what does getting a perfect PreACT score mean?

Test Preparation
1

i took the PreACT in january/february ish (i think) 2017 & got a perfect score, which is a 35 (unlike the actual ACT which is a 36) even tho i got 4 questions wrong.

last week our school gave me a certificate as i was one of three sophs to get a perfect score. i didn’t study for the PreACT b/c our school told us not to so we could set a baseline for ourselves.

my q’s:

  1. do i have a good chance of getting a 36 on the actual ACT next year?
  2. how many questions can you get wrong on the ACT & still get a perfect score?
  3. how should i study? (i got 4 q’s wrong on the PreACT & somehow ended up with a perfect score so i need to minimize my errors!!!)
  4. is the writing/essay component of the ACT combined into your final score out of 36 or is it separate?
2

Yes, you have a good chance to get a 36 on the real ACT. You have to get 2 35s and 2 36s or 3 36s and a 34 to squeak by with a 36. This usually means very few errors, but will change since each test is curved slightly differently. Just take some practice tests to study. If you find that you consistently miss questions in specific topic areas, such as matrices, then go online and watch YouTube tutorials or Khan Academy videos, or ask a teacher for help. The essay component is separate.

3

@Studious99 thanks!! that helped clear up some things!!

4

To answer questions 1, 2, and 3 (4 has already been answered):

  1. You have a great chance at getting 35+, yes. I wouldn’t tear your hair out if you only got a 35 though; in the grand scheme of things, it actually does not matter whatsoever. That may sound hard to believe, but that’s the truth.
  2. It varies for each section. For English and Science, I believe you can’t miss anything if you want a 36. You can miss 1 or 2 for Reading, and at least 1 for Math.
  3. Because you’re already scoring so high, time and not content is going to be what you need to focus on. Go over content, yes, but make sure you’re also taking official practice tests from the ACT 2017 edition of the official prep book, and doing so under realistic time conditions.

I got a 30 on the Pre-ACT. Right now, I have a 35 on the ACT. So you should be quite fine.

Make sure to square up other parts of your application in the next year or so, though.

Best wishes and luck.

5

@mohammadmohd18 thank you for answering my questions! hopefully i can get a 36 the first time round, but if i get a 35 i’ll be happy too.