<p>I'm about ready to get started studying for the June test. I haven't received my April scores yet, but i'm anticipating my low points being:</p>
<p>Math: 28-30
Science: 26-29</p>
<p>I really need to bring both of these up a few points, but i've pretty much exhausted all of the prep books. I think my best option now is to pick up subject-specific books and study from them.</p>
<p>I studied from the AMSCO ACT Math book before the April test, which helped a lot by bringing my Math up from a 23 to 29 on practice tests.</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend a good Math book or books that covers.. well, everything (Alg, Geo, beginner Trig)? Or perhaps just another thorough ACT Math book out there similar to the AMSCO.</p>
<p>There's no real study material for the Science that I know of other than getting familiar with the topics. I never took Science in high school, so I think that could help. I suppose i'm looking for basic beginners books on the four ACT sciences on the test: Biology, Chemistry, Earth/Space, and Physics, just so I have a clue what i'm looking at when I see the passages. Seems like Biology and Chemistry are the two I struggle with most on the ACT. (Cell division, etc.. no clue. Chemical makeup like F2O2H3, takes me ages to figure out) Can anyone recommend any good books for those?</p>
<p>Mo, if you got a 28-30 on the Math section, you probably missed around 8-10 questions. You certainly don't want to review everything again without a clear idea of what you need to accomplish. In your practice tests, were your errors scattered throughout the test, concentrated in a few subject areas, or did you just have trouble finishing?</p>
<p>It's not a Science test. It's Science Reasoning, and in my experience studying science is exactly the wrong thing to do. I've worked with disadvantaged students who can't speak English all that well, do poorly on the Reading section, but get high 20s and 30s in SR. The tests assesses reasoning and data analysis skills. If you've really had no science at all, then you may want to bone up on common vocabulary.</p>
<p>But again, the best way to decide how to proceed begins by assessing your errors in practice tests (and the real thing, when you get it back). </p>
<p><a href="http://www.actstudent.org/pdf/preparing.pdf" target="new">ACT Practice Test</a>--this is the ACT's own practice test; you didn't mention whether you'd taken it. I like the Peterson Guide, which is now officially blessed by the ACT, and use it with many of my students.</p>
<p>The math questions I missed were pretty scattered. The last three practice tests I took before the actual ACT test were from the 'Real ACT Prep book'. Splitting it up between the three subcategories, I missed about an equal amount in each (Trig, Alg2/Geo, Alg) on every different test. I tried to brush up on those specific types of questions before the actual test, but it didn't do much good. For instance, the logarithm problem on the April test threw me for a loop. I know the extreme basics on logs (math teacher skipped it), and the AMSCO didn't go into detail on them, so I was totally stumped on that one.</p>
<p>ACT just seems to vary the questions too much, which is why i'm thinking I might need a full refresher for all math subjects. (Obviously i'd skip the parts I am perfectly confident in though and give extra time to the ones i'm unfamiliar with.) Any recommendations on a good series of Math books for that? Alg, Geometry, and Beginner Trig books? Even another ACT specific Math book like the AMSCO would probably help some.</p>
<p>Regarding the Science.. the main problem I have is understanding the problems in the short time given. Bio/Chem are the ones I have the most trouble with. I literally have -no- experience with those. I do think understanding the topic can help a lot though (at least in my case). For instance, when I took the April test; even though I haven't had HS Science, I was much more confident in all of my my answers for the Lyme/astronomy passages since they are two things that i've read up on and was fairly familiar with. For the Bio/Chem though, I was pretty much throwing 'educated guesstimates' left and right. I'll take your advice on the vocab - I think you're right and that could help some. </p>
<p>Any thorough introductory Bio/Chem science books that you would recommend though? I think just having a clue of what i'm looking at when I see these problems (even if almost all answers are in the passages) could definitely help my score.</p>
<p>ok, i didnt really feel like reading those other entries, but i got a 31 composite: 29 writing, 27 reading, 35 math, 33 science.</p>
<p>to be honest, reading was only low because i didn't finish one section and had to fill in 6 random answers. however, just buy a book with practice tests and practice practice practice! thats all i did for the act. i took it once, but because i had taken practice exams i was confident with the format and in what i could get. also make sure the book has explanations with the correct answers. i found that to be helpful with my practice tests. thats all it really takes. i got a 2210 on the sat's doing that as well. the first time i took the sat it was with the old format and i got a 1220: 560 reading, 660 math. i took about 10 practice tests over the course of a few months and i got 800 math, 700 verbal, and 730 writing (12 on the essay).</p>
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I really need to bring both of these up a few points, but i've pretty much exhausted all of the prep books.
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<p>Therein lies the problem =) Don't really have much in the way of practice tests to go on this time. I've taken around 10-12 of them from the various books.</p>
<p>I was only able to come across about four. I know of where three more are, but do you have recommendations for other retired tests? Where to get them I mean...</p>
<p>And good luck on the test! I might suggest a local/cheap but reputable tutor for the math to brush you up one some of the things your finding slightly difficult. A couple hours with them + knowing what you did wrong on the other 10 or more tests, will definatly not leave to much for error.</p>
<p>Congrats on going from a 23-29 ... huge improvement!</p>