Taking the ACT test can be a stressful endeavor, mainly because a poor exam score can lead to little to no college money. You may even have to choose a different college. Sometimes, no matter how hard you may prepare, the anxiety of taking a test can overpower all of the studying and understanding of the subject matter. Many students will take the ACT exam more than once to become more familiar with the exam types and formatting. In this article, we will tell you how you can improve your ACT score by 4 points.
Improving Your Score by 4 (or More)
Let’s imagine you have taken your first ACT exam. You’re now reviewing your score report and realize you need to improve your composite score. The foremost thing to do would be to review each ACT section of the score report and determine which areas you struggled in the most. Think of ACT score improvement as a time process. The more points you want to improve by the more study time it will take. Give yourself at least a month of steady and purposeful studying to improve your ACT score by 4 points. PrepScholar offers a 4+ point guarantee, or otherwise, you will get your money back. Allowing yourself six weeks (at minimum) or more consistent and focused practice time can help you achieve a score increase of 10 points.
Unlike when you are beginning the SAT studying process and have only the structured guess as to what the exam will look like, now you have your scorecard and an actual visual of what question types are on the exam. Having experience taking the exam is invaluable and will make you feel more comfortable in your preparation tactics. Scoring better on the ACT is not an unrealistic expectation and is simply a matter of will and devoted review.
How You Can Improve Your ACT Score by 4 Points in Six Simple Steps
- Review your score report from your first ACT exam and assess where you struggled the most.
- Pull up as many practice tests as possible! This includes ACT prep books. There are so many great materials out there to prepare you for the ACT English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing sections of the exam.
- Consider taking an ACT prep course for a more personalized approach and in-depth explanations of the various practice questions and question types. Some of these courses guarantee to increase your score by 4 points or more.
- Work your way. Take the bathroom and snack breaks whenever needed. Get up and walk around and take a brain break. Whatever you need to do to make sure your head is clear and able to receive the information you are trying to shove into it.
- Take an ACT practice test at the beginning of your review process. Make sure to score your test, review the practice questions, and focus on areas you struggle with. For example, if you struggle with remembering grammar rules, review those and practice!
- Set time limits for your practice tests. A lot of the pressure on test day comes with being under the clock.
