For anybody who’s scored 31 or higher: what’s the secret? Hardwork? Cramming? Prep Classes?
Bump.
The secret is to analyze what mistakes you make repeatedly and be sure you are eliminating WRONG answers. There is always a reason why an answer is wrong. If you can’t find the correct answer quickly, start eliminating wrong ones. That’s my secret, at any rate. And yes, practice. A few sessions with a tutor may be really beneficial.
I took the ACT after I’d already received a high-quality SAT score, so it didn’t really matter for me. I took one practice test the week before, and got a 35. I strongly believe that the reason I did so well is because I pay attention in class and read a lot of books. I can’t stress the reading enough. The more you read, the faster you get, and that matters on a timed test. If you’re a younger student, I’d go to the library and pick some things that look interesting. They don’t have to be difficult or about ACT topics, just something that will keep you reading. In my opinion, this is the one test prep thing that people forget about (or intentionally ignore, because it takes more time and effort).
get real good at guessing
As for the post above, guessing isn’t actually a bad idea, but there is a strategy to it. Always eliminate as many as you can, and then guess. You can mark any guessed answers to review if you have time. Guessing means you don’t waste valuable time on questions you might get wrong anyway. It means you have more time to maximize the number of questions you can get right.
Choose a letter of the day, A-D, F-J. Stick with that letter when you really don’t have a clue. By doing this, you should get about one in four of guessed answers correct.
Practice it like you want to perform it. It’s the same for anything, sports, acting/performance, and testing. My D simulated a full test for 4 consecutive Saturdays before taking it for real on the 5th Saturday. Getting up at the same time, having the same meal, etc.