I did two practice tests from Kaplan. I found that Kaplan’s tests were a little more challenging than the actual ACT test (especially the science), so while I got a 30 on the practice tests, I got a 34 on the actual one.
I got a 30 on my first test with no prep at all! My ACT Plan score was a 25, so I was quite pleased.
I took it again and got a 30 again, but I plan on taking it in September in an attempt to raise it to a 32.
DS’s scores:
Practice (Nov.)- 29
Actual (Dec.) - 32
SAT (Jan.) - 1800 (CR+M+W)
2nd Actual (Apr.) - 29
So… we were pleasantly surprised with the 32- better than we’d hoped for, but maybe not unreasonably so.
I took the SAT in December 2014 and got a 2050, 770M 670CR 610W 9E. Took the Illinois State required ACT in March and got a 34, 32E 35M 35S 35R 8E. So yeah it was higher. But after studying for about three weeks for the June 6th SAT I got a 2240, 800M 780CR 660W 8E, so according to ACT.org thats about equal to a 34. I’m going to take both one more time though to bring up english/writing.
I was averaging a 34 in practice tests and sadly only got a 33 in the actual June test. 
Still top 1% though
The one practice test I took led me to believe I may make a 25 and pior plan/act scores though high, didn’t fully incorporate difficulty and time so much and with actual test-taking experience I figured 25 was my best bet. However, I ended up with a 30 as my reading and english scores were considerably high.
D’s ACT practice scores were six-seven points higher than the actual one.
@Sally_Rubenstone , what is your theory you mentioned in the original post?
PSAT (Sophomore Year): 137
April 2015 ACT: 24 (I only studied the English portion.) (E: 28, M: 25, R: 18, S: 24)
June 2015 ACT: 28 (E: 34, M: 27, R: 25, S: 24)
- Can I get some suggestions on any books, websites, or tips that will help raise my score. I'm trying to get my ACT score to at least a 30.
I did exactly what I scored on practices, a 33 (cumulative), but I scored lower on math (practice got 33-34, got 31) and scored higher on science (practice got 29-31, got 34)
I was kind of surprised that I got a 36 on Reading, but not a whole lot. My other scores were terrible (as expected), and I got a 28 composite.
I wasn’t surprised at my composite but I was surprised at the separate scores that made up my composite.
Like on practice tests I was ranging from these scores
English: 26-28
Math: 27-29
Science:25-27
Reading:25-27
Now this is what I actually got
English:25
Math:32
Reading:22
Science:24
C:26
I have no idea how I even got a 32 on the math, and I have no idea how I only got a 22 on the Reading. It is kind of interesting though because on SAT practice Math tests I usually get about 650-660 but I got 690 on the real thing both times I took it and I usually get about 600+ on the writing and reading and usually do worse on the real thing. (Reading I got 590 and 560 and the Writing I got 580 and 620) So Idk maybe I’m just good at doing math under pressure but I’m not good at doing grammar/reading under pressure.
First ACT (April) - 35
I took a few practice tests that week and my scores usually ranged from 33-35… but I definitely expected to do worse on my first ‘real’ ACT
I think I got somewhere around a 210 or so on the PSAT… my sub scores were S (36) R (36) E (35) M (32). I definitely expected that, because math has always been my weakness
My PSAT score was a 150, now granted I had surgery two days before taking the PSAT so that might have had something to do with it. (55 Reading, 52 Math and 43 Writing) and my first SAT Score was 1860 when I took that only a few months after (I did do some prep, 590 Reading, 690 Math, 580 Writing)
I did much better than expected on the ACT. PSAT was 231, and I was getting 34’s and the occasional 35 on ACT practice tests, but I ended up getting a 36 (E:35 M:35 R:36 S:36) on the real thing. Really surprised and happy.
@HeliMom74 - My theory probably has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, but here goes:
Because many folks have qualms about the new SAT (how to prepare, what to expect, etc.), I think that there will be a surge in ACT test-takers in the year or two ahead, starting now. A growing number of high school students will take both the SAT and the ACT or just the ACT, in order to sidestep the uncertainties of the new SAT.
So surely the ACT honchos are turning cartwheels over the anticipated rise of ACT test-takers. And thus it might make sense for them to sweeten the pot by making this year’s ACT just a teensy bit easier … to get the grapevine buzzing with reports like, “I expected a 29 but got a 33!”
Call me cynical (because I am … very) but I can’t help but wonder if the ACT is a smidgeon less demanding now than in the past in order to lure the on-the-fence crowd away from the SAT. Throughout the spring, I heard a number of reports of better-than-anticipated ACT results, but my sample group was tiny. Thus I expanded it just a bit with this thread.
Obviously, I have no real data to go on, and I don’t plan to explore this further with more substantive information. So my theory is indeed very holey, and now the ACT folks will probably come to my house and shoot me full of holes. 
I took 2-3 practice tests (I don’t really remember, but not many) and scored 30 and 31. My lowest was always the science by far. I kind of took the first ACT as a practice run and didn’t stress too much and managed to get a 34 (32 E, 35 M, 33 R, 33 S, 8 essay), excited me out of my mind. I probably did twice as much prep for the SAT which I got a 2100 (pre-ACT) followed by a 2060 (post-ACT, not much prep at all since I registered after I got my ACT back). SATs were around what I expected, ACT definitely was not.
edit: my practice tests came out of the Princeton Review, and the actual ACT seemed just as easy while I was taking it.
I did a little better than expected. On the PSAT I scored a 209 and on the ACT I got a 35. I did a lot of practice for this though as I took several practice tests. I found that the real tests was actually harder than the practices
I did worse than expected. I eventually started scoring ~32 composite on my ACT practice tests, but I got a 29 on the real thing. The red book questions were much easier. I was very disappointed in my drop.