The ACT test. I'm so screwed!!!! :(?
I just took a timed sample test online and I only answered about 40% of the questions. I’m so slow at reading and the time of the exam is soooooooo short. Has anyone else had this same problem?
Am I hopeless or is there something I can do? (Nothing expensive please) MY exam is in about 6 weeks!
I’m so worried and stressed as I can’t retake it for some reason.
I need to get a composite score of 18. I don’t see how that is possible.
And for those who say you should have studied in high school. I wasn’t able to go to high school. But I managed to pass the GED last year at 17yrs old.
Yup, the timing really SUCKS!!
4 Responses
Anna1345
05 Mar 2010
musiq<3
05 Mar 2010
Yeah, it is a problem.. the timing sucks.
But the ACT, unlike the SAT, has no guessing penalty so if you don’t have time to actually answer the questions, just bubble in a random letter.
Good luck!
marti
05 Mar 2010
practice and read in your spare time! it will get easier, I promise
wvu_cheerleaderm
05 Mar 2010
Here is the BEST thing I learned in ACT prep class. Read the whole story, then answer 5 questions that you are positive are right. Do this for every story then go back to the first one to finish. This is a guaranteed 20. I’m from West Virginia and if you get a 20 in all categories then you get what is called the promise scholarship. I don’t know if you have that in your state, but a 20 is what I shot for and I did way better by following that method.
As for the ACT test, you should take it EARLY in the school year because the test is easier then. I took it in April and did HORRIBLE. Check around to see if there are any prep classes you can take. Just make sure you get plenty of sleep and eat a good healthy breakfast. The more you stress the worse you will do.
ACT is a complete strategy test:
1. Answer all questions (you will not loose points for wrong answers, you only get points for correct answers)
2. Sweep Method: First pass: go through all the answers and do all the ones you know you can answer instantly, circle the ones you know you know how to do but will take some time, and star the ones you have no clue about. second pass: do the ones you circled, if you come across the ones that you thought you knew but didn’t, then star them. third pass: (you will probably be running out of time at this point) Try to narrow them down to 2 answers and guess. If you can’t do that, just fill in any answer for the ones you don’t know. At the five minute mark, start bubbling in.
3. For the reading passages, you DO NOT need to read every single line. Try reading all the questions first, looking for key words. Then find those key words in the passages and mark them by underlining or writing in the margins. Once you have done that, go back and answer the questions.
4. Math section: don’t worry about the problem. Plug the answers back into the equation and find the one that is right. Don’t look at it and freak out. The other strategy is to work backwards.
5. Take as many practice tests as you can!!! Times is best! There are a few places like Princeton Review and Kaplan, who offer free timed/proctored exams. The more you can take it, the more prepared you wll be !
Remember, every one is as nervous as you! You will get through it and the more times you practice, the less anxious you will be! Good luck!