<p>I’m curious how much fatigue affects the test results. Based on former real ACT tests alone, (IE: the ones in the Real act prep, online courses on ACT website, and the free online ACT test)…</p>
<p>I took one of the tests (the free online one) split up before i’d ever laid eyes on an ACT prep book. Time limits remained the same, but I split the individual subjects up about 5-6 hours apart over the course of a couple days).</p>
<p>After two months of prepping/studying, I took three more tests from the Real Act PREP book. I took these all in one sitting though, simulating the real test. The english and math scores, the first two parts of the test, were as expected. Reading and Science however were much lower than even my initial test.</p>
<p>On the split up test, the first one I took, I finished the reading section with 8 mins to spare and Science with 4 mins to spare. Yet on the tests done all in one sitting, even after so much prepping, both of the two tests were just barely finished in time in all cases with less than a min remaining. In two of the tests, i’d resorted to guessing in order to finish on time - as much as 5 questions during the Reading section of one test. </p>
<p>Has anyone else who did one test split up then another all at once noticed this? Were your scores much worse when you did it all at once? Just something i’m wondering about.</p>
<p>lol im on ten minute break between that comes after my english and math as we speak(practice test) so im going to go take reading and science now, but i’ll tell you that my neck is killing me!</p>
<p>Yes, I’ve noticed.
I think fatigue is one of the major factors of the ACT. If you’re tired (from taking it in one sitting), you tend to be a lot more careless and miss things that you normally wouldn’t. My suggestion to those prepping for the ACT - take practice tests under the same timing (i.e., 15 minute break, 10 second stretch breaks, etc.)as the real ACT.</p>
<p>I agree. I got a massive cramp in my leg between the reading/science, and I didnt have time to stand up. Hopefully this next time I can stay in focus.</p>
<p>Well, I was thinking more on the lines of… mental fatigue you might say. I imagine everyone is at least a bit sore/tired during the test from sitting there so long and only getting a 10min break in them middle of the test, especially when the chairs at the test center are those metal foldable kind. (Gives ‘pain in the butt’ a new meaning) That’s bound to have some impact on the test score, but I think it wouldn’t be too major.</p>
<p>I was thinking more on the lines of reading speed grinding to a halt, having to re-read multiple times in order for it to sink in, loss of concentration/spacing out, etc. setting in about halfway through the test. Can anyone relate to that from the practice tests you took to compare? Going from finishing the reading in 27mins in split sittings to finishing the reading in 45mins in one sitting is a pretty big hike.</p>