<p>So I decided that I would take a practice test, just to see where I stood for fun. Well, bad idea. I scored higher on english and science than I did on reading and math. Now in school, I do really well in math and science, but my test taking scores are horrendous. Does anyone have any suggestions? Please any advice would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Calm down, it’s just a practice test. If you’re good at math, then your score should easily rise after a thorough review (I would advise Princeton Review’s Cracking the ACT for this), assuming that time isn’t your issue in this section.</p>
<p>For reading, I will venture to say that the time constraints ARE your biggest problem- this section is, after all, just answering questions whose answers are in the passage. To raise your score, gather several practice tests and time yourself; wear a watch, and continually shorten the amount of time per test (ex. 35 minutes for the first one, 30 for the second…). Doing this will get you more comfortable with testing conditions, and the lack of time will no longer be a problem for you.</p>
<p>100% agree with Vince. I had the same problem. PR’s Cracking is great for the English and Math. Just review and practice -time it though. For reading I didn’t use the strategy PR suggests. I just read the full passage and answer the questions. I do it in reverse order- going from the last passage to first. I found that after practice, and practicing reading faster I was able to finish all of them with still some time left.
On science don’t read the passages unless you absolutely have to. Most of the time it’s more confusing. Just look at the diagrams and the charts.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks guys! I just worry that I wont be able to bring my score up and right now its really low.</p>
<p>You know I’ve read reviews on the “Cracking the ACT (second edition)”, and they say the math portion covered in this study guide is inaccurate. The answers to the practice questions are incorrect, so I don’t know if that would be a good investment. You might benefit from reading the The real ACT prep guide and Dissecting the ACT 2.0.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>^I’m not sure what inaccuracy you’re referring to, but I found it to be sufficient for the ACT math section- the first 40 or so questions are generally basic algebra and geometry, after all. The last 20 become more difficult, though, and might require the use of trigonometry, which the book covers; what it does not cover is how to conceptualize more complex problems, but that is something that must be done on your own.</p>