As a freshman in high school I scored a 22 on my ACT, as a sophomore I scored a 24, and as a junior I have scored a 27 and a 28… I have not done any preparation for the ACT other than learning more at school. Now I realize I want to attend Baylor which my score allows other than I need to take the writing portion of the test. I also want to try to get into the Baylor Squared Medical Track which requires a 32, so I am curious what my best methods of preparation should be. I have from now until April to prepare. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
As someone who was only able to raise their score 2 points (31 to 33) after $300 in tutoring and many hours of prep work, I would be inclined to tell you that a 28 to 32 would be very, very hard to do from one test to another. Perhaps if you took it a couple more times it would be possible, but especially at the higher levels there seems to be only so much room for improvement without a monstrous studying routine.
My daughter brought her ACT up from a 31 sophomore year (Feb 2015) to a 35 on the October 2015 test. I found a great program called Testive. Her science went from a 28 to a 36! It cost us about $750, and she prepared for 3 months. She did the work and followed the program exactly like they recommended. One nice thing about this company is that they allow you to pay monthly, and you are not obligated. She prepped right up until the week of the test. Good luck!
Are those real test scores or unofficial?
Real test score! And thank y’all for all the recommendations!
My kids used the study guides. S1 went from 29 to 33 . His nose was always in that study guide. He recommends ACT 36.
Yes this is very possible, with dedicated prep.
The best way to study for the ACT is to practice with REAL ACT tests. The 3rd edition of the Real ACT Book (Red Book) has 5 tests to get you started. They are old, but you will get a feel for most of the concepts. Then move on to released tests from 2013/2014/2015.
TIME each practice session to simulate the real test.
English 75 questions in 45 min.
Math 60 questions in 60 min.
Reading 40 questions in 35 min.
Science 40 questions in 35 min
Score your test, and then review only what you got WRONG after each practice session.
I suggest the following schedule:
Take 1 section each week night/with review for 4 nights/week.
Twice per month on a Saturday or Sunday take a full ACT test/with review.
Track your progress!
Here is a detailed sample schedule to get started, modify it to meet your needs:
Mon: English section with review
Tues: Math section with review
Wed:. Reading Section with review
Thu. Off
Fri: Science Section with review
Sat: FULL ACT with review
Sun: Off
i would look at your individual scores. Is one section pulling you down or are you scoring the same 27/28 in all the sections? If you have a section that is a lot lower than the other sections then I would concentrate on that section.
Maybe you could consider the SAT, if possible. Some students do better on one test than the other. Be sure to prepare though.
Be good at the test. Thats what a 32 requires. Yes, my answers really vague, but its true.
You need to get 70/75 on english, 55/60 on math, 34/40 on reading and 35/40 on science. Thats roughly a 32, more or less.
Test prep, classes, selfstudying, that all depends on you. I did all of it and it took me three years to figure i work best alone.
Thank y’all for all the support and tips! I plan to take a section a night, and then every Saturday or Sunday take the whole ACT for practice!
Also try the Manhattan 5lb ACT book. Get lots of sleep and take the test when you have fewer school commitments (Feb is good for most students). Take a snack to eat during a break. Son improved his score from 33 to 36 by mostly concentrating on his weaker areas (for him CR went from 30–>35), and reviewing the remainder. Concentrate on accuracy first ; speed will come as you become more and more familiar with the questions.
@ikim16 is correct, prep classes are not all that useful for some. In retrospect, I think that self study or tutoring is more effective if you are trying to improve from 90th to 99th percentile.
I bumped mine up from a 29 (April and May) to a 34 in Oct., focusing mostly on Math formulas (fittingly my lowest score at 31, then again I haven’t had math this semester) but I would say that it’s definitely doable it really depends on the test and how comfortable you are with the questions, I practiced a few and looked at general tips and advice from websites, choosing to avoid the outdated red ACT books. Hope it helps, good luck! (Also, be sure to always finish every section while having plenty of time (7+ min) leftover to analyze and go back over anything you are even 10% unsure of
Edit: most of my studying was done the night before, but I slept at 9 and made sure to get a good breakfast
I raised my score by 5 points (29 to 34) with almost no studying. The only difference was that I was in a math class when I took it and thus naturally did better and felt more confident on the math section, which helped fuel an improvement across the board.
I raised my score from a 28 on the December 2014 test to a 32 on the February test. It’s possible
You can do it if you really want to. I raised mine from a 24 (freshman year (to be fair, I had no idea what was going on) to a 32 (at the end of sophomore year). I’ll probably take it again this year. The point is that it’s definitely is possible! Use the Applerouth book or something similar. Take as many practice tests as possible if timing is an issue. Also, it helps to make it a point to read regularly.
With those low scores, you expect to raise your ACT composite by 4 points? Bruh you crazy
I had a 31 and just got my score back today and got a 34. I used Barron’s ACT book, learned how to take each section and took 4 practice tests over two weeks and focused on my wrong answers each time. It can be done!