<p>I'm in all Honors/AP Classes since freshman year. I'm currently a junior and I keep recieving a 21 on my ACT's.</p>
<p>I've gotten this on my last three practice tests and now on my real one.</p>
<p>I have put in many hours of prep and it's not helping at all.</p>
<p>I've tried the SAT as well no luck there.</p>
<p>I am in Calculus and I can't even break a 26 on Math.</p>
<p>Please I need some advice this problem has been ongoing since the summer when I started prepping. I feel I do prepping effectively as well, by taking tests and reviewing what I did wrong.</p>
<p>Look back at your prior practice tests and review them to see if you continue to make the same mistakes. You only improve by making sure you ARE learning from your mistakes. You also should do more outside of ACT books… Reading more for example is beneficial for trying to get a better comprehension of what you read. Will also help on the english beyond memorizing some simple grammar rules from say sparknotes.</p>
<p>vjpenguin, you might be a little rusty on some areas like geometry because you’re in such an advanced class like calculus. So, you should get barrons from a library or PR and review the material in math. Also, try to eliminate bad answers and if you haven’t been using it, use your calculator for graphing - don’t try to write every step of a problem because I used to do that and did very bad. Also, look not only what problems you got wrong but the AREAS (Prealgebra, Coordinate Geom, Trig etc) to figure out your weakest area and then attack it repetitively using prep books or old notes. Good luck!</p>
<p>vijpenguin - I tutor kids on the ACT/SAT…here are some quick tips:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>English Section: - Brush up on your commas - the ACT loves to ask about them. Make sure you understand what a comma splice is. Remember that one sentence leads to another, so if you are adding a sentence, always read the sentences before and after to make sure that the sentence really fits. Always read the entire sentence, not just the underlined part, before making a decision.</p></li>
<li><p>Reading - With the ACT, you have to read the passage before answering the questions, but you must read quickly. You only have 8-1/2 minutes per passage. Answer the question! The number one problem that students have is that they do not answer the question. There will be many answer choices that are true, but they do not answer the question. Here’s how to handle the questions: read the question - do not look at the answer choices. Go find the answer in the passage and then find the answer choice that matches your answer.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Math - Sometimes kids who are taking higher-level math (like calculus) forget some of the basic stuff. Make sure you bone-up on the basics of Algebra and Geometry so you don’t miss easy questions. </p>
<p>Science - You won’t have time to read everything in Science - work first on the ones that have the most graphs and the least reading. </p>
<p>It sounds like you might have a focus problem as well - many kids get very anxious and it impacts how they do. Having a plan helps. If you are a junior, tell yourself that you will take the June test, then two more in the fall, so no one test will be the end of your college chances. </p>
<p>^These strategies are solid, however, with Science you have to take as many practice tests as possible (and review mistakes) to increase your score. The more you take, the more you’ll become used to the tough time frame.</p>
<p>Just keep practicing. The same types of rules apply to each section, and they really aren’t that difficult. The time limit is the most frustrating part.</p>