Did you take the ACT this year, and—if so—were your scores better than you’d predicted, based on PRACTICE TEST results or on your PSAT/SAT results?
I’m working on a little theory that may not hold any water at all, but if you received ACT scores over the past six months or so that pleasantly surprised you … not based just on gut reaction but on previous scores on other tests (practice or official), I’d be curious to know. (And if your ACT scores were WORSE, I’d like to know that, too.)
Thanks!
My score was much much less than i anticipated 
my practice scores were all 30’s while my actual score was only 25 
I’ve never taken the ACT, but my girlfriends score was a lot lower than expected. Her SAT (taken the month before) was 200 pts higher than the ACT conversion.
I took it with NO prep at all, and managed a 27. A LOT better than I expected since I never took this test in my life. I had no idea there was a reading section until I turned the page of my test booklet lol
In 3 months without any prep my ACT went from a 31 to a 34. I didn’t study either time, I just knew the test more I guess.
Yes! Red book is supposedly easier and I was making 34’s. 36 actual
@ShawnLooch -You mean you get 34’s on the practice tests but then got 36 on the real one?
@sally_rubenstone yes!
@ShawnLooch- That’s great. Thanks.
Nope. I’m the complete opposite. I was scoring 33s on practice tests from the Red Book and got a 29 on the real thing! 36s in math and got a 33 in the real one. (my reading and science score can’t even be spoken about). The Red Book is much much more easier and I really regret using it. Studying with Barrons this summer and hoping for a boost.
Mine was worse than expected, i got a 29 composite. When I took a practice test, it was a 32. Although a 29 is a really big increase from the 1500 I got on the SAT last year.
Practice ACT score from the 2014-2016 packet was 30 and practice tests from red book were 31s while real one was 32.
My S was practicing 29, got a 34. his SAT was 2100
No prep the first time:31
1 week of prep 4 months later:34
Took 4 practice tests in the Real ACT book. Averaged 33s and got a 36 my first time taking the actual test.
First SAT (May) - 1530, First ACT (June) - 26
I did absolutely awful on my PSAT but a 34 on ACT.
D16’s composite score was about what was expected - 33. Math was 3 points lower than expected, science was 3 points lower than expected, reading was 3 points higher than expected. English was 2 points higher than expected.
I got a 33 my first time with a day of prep, bombed the math section. Took it again a month later with about a week of prep and got a 35, but I was expecting a 34.
Thanks for all the contributions to this thread so far. While some students are doing worse than expected on the ACT, it seems as if a majority are scoring higher. Other examples ???