<p>I have taken the ACT only two times – in April and June. For the April test, I looked through a few practice tests a week before the exam. I got a 35 in the English section and around 30 in the other sections. For the June test, I read through the Princeton Review book several times and took a few practice tests out of the Princeton Review and Official ACT books.</p>
<p>But on the day of the test, I still felt uncomfortable on the timing. (It didn’t help that the proctor didn’t post the start and stop times on the white board.) I felt especially uncomfortable on the reading section – even though I can easily get a 34 untimed (and usually even timed) at home.</p>
<p>What would you guys suggest I do to study and prepare for the next time I take it (if I take it)? I still have not received my scores in the mail from the June test, so I’m just 90% sure that I will be taking it in the fall.</p>
<p>On a related note, will there be any complications for taking the test in the fall if I want to apply to a college as early decision? How will taking it in the fall affect my college application process? Is anyone else here that’s going to be a senior taking the test this fall?</p>
<p>On the April test:
An average of about 30 in the math and science sections and a 24 in the reading section. The reading section was a completely botched attempt – I was still on the second passage when time was called.</p>
<p>Note: For the June test I actually studied. I read the entire Princeton Review book several times through, and took several practice tests. So this, I hope, improved my timing and knowledge of the test significantly. I would just like to know – from the near-perfect scorers themself – what you did to prepare?</p>
<p>Well, i’m not a near-perfect scorer, but I can tell you that the Princeton Review alone is not going to give you a 36.</p>
<p>The Princeton Review is only likely to help you significantly if you are not already using many of the test tips it offers in the book. I already was when I picked up the book, and as you might guess, it didn’t help me much at all. It might give you a 1-2 point increase from the material it covers, but the PR only covers the tip of the iceberg in regards to ACT content.</p>
<p>If you want a perfect score, you need to be an expert on all of the material tested. That means studying Math/English until there is not a single question on practice tests that you aren’t completely sure how to answer.</p>
<p>I was also using most of the tips in the Princeton Review book before I read it, but its explanations on how to do each section was helpful. What book, then, will help learn the math on the ACT as well as the other sections?</p>
<p>The Real ACT Prep Book was, without a doubt, the best ACT prep book. While it did not have many of the strategies of Kaplan and Princeton Review, the questions accurately reflect the ACT (unsurprisingly). To improve, take the practice tests in that book under accurately timed conditions (test-like conditions, without excessive breaks, etc.). If you don’t, you won’t get any better at the timing and build your “test stamina”.</p>
<p>Thanks Generic Name, I think that was one flaw I had in my studying: I did not take full tests, just one section at a time. I will take the full tests out of the Real ACT book over and over again for the upcoming fall test.</p>
<p>Now if it’s not too much to ask, Generic Name, I would like to know what exactly you did to study for the ACT. If I remember correctly, you got a 35 or 36 composite. How did you take each section of the test?</p>
<p>I read the Kaplan ACT prep book, part of a book called “ACT for Brainiacs” for help on my weakest section from my PLAN, did a bunch of the problems from the Kaplan ACT book, and took the practice tests in the Real ACT Prep Book (under real timed conditions, in a quiet place without distractions). I reviewed my tests to see the questions I didn’t do well on, and learn WHY I got them wrong. This is extremely important! You can’t improve yourself if you just mark some problems wrong w/o knowing exactly why. Another thing, see what went wrong.
Practice tests are a good time to try different stategies for tackling the test. See what works, see what doesn’t.</p>
<p>That’s all I can think of at the moment. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Thanks again for the response, Generic Name. I decided to buy the ACT for Brainiacs book, but not the Kaplan one because I already have the Princeton Review’s ACT strategy guide. What do you have to say about the Brainiacs book? I didn’t see any reviews for it on Amazon.com.</p>
<p>And thanks for the tip on taking full practice tests – I had just been taking one section at a time. This, even though I was getting very high scores in each section, didn’t help all that much because I wasn’t taking the test as I would when it actually counts.</p>
<p>Any other tips on how to prepare and what to study out of the books?</p>
<p>When taking ‘ACT for Brainiacs’, don’t feel bad if you get a ton wrong. Like the title says, the problems are the hardest you’ll find on the ACT. Just review the concepts in it and if you can do most of the problems in the book correctly, you’ll do great on the ACT.</p>