I took the ACT with no prep in February and scored a 30 (28E 25M 35R 31S). I was pretty pleased with my score and thought with some studying, I’d be able to get it up to a 32. I signed up for a Princeton review class and on the practice tests I’ve been scoring 25/26. Is this normal?? Was the first time I took my ACT just lucky? Are these practice tests more accurate at predicting scores? I’m feeling discouraged and not sure if I’ll be able to raise my score to what I want after these results. I’m nervous I’m going to take the ACT again and get a lower score than I did the first time, even after taking this prep class.
As a test prep tutor, I always encourage students to only use official tests. Yes, sometimes unofficial tests by PR and others can be more difficult than the real tests.
You might get a lower score, or you might get a higher score. Being thoroughly prepared is almost always better though. Take your next ACT with the confidence of knowing you are doing your best. In my experieince, kids who are well-prepared almost always do better than kids who aren’t. Don’t allow these non-real tests to shake your confidence.
P.S. I am encouraged by your correct use of the word “than.” 