<p>My S took the September 2013 ACT for the first time and got a good score (30). He thinks it was a fluke and doesn't want to retake. Can anyone who has taken the ACT more than once comment on the difficulty of this particular ACT test? Thanks!</p>
<p>Why did he think it was a fluke? Was his score higher than the practice tests he did at home? My S thought the test was similar to the red book questions. Not much surprise but reading was a bit challenge for him.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read and heard it was easier than some of the previous tests. But it never hurts to retake it. Many do better the second time around, as long as they study and put forth the effort. If he is content and not wanting to take it again he may not do better the next time.</p>
<p>D thought it was about the same as the redbook tests. She got the same Comp score too.</p>
<p>I’d say it was really hard math (with an awesome curve), slightly harder english, typical science, and easy reading in comparison to the other practice tests/ACT’s I’ve taken.</p>
<p>The English was MUCH easier and the science was also noticeably easier. The math for the first 50 problems was ridiculously easy, but the last 10 or so were a little harder than normal. Reading was way harder than normal (yet I still got the same score as last time in it, so maybe I just felt like it was harder?).</p>
<p>I’d say generally it was slightly easier</p>
<p>if you read the threads where kids reported right after the test, it seems like everyone thought math was harder at the end. almost no one had time to finish the math. my D got a composite 33 in Sept after a 34 last June, but this test may have been easier in Reading and English since her subscores were the same (all 18’s) for both tests but she got 36’s in June and 35’s in September. So maybe marginally easier except for math. Science was easier but her score stayed at a 34. She has re-taken hoping to bring up a low math score which she did by one point 28 to 29 but not worth it in her case for overall drop in composite.</p>
<p>I thought english was easier or about the same. Math was easier.Reading was harder to me and science was difficult at some portions. I got a 33 on this test compared to a 30 in June.</p>
<p>@realchk He did score slightly lower on the practice tests, but he got a 35 on the science section on the real ACT and that really surprised him. He had not scored that high on any practice sections.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great information! The only reason he might retake is due to his score on the writing portion. His essay score was really low.</p>
<p>The essay portion is kind of ridiculous regardless. The readers have 2 minutes per essay, they read the first paragraph, skim the rest and assign a score. Truly exceptional writers can end up with a 9 or 10 (or lower) and really mediocre writers can earn an 11 or 12. My kids attend a small private school with an outstanding English department. If you saw the faculty resumes you really would think it was a college English department. Anyway, the AP Lit teacher, who publishes in literary journals every year, did an experiment where he somehow submitted his own essays for official scoring three years in a row and never earned above a 9! Your son can work on some basics to get his score up, but good colleges will judge his writing by his own essays not the ACT score (which is not averaged into the composite so don’t worry about that).</p>
<p>Oh and I meant to add that my D also scored higher on science than she expected (bc it is reputed to be so difficult and the timing is really tough). But she repeated her 34 in science both sittings so your S’s science score will not necessarily go down. But I don’t think he should re-take just for the essay…</p>
<p>There’s not necessarily an “easier” or “harder” test, it just depends on the individual. Personally, I felt reading was tough on the September ACT, and I made a 31 on it, from a 27. So it really depends, just remember that practice makes perfect.</p>
<p>English: I thought this was easier than normal. That seems to be the general consensus as well. </p>
<p>Math: It was easier at the beginning but harder at the end. Students in the 20’s probably found it easier overall and students in the 30’s probably found it about the same overall. I thought it was easier than my last real ACT but about the same as practice tests. </p>
<p>Reading: A LOT easier than practice tests. I had been getting 30-32 on practice tests, but a 35 here. The consensus seems to be that it was harder though… </p>
<p>Science: I thought it was much harder. My previous score was a 30 and practice tests ranged from 29 to 34 so I was surprised with a 27 on the test. From what I’ve heard, people thought it was much easier or much harder - nobody I know has found it close to average. </p>
<p>In general, I think it was an easier test. The last 10 math questions and the science section were harder, but the ease of the first 50 math questions, English & Reading sections more than made up for it.</p>