Later this week, registration closes for the Oct. 28 ACT exam, a college admissions test that assesses students on reading, English, math and science and also includes an optional writing section. College applicants who’ve already taken the test once have good reason to sign up again.
Recent high school graduates who took the ACT twice saw their average ACT composite score rise by nearly one point, according to a September report from the testing company. And test-preparation experts say there are many reasons why prospective college students may not initially score as well as they’d like on the exam.
[Learn strategies for improving your ACT score.]
“Two sections of the ACT primarily test content (English and Math), so for some students, the most challenging aspect of taking the exam is mastering the grammar rules and math formulas that are covered on these sections,” Steve Sandweiss, founder and co-owner of Sandweiss Test Prep, wrote in an email. Sandweiss primarily serves test-takers in the Seattle region.
“Two other sections of the ACT (Reading and Science) primarily test the ability to digest new information quickly and to draw reasonable inferences based on this information, and many students struggle to complete these sections within the 35 minute time limit,” Sandweiss wrote.
The highest ACT score is 36, and the national average score during the 2016-2017 school year was 21. The exam is offered seven times a year in the U.S., though preparation is timely, exhausting and sometimes costly, test experts say.
College applicants can use certain strategies to better master the content, especially if they are already familiar with the exam, ACT experts say. Here are three tips to get you started.
1. Review scores: “You can get a copy of your test booklet back,” says Yolanda O’Neal, founder and president of Ace Tutoring Services, a test preparation company that primarily serves testers in the Chicago region. “It will tell you specifically which questions you missed.”
By reviewing a score report, or even the results from diagnostic tests, you can check if you missed more geometry or algebra questions, for example.
“Don’t just continue to take practice test after practice test without thoughtfully reviewing your results,” says Phil Pine, program director and co-founder of Capital Educators, which helps students in the Washington, D.C., region prepare for the ACT and SAT.
“If you’re going to take a four-hour practice test on your own, you should at least devote an hour or two to reviewing the questions that you missed.”
[Consider seven ways to boost a standardized test score.]
2. Watch the clock: A score report can also show where you skipped several questions, possibly revealing that you ran out of time, says O’Neal.
“You need a strategy for timing and pacing,” she says. When it comes to first-time test-takers, she notes, “They’re not aware of how quickly the exam moves.”
The ACT has more questions per minute than the SAT, says Pine. “The SAT has a grammar section which is 44 questions in 35 minutes. The ACT has an identical section that is 75 questions in 45 minutes.”
Test preparation experts encourage college applicants to take practice tests in timed environments to improve their time management for test day.
3. Dedicate the time: “For many students, one of the biggest challenges they face is simply finding the time to commit to preparing for the ACT on a regular basis, given their academic obligations, extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities,” wrote Sandweiss.
Prep time can vary among prospective college students, experts say, but Sandweiss wrote, “For those who have already put a reasonable amount of time into preparing for the first exam, we suggest that students spend about a month preparing to retake the ACT.”
Determine how much you want to increase your score to figure out the amount of time you’ll want or need to study, says O’Neal.
“If you’re looking for a two- to three-point increase, two to three months ought to do it,” she says. But a college applicant looking for a bigger score increase, for example, may need even more time.
[Know why it’s important to register for the earliest ACT exam.]
Final Considerations
While retaking the test can lead to a score increase for many, you should also think about the cost of taking these exams and what multiple scores communicate to college admissions officers, experts say.
The ACT costs $46 without the optional writing test and $62.50 with it. Costs can add up if students repeatedly take the test, experts say, but the ACT organization offers fee waivers for low-income students.
Once you complete the exam and send your scores to colleges, many schools will take the best scores from each section if you have taken the exam multiple times. But some schools may not subscore, as the process is called, which could be problematic if your second test score drops.
If you received a 25 composite score on the first exam and a 20 the second time, for example, that could raise questions, O’Neal says.
“Now you’ve got some explaining to do,” she says.
Weight the potential for good and bad outcomes that come from taking the exam multiple times, experts say.
“There’s the obvious drawback of having to invest more time, money, and effort into the process of test preparation,” Sandweiss wrote, “but the strong possibility of raising one’s score further is certainly worth it for many test-takers.”
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3 Ways to Tackle the ACT a Second Time originally appeared on usnews.com
