<p>I've practiced for the SAT a little bit, and got a 1960 1st time and 2080 the 2nd time. (superscored 2120) --- but i feel it's not good enough to get into ivies...like columbia</p>
<p>(I'm a senior) I'm planning on taking the ACT in October (or whenever it is in the fall), what's the best way to prep for it? And best way to take the exam? as in to get a 35?</p>
<p>i've heard go fast?</p>
<p>Well, I’m not a high scorer (32 first time taking it), but I learned through taking the ACT that you need to memorize the mathematic equations that the SAT gives you, because the ACT doesnt. (This really hurt me!) </p>
<p>I struggled most on the science section. In my opinion, you should read the questions before you read the passages. I read the passages slowly and thoroughly, and only finished 30 out of 40 questions.</p>
<p>In addition, you probably know this, but if you don’t finish sections, just guess randomly, because you won’t be penalized.</p>
<p>i think that science is definitely the key to boosting your score that extra bit–a lot of people finish with multiple 36s and then a low 30 in science kills their score. also, look over any preparation you can find for the reading section. in my case, that was my lowest section the first time around but with a tad more prep i brought it up to a 36 (and my composite up from a 33 to a 35 as a result). </p>
<p>mostly, just make yourself as familiar with the test as possible! the time restraints can be difficult, so you’ll want to look for any possible advantage. good luck! (:</p>
<p>thanks guys!
but how did you guys prepare?
jaguar43, did you buy that ACT book? how did you make yourself so familiar?</p>
<p>I got a 34 (second time) by doing two of the practice tests from The Real ACT Prep Guide. Focus your preparation on reading and science; these sections were the biggest score killers for me (36 first time on reading -> 32 second time; 27 first time on science -> 34 second time).</p>
<p>Are there legit “ways to get a higher score” in The Real ACT Prep Guide? As in sections where they tell you how to score high?
Or is all just a bunch of practice tests?</p>
<p>I doubt it. The ACT is mostly a test of how well you’ve mastered the subject material from basic high school classes (but I can’t comment considering that I only used the practice tests). Really, the best advice anyone can give you is to practice under real time conditions (many people have trouble with the timing in the ACT Reading and Science sections).</p>
<p>It is basically a bunch of practice tests. It is kind of harder to study for the ACT than it is for the SAT. That is why there was such a big difference for me. I only did on ACT Practice Test the week before my test as prep.</p>
<p>I got a 34 xD, best wishes =]</p>
<p>this was my 2nd time and i got a 35. i got a 32 my first time.</p>
<p>mostly, the key to ACT is being able to answer all those questions in one sitting. Of course, there’s more time than SAT, but even still. 75 questions in one hour, just concentrating on that one english section, is tough.</p>
<p>to improve my score 3 points, i made myself practice speed reading with Reading Smart (from Princeton Review) and I practiced science over and over and over. </p>
<p>math shouldnt be difficult as long as you know when your calculator can be a plus and when it can slow you down.</p>
<p>as for english…its all about grammar. read grammar smart from princeton review!</p>
<p>grammart smart, math smart, reading smart = all at barnes and nobles</p>
<p>thanks guys!</p>
<p>i actually didn’t buy any prep books, but i did look at an online source that my school provided a little bit. like apple1984 said, the best thing to do is take the test under real time conditions. the biggest help for me was taking the test a second time, as the first time i really had no idea what to expect. having an idea of your own pacing, etc will be extremely beneficial. i’m sure the ACT Prep Guide or any legit practice tests you can find will help (:</p>
<p>BRING A WATCH. because when they tell you the room you’re in might not have a clock, they’re serious.
and bring a filling snack, because a semi-full stomache will decrease your panic when you get to reading & science.</p>
<p>Take a prep class. Sleep during the parts where they teach you stuff because that is for the most part designed for people in the low to mid twenties. Take all of the practice tests when you’re supposed to and you’ll do well. Some argue that you could just take practice tests on your own, but some people like myself cannot do it unless they are basically forced into doing it. The prep class also provides a familiar testing environment that you will most likely encounter at testing. </p>
<p>I went from a 31 to a 35 with this method.</p>
<p>wow, thanks for all the replies guys. and good luck to all!</p>
<p>I just took the ACT for the first time and got a 35. My SAT was 2200.</p>
<p>The only studying I did was paging through/kind of reading my friends study book (Princeton review I think) the two days before the test and taking half of a practice test</p>
<p>In terms of strategy, I think on the reading test, you do have to read the passages before you read and answer the questions. On the science, read the intro to the experiment or whatever, but don’t actually read the experiment itself right away. After reading the intro, start looking at the questions. Just go in order and scan the experiment for the answers. They are mostly pretty specific details, so you really don’t need to understand the big picture as much as you do for the reading section. You just have to go as fast as you possibly can. This strategy defiantly worked for me - I ended up with a 36 on the science section.</p>
<p>The best thing, in my opinion, about the ACT over the SAT is that there aren’t any vocabulary questions, so not having a huge vocab doesn’t hurt you.</p>