<p>I don't know what to do. I am in almost all honors classes, get straight A's, and have a 4.2 gpa, but I just got my scores back for the ACT and I got a composite score of 20. I was a little surprised. Though, I have a history of not doing well on standardized tests; I just don't understand why. I am taking the Cambridge Review class at my school, but I don't think it will give me as much of mircale as I need to raise my score. I would feel a lot better right now if someone told me that they were in a similar situation, but it turned out ok.
(Btw, this was my first time taking the test, could that be why?)</p>
<p>a 20? LIke, in our school, the highest GPA for our class (until junior ) was a 4.3. DAts not high and out school's average SAT score was 1220. Your scores either mean you have test anxiety or just paniced on the test or your schools gives out easy grades but doesnt prepare you for college entrance exams. I would guess that you paniced or had test anxiety or sumthin.</p>
<p>the acts are truly a difficult test. If you want to do well on them, you need more than just a rigorous school schedule and a straight-a average. You need to dilligently practice and study the test for many prolonged months. (even with that, you're still not guranteed to do well.) I would advise buying some practice books from the bookstore, and buying some actual ACT tests to supplement that.</p>
<p>But please don't let that one test make you doubt your intelligence. Besides, the people who make these tests probably aren't much smarter than you. </p>
<p>If you still keep doing bad on the act, then I would advise trying the sat. Personally, I liked the sat A LOT better than the act.</p>
<p>Grade inflation?</p>
<p>It does not take intelligence to get a 4.2</p>
<p>in fact the 15 people ahead of me in my class don't have any. but when I got a 1530 on my SAT and tehy got a 1100 I think it made some people go. hmmm</p>
<p>tcklmepnk06, keep in mind that the ACT and SAT are not an indication of intelligence. They're and indication how well you take standardized tests of this type. Some very "smart" people tests poorly, others whose intelligence many of us might question score well.</p>
<p>That said, what you might need to do is change your approach to the test. Really try to analyze why you're missing questions. Do lots of practice and review the tests you take carefully. A good book or course or tutor might help you, but you might be able to do all the work yourself, too.</p>
<p>u feel stupid? thats cause u r. JK JK. you see, i get straight A's and have a GPA of 4.1... . Ok, i took my practice ACT and got a low score (but above 20). so, this means that ppl who do really good in academics and r intelligent, then they have trouble in STandardized tests, in which timing doesnt allow perfect understanding of a topic. for example, the CR in the ACT and SAT is difficult if you are a foreigner (which i am) and we require more time to comprehend the topic.</p>
<p>bubblekid:
the reason of intelligent students recieving low scores on standardized tests is because they are very woried about their scores (especially SATs and ACTs), so they try to do every problem to get a perfect score. So, they take very long in each problem and check and repeat this process for every problem. but what really ends up happening is that they dont have enough time to finish the rest of the questions and they start panicking and then, it all crashes down. I disagree with you. Smart kids just screw up on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Again, I reiterate---Just because you did bad on a test shouldn't make you doubt your intelligence. If anything, it should make you doubt your test taking ability. If you did terrible on the ACTs, it simply means that you did bad on a test; it doesn't mean that you're any less of a student or that you're less brilliant. I see it too many times--brilliant, hardworking students questioning thier intelligence just because of standardized test scores. I can not stand it when people beat themselves up because of a test. </p>
<p>Furthermore, I'm quite sure that if you study and practice profusely, then you can do well (30+). As with anything in life, practice will make perfect.(or near perfect)</p>
<p>Here are my recomendations for good ACT books. check them out.
However, I really like the kaplan book.</p>
<p>You should also buy some actual practice tests from ACT, because those are really helpful and accurate.</p>
<p>even thought the sats are far from perfect, i find that they do somewhat measure true intelligence. There's a girl in my school who studies like no tomorrow and has the 2nd highest gpa (behind me :/). But she cant break a 1400 even though someone with her gpa should have no trouble scoring a 1500. I have a 1520. You see, you can study in school and get any grade u wish, but the sats, u cant study for them. You can just improve within a certain range. The number 10 kid in my grade got a 1470, but u see he's number 10 and he got a better sat score than the number 2 kid. The reason he's number 10 is because he's lazy and doesn't try much in school. But as you can deduce, that's pure intellegence.</p>
<p>bubblekid:
So, they take very long in each problem and check and repeat this process for every problem. but what really ends up happening is that they dont have enough time to finish the rest of the questions and they start panicking and then, it all crashes down. </p>
<p>That means they aren't intelligent.</p>
<p>Don't worry about your 20. It was your first time and you were probably very nervous. I had a low score the first time I took it(I'm in all honors classes, have straight A's, and have a 4.3 GPA..almost exactly like you). Then I bought the test prep book "The ACT for Dummies" and I have a 28 now(the 2nd try). (Which I thought was ok before I came to this site lol)It really helps with English (reviews all the rules that you have probably forgotten- I have a 31 in it now) and Math and gives you a lot of tips. My boyfriend got a 32 (36 in reading and 35 in science) without any prep though. He says the secret is READ READ READ READ READ READ READ RE</p>
<p>i’m just someone who’s really stressed and looking at what you’re saying… and it makes a lot of sense to me. maybe it is just pure knowledge… well, at least, your post has really comforted me and removed the huge stress and anger i feel on my shoulders… temporarily</p>
<p>8 year bump; new record?</p>