I got my September 2015 scores back today. I am a sophomore and this is my first time taking it. My scores were
C- 25
E-31
M-24
R-22
S-22
I thought I had the reading down, but I guess I didnt. I plan to retake the test in December and I hope to get a 26-30 in math, 25-30 in reading, and 25-27 on science. By the way, I had mostly no clue how to do the majority of the math because my geometry teacher was very bad and most of the test was geometry. So I plan to study and review geometry.
For the reading and the science, I have no clue what I should do. Do any of yall have methods to increase scores on reading / science? Btw Im normally pretty good at reading and I thought I would get a 30.
definitely brush up on geometry! knowing some trig would also help. the math section is big on solving for angle measures. lots of the algebra stuff can be solved by plugging in arbitrary values for the variables. (so if you’re asked a question like “if 3ab=9, 3 ab is what percentage of (5/2)ab?” it helps to plug in arbitrary non zero numbers for a and b and solve that way). reading and science are a matter of managing your time and supporting your answer choices with the info given in the passages. read very carefully and practice a lot. and remember that your performance on one day of your life doesn’t represent your actual academic abilities as a whole. good luck!
I actually knew most of the trig, but didnt remember how to do the problems w/ circles and trapezoids.
True the reading/science are mostly luck and a bit of skill.
When you’re reading, skim the questions before you read the passage, read the passage, and then answer the questions. Make sure to eliminate wrong answers, and if an answer is partially wrong, it’s usually wholly wrong.
For science, don’t read the graphs first. Read the intro, go to the questions, and refer back only to the graphs that you need. Science is very logic-based and you don’t need a ton of background in science to get through the test-- just time.
For math: YES review geometry. A lot of the questions will be about triangles, finding lines, finding coordinates… that stuff. You’ll know the stuff you struggled on, so keep working at that.
As a general tip, the best way to study for the ACT (in my opinion) is to take the ACT. When you’re studying, try to take as many tests as you can so you can get used to the question format and style.
Consider these points to improve the reading score
You cannot INTERPRET on the reading test. This is the OPPOSITE what you have been taught to do in high school, and the questions make it look like they want your opinion on the “best” answer. They don’t!!! There is only ONE right answer based on the passage.
You CANNOT add or subtract information from what is in the passage. All that matters is what is DIRECTLY stated in the text. Examples: Just because someone is “happy” does not mean they are “excited.” If someone is “sad” they are not “depressed.”
Phrases like “most reasonably inferred,” “most strongly implies,” “most likely,” “most reasonable” and “would likely agree/disagree” are there to trap you. What ACT REALLY MEANS IS: “which of these answers is TRUE based on the passage?”
Vocabulary in Context Questions: you need a word that restates an idea from the surrounding text. Plug them all in and listen for the choice that sounds right to you.
The correct answer choice will very often (9.5/10 times) have the exact words used in the passage. Use word matching to lock in the correct answer.