Will be taking ACT in October, I want a 32+ badly!

Test Preparation ACT Preparation
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<p>I took the ACT in April for my first time and scored 29 without any organized prep (Eng 29, Math 30, Read 32, Sci 26) I just did a couple practice tests on my own before the test date. Ideally I wanted a 30 my first time. I would take the ACT in September but have prior arrangements on that day so I will be taking the October 2011 test.</p>

<p>I don't know what to do. I don't want to pay for a class so does anyone have any tips or any solid study strategies/programs I could follow. I very much want to improve my score to a 32 and possibly higher than that.</p>

<p>Also, is the October test harder or different than the September test in any way? I always hear things like the ACT changes difficulties and stuff? Anything known about the October test that I should be aware of?</p>

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<p>1) Study grammar!!! Review sparknote’s or Princeton Review’s Guide to cracking the ACT.
2) Knowing formulas and concepts, once again review a prep book. A background in precalc would be preferable. There is a lot of geometry/algebra II so make sure you review everything.
3) I can’t help you here :confused:
4) This I can help with. Science is all about timing. When I took the test I didn’t review the background information, rather I went straight to the questions.</p>

<p>It is important you become comfortable with everything. Once you are confident that you know basic grammar and formulas there is only one way you can improve your score. PRACTICE TESTS! I cannot reiterate this, I did 13 practice tests preceding the ACT.</p>

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<p>I second this.</p>

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<p>Thanks. I’ve done 3 practice tests since April and I’ve just been scoring 28-30’s on all the subjects like I usually do (and still scoring 25-27 in science). I don’t think I can just keep doing practice tests mindlessly since I’m not seeing improvement (Although I am pretty relaxed and not 100% focused during practice tests, yet I am still scoring what I did on the real test so I guess that’s a possible upside haha)</p>

<p>Is the Cracking the ACT a book or some online page? What are the best prep books? I’ve read a couple but they all just say relax and use your time wisely, don’t waste time reading directions, etc. I know all that.</p>

<p>Are there any books that actually can provide some tips on actual test content? Like any books that can tell you what to know for Math? Science I know I just gotta pull it together. Reading is surprisingly a strong point for me, since I don’t actually feel very confident when I’m doing it.</p>

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<p>Like you, I’m taking the ACT again in the fall, except in September. I scored a 32 first time (E: 31 M: 35 R: 31 S:31)</p>

<p>Reading: I would suggest to read as many books as possible over the summer, which is what I’m doing. It’ll help you to read faster and will improve your concentration for longer periods of time, which is very valuable for the reading section.</p>

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<p>^Nah, reading a month before the test won’t do much. Sorry to burst your bubble.</p>

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<p>I was in the same position as you awhile back. I desperately wanted to get a 30+ on my first try but I ended up scoring a 28. So the next time I took it, I took a few practice sections from the Princeton Review 1296 questions book and I ended up improving my score to a 31. After that, I still felt that I could do better so I took it one more time. Before the last time, I took a lot of practice sections from the 1296 questions book the week leading up to the test and I especially focused on science since it was my worst section (26, and 28 on the first two tests for the science section). In the end, I got a 35 (35E, 36R, 31M, 36S) the last time I took it :)</p>

<p>Long story short, I 100% agree with the people who say to take practice tests. The practice tests will show what you’re weak at, whether it be certain math concepts, semi-colon usage, etc. Once you know the specific things you need to work on, you can practice them and get them down so you’ll know how to do them next time you take the test. </p>

<p>Also, I disagree with the person who says that reading a lot a month beforehand wont make a difference. If you’ve never been a big reader in your life, it wont make a huge difference, but I would imagine it would increase your reading speed a bit which would help and even if it didn’t help it would give you a psychological edge at the very least because you would believe your reading was improved (whether it was or not), which would give you more confidence on the reading section.</p>

<p>A few last tips that you’ve probably already heard: skip straight to the questions on the science section DO NOT READ THE PASSAGES. Once you read the question, looks for the answers in the graphs or diagrams or in a few cases (especially the comparison of different theories section) the answer is found in the text. Unless you are a slow reader, read the full passage before going to the questions in the reading section. Also make sure to consciously push yourself to read a little faster than usual to make sure you have time to adequately answer the questions and even though this one is obvious, it’s the most important one: make sure you’re paying attention to what you’re reading! It’s very easy to space out without even realizing it. And then lastly for the English section, watch out for exaggerations. For instance lets say one answer was “the cyclist was going slow” while the other answer was “the cyclist was going unbelievably slow.” Even if the unbelievably slow one sounded better in the context of the sentence, the slow one would be the better answer–or at least it would be according to my experiences with practice sections and the actual test. Or the “the man was hysterically funny” vs “the man was funny.” The man was funny would be the better answer. </p>

