Hello!
My high schooler tried to see what Science ACT section feels like and got a raw score of 33/40 (made 7 mistakes). Is this considered to be good/bad - given this was the first time the kid saw the test? I understand that this is just one section and other sections need to be considered. Trying to see how easy it is to raise the score in this section and whether it is worth it (given that SAT does not have this section at all)…
Please advise.
Did the source for the test provide a raw conversion table to define how this translates to the standard 36 point ACT scale?
Different tests have different conversions, based on the difficulty of the test, so it’s not possible to know where a raw score stands, percentile-wise.
@RichInPitt , just looked at the conversion chart for this particular sample test. It translates to 26 scale score. The test was taken from ACT web-site.
Obviously, eventually a higher score is desired. Not sure how much the score can be raised in this section and with how much effort. If this is not the student’s strength, then it may be better to look at SAT. Trying to understand if 33/40 raw score in science looks promising or not.
ACT Science does not really test knowledge of science concepts. It is primarily a reading and interpreting charts/graphs test, under time pressure. Look on Applerouth’s site as to how to approach the science section (or any number of other sites/books), many students are able to raise their score with some practice.
@Mwfan1921
“ACT Science does not really test knowledge of science concepts.”
Exactly! We all have strengths and weaknesses. The question is whether this particular student is naturally good at this particular skill (based on the baseline score received). Yes, with practice you can improve, but if a student is not good in a particular area, then it may be better to turn to SAT (which is a test without this section).
This is fine for a first try. The ACT Science section is about being able to quickly and correctly interpret data presented in different formats. So the trick is to get familiar with the formats. Honestly, the absolute best way to study for this, is to do many ACT Science sections. You can buy 5 ACT practice tests in the official ACT prep book, which comes with explanations, and you can download many, many retired ACT tests for practice, that are legally and legitimately in the public domain, by googling. For math prep, my kid used The Best ACT Math Books Ever series, books 1 and 2.
Thank you, Parentologist!
A 26 on Science is an 85th percentile score, according the ACT’s 20-21 Norm tables. How “good” that is depends on goals, although in abstract, being better than 85% of peers at anything has to be considered quite good.
It probably isn’t a score that will get a student into Harvard, but it’s a score that will be competitive at a vast majority of US colleges/Universities.
And as a first attempt with no preparation or familiarity with the test, there is probably a decent chance of improving a couple of points or so.
Thank you, RichlnPitt.