Did you study by yourself or did a tutor help?
Also, can someone please tell me what the best test prep company is? I’m currently scoring 32-33 but I want to get in the 34-35 range. Does Princeton Review, Kaplan, Revolution Prep or Testmasters provide the best tutoring?
I did a lot of self-studying, but also attended some prep classes. My personal favorite in terms of prep companies is Princeton Review; the techniques they taught were useful and the practice questions were pretty realistic. Another great resource is the Real ACT, which includes ten (I think) tests from the actual ACT company. So I studied with Princeton Review and practiced with Real ACT.
@violingirl15 thank you for your help! Exactly what prep class did you attend with Princeton Review? And what score did you end up getting?
My son, who scored a 36 composite, did not take a prep class. He prepped on his own with books he purchased from Barnes & Noble. The secret to the ACT is time and stamina. My son practiced every Saturday and Sunday for about two hours each day starting 6 weeks before the test. He would do two sections at a time with an egg timer set to 5 minutes less than the allotted time for each section. Then he would stop, correct each section, review the answer key and go over the problems he got wrong. At first, his section scores were awful (24-28), but every week he progressively got better, as his mind learned to work through the problems faster. He only took one complete test the week before the actual exam and scored a 34. Because he had been practicing with 5 minutes less than the allotted time for each section, he felt he had extra time during the actual test and had time to check his answers. The result was a perfect score. You might want to give his approach a try. GL!
You’re welcome! I actually was in a different country when I attended the prep classes (just basic take tests and go over answers and strategies type deal); they were unrelated to Princeton Review. I have a 35 composite.
I think you need to elaborate on your strengths and weaknesses. you would receive better advice if people knew your specific needs. In general, you should definitely take timed practice exams, and then analyze them.
To answer your question, I prepped on my own, using act’s own practice tests and an electronic version of Barron’s act 36 for the English section. I got a 34. You don’t need tutors or classes to get a high score.
As the Jedi say, “Your calculator is your life!”. I advise learning the functions of your calculator inside out to help you find solutions to problems that are even intended to be non-calculator.
English: Study grammar rules and tricks they use to be fine.
Math: Calculator, review review review geometry.
Reading: No advice. Perhaps analyze better, or find what questions trip you up.
Science: The most intense section. Do practice tests and realize you don’t need to know a single thing about the topic matter to do well.
I got a 34 (34 E, 33 M, 34 R, 35 S).
Good luck!
Do prospective Harvard students prepare for the ACT differently than do prospective Yale students?