<p>As long as you’re willing to put in the extra work to prepare, your score will improve. Good luck! :slight_smile: Feel free to ask any questions if you have any.</p>

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<p>Take a big can of Monster or any other energy drinks. Just drink it during breaks and you will be alert the whole time.</p>

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<p>So just keep doing practice tests over and over? I’m genuinely asking. Should I just naturally get better over time or are there other prep books I should use for the content itself?</p>

<p>I haven’t been a big casual reader in the past couple years. Should I pick up some fiction books or would that just be a waste of time that could be spent on ACT prep? This will probably be the last time I take the ACT. Realistically a 30 would be alright, but a 32 (or above) would be FANTASTIC.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the help so far</p>

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<p>I don’t really think any prep books that simply give you tips on how to do certain sections will help you much. You kind of need to feel it out yourself and create your own strategies–which practice tests will help you with. Also, unless you have a mass quantity of quality practice tests, I wouldn’t do practice tests all summer. I would save them for a few weeks before the test to make sure you don’t run out. Part of the point of taking practice tests (at least in my opinion) is also to get you up to speed and make sure you’re already in “test mode” when you get to the test.</p>

<p>For reading…it depends. Do you feel uncomfortable on the reading section? Do you usually run out of time or feel like you’re going to run out of time? If you’re having time issues, I think some summer reading could help you improve your reading speed a bit. Time is the key of the reading section just like it is on the science section. All or nearly all of the answers can be found in the text on the reading section, so if you cant remember reading a certain answer, then the amount of time you have to search for it will dictate whether you do well or not.</p>

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<p>Thanks a bunch!</p>

<p>So regarding the October test, I’m assuming it’s not as popular or that as many people take it as the September test correct? Is there any other little tidbits or things to know about the October test? Also is this test too late for Early Action/Decision? I think most schools are mid November for that. </p>

<p>I thought ACT results take a month at least to come in, but I’ve also read the October test still works for people to meet the deadline?</p>

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<p>bump, is the oct. ACT too late to use for early action deadlines? It seems it would be but I’m not sure if the results come in super fast or something?</p>

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<p>Well i wouldn’t go on to say that prep material in prep books wont do much at all. In my opinion the prep book’s approach are there to see if their strategies are worth implementing. They also give you a different perspective on the test that you may have never even thought of before. However, I do agree that practicing is key to mastering the ACT. HOWEVER THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD SIMPLY JUST SOLVE PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM (key part so i cap’d it). make sure you know WHY you got it wrong and WHAT you’ll do to prevent it (slow down, focus, review the material, etc.) If you just correct it and leave, practicing wont do much for you. Practicing does not=mindless doing. Practicing=trying to improve and making sure you do.</p>

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<p>Is the October ACT too late for admission deadlines or no? I still never found a clear cut answer</p>

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<p>Might be too late for early decision but not regular decision.</p>

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<p>I just checked in my son’s Princeton 1296 ACT book-- it has explanations for every answer.</p>

<p>So when you miss a question, be sure to look at the explanation for the answer and be sure you understand it FULLY.</p>

<p>My son is working through the Princeton 1296 ACT, and he thinks it is helping. </p>

<p>He needs to find more REAL practice tests though, to do when he finishes the Princeton.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Here are some general tips for each section which have helped me:</p>

<p>Math - practice with a timer - always. set it for 5-10 minutes less than what you have, and when you finish a practice test, use that as a gauge for how u will do on the test day. Always review the ones u missed, find out why u missed them and look for common errors/things u overlooked. once you do that, REVIEW THE ONES U GOT RIGHT! that way you understand the patterns in questions and you’re speed increases so you have more time for the ones which are tricky.</p>

<p>English - review grammatical rules, this is hard to study for because we’ve been learning it for our entire lives. Understand punctuation, subject agreement, and tenses.</p>

<p>Reading - Do practice tests and see where your problem is. For me, it was actually comprehending information, so i always ended up re reading the thing. Now, I read the questions first and annotate them in the margins, then, whenever i get to a section in the reading, i stop and answer the question.</p>

<p>Science - similar to reading. Read the questions first and then try to pinpoint information in the passage if you cant get the answers from the charts. I found this the hardest to study for because it is a mix of reading comprehension and recognizing mathematical patterns, which you can’t really learn in a classroom.</p>

<p>also, one last tip:
dont try to do “well” over all four sections. Find your niche and maximize it. There are 4 sections, which means that if u study for each one equally, and get 31’s on everything, your composite would be the same as if u went in there with a 36 on the math, and 29’s in everything else. (30.75 which rounds up to 31) I found it easier, more engaging and more reassuring to play to my strengths than to learn new material. </p>

<p>It may or may not work for you, but i’ve found it works for me, ideally going in there with a 36 in all four sections would be the best bet ;)</p>

<p>I hope this helps!</p>