Hi everyone,
I’m a stressed out junior who will be taking the ACT this upcoming April (I am already getting tired of taking these tests…)
Although I decided to dedicate myself to the SAT – I got a 1420 & 24 on essay for January SAT – my college counselor urged to me to take the ACT.
Since January, I have used Princeton Review ACT book, Online ACT Prep, and Official guide book to prepare.
Following are my scores for the Official ACT practice tests:
1: 30 (English: 29, Math: 33, Reading: 30, Science: 26) -- I did not time myself.
- After the first one, I studied approximately 10 hours.
2: 29 (English: 25, Math: 34, Reading: 27, Science: 30) -- I timed myself & Couldn't finish 4 reading questions
- After the second one, I studied more than 15 hours
3: 30 (English: 27, Math: 36, Reading: 25, Science: 33) -- I timed myself & Couldn't even finish reading the last passage.
Although my math and science sections’ scores have improved drastically – which I am very happy about – my reading and english scores have stagnated and even declined.
The biggest challenge I have noticed in these sections is the time restraint.
For all three practice tests, I was never able to finish the reading section within 35 minutes…
So, how can I finish the reading & english sections on time?
Is it because I first read the passage and answer the questions?? (I am an international student so I cannot really read as quickly as domestic students)
Any particular tips & strategies you guys have found helpful for the reading section?
Finally, although it might sound pessimistic, should I just give up studying for the ACT and just focus on SAT? (I mean, my score stayed the same after 25+ hours of studying & 3 practice tests…)
Your insight & help will be much appreciated!
Stick with the ACT! I’m a high school senior and I took my ACTs last year. I used ACT practice tests and frequently scored between 28s and 30s, but on my first ACT attempt I got a 33 and then a 34 the second time I took it. The practice tests are generally designed to be harder than the actual ACT (at least, they were harder than last year’s ACTs.)
For the reading section, I highly recommend reading the questions first and looking for key words to look for in the passage. It’ll help you answer the questions faster. For example, if the question asks “What are the effects of turtle migration on available food in the area?” I would skim through the passage for words like “turtle migration” and “food.” That way, you don’t need to fully understand the article on the first read and you have answered a question. Answer all the “easier” questions like those (the ones that ask you for specific details in the passage) before answering questions that are more “overall, what does this passage say?” (like ones that ask for a theme message). Also, try to give yourself equal times for each passage. So, if there are 5 reading passages and you have 35 minutes, give yourself about 6 to 7 minutes for that. If you can’t answer the questions, circle them and come back to them when you have time, or guess for them if you see that you’re running out of time. The reading section just takes a lot of practice, in my honest opinion.
For the english section, all I can say is to read more so that you get a better grasp of grammar and look online for grammar quizzes and tests that you can practice your knowledge with. That section is all practice and knowing english conventions. If you need any help with any grammar rules, feel free to ask me! (I got a 35 and a 36 on that section.)