helped. I went from a 24 to a 34 in the English section alone.</p>
<p>I agree target the English score. Get a practice test book. I think Peterson has a book with several act tests. Sit down and take the reading test… take your time… look at how the questions are presented… then read all of the explanations for your missed answers. see if there is a pattern of missed answers. Do this on at least 4 tests. Then do it again timed. There is nothing better to do than actually taking the test. Read all of the questions first, when appropriate, so you know what you are looking for. You should circle important parts of the passage. Some people write notes on the test booklet as they go. Nothing takes the place of actually taking the test but just focus on the reading for the time being.</p>