Getting a high ACT score can dramatically increase your chances of getting rolling admission into the college you want. Generally, a good ACT score is considered anything above the 50th percentile, or the median.
The perfect score on the ACT might sound impossible to achieve, as a matter of fact, less than 1% of the test takers get the perfect score (3,700 out of 1.9 million test-takers).
Achieving the perfect score of 36 means that you are placed on top of the list of any college you want and therefore given a huge boost to your application. However, scoring the perfect 36 is not easy.
In this article, we will go through everything you need to know about the ACT and how to get the perfect score.
What is an ACT Score?
ACT refers to the “American College Testing”, it is administered by the non-profit organization ACT which started in 1959. The ACT is standard testing that covers four main skills; Reading, English, Mathematics, and Science. It also offers an optional test of writing.
ACT is either computer-based or paper-based and is accepted by all four-year colleges in the USA, in addition to more than 225 universities outside the United States. The purpose of the ACT is for colleges to have a benchmark for students to compete against other students.
What is a Good ACT Score?
The ACT exams include four main sections and one optional section: Reading, English, Mathematics, and Science. The score for each section falls between 1 and 36. Your composite score is the average score for each section of the four mentioned above.
However, the score expectations of each college or university differ from one another. For instance, a student can get a very strong ACT score of 33 and can still be placed at the bottom of their applicants’ list which heavily impacts the students’ chances to be admitted.
On the other hand, this same score of 33 can place a student in the top 5% of applicants in a different college. In a nutshell, your ACT score is relative and mainly depends on the school you want and the competitiveness of their other applicants.
How to Find Out the ACT Score Range in a Certain School?
You can ask about ACT score range during your scheduled college visit or find out by visiting its official website. You can find this information on the “facts and figures” page or the first-year class profile page where it would be typically published.
What Writing Score is Considered Good?
Completing the writing section of the ACT is only required from those students who apply for colleges that require an essay in their application.
Keep in mind that the cost for the ACT with writing is $70 which is more expensive than an ACT without writing that costs $55.
The ACT writing section score is on a scale from 2-12. Which is a separate score that does not add to your total score. This score is graded by two readers who will be assigned to evaluate your essay.
They each evaluate your essay on a scale of 1-6 in four domains: language use and conventions, ideas and analysis, organization, and development and support.
The percentile you place in determines how good is your essay score, just like the four sections of the ACT. This means if you score more than the median, you have done better than the majority of the students who took the test.
When your score is higher than the 50th percentile, it means that you have a bigger chance to get admitted.
How Do I Get the Highest ACT Score?
Now that you are familiar with the scoring process, let’s dive in and find out how to achieve a composite score of 36.
1. Focus More on the Challenging Subjects
One of the best things you can do is take a timed, full-length ACT. This will help you find out which sections you are weak in and which ones you can excel in. This way, you can set a studying agenda that will focus more on the weaker subjects.
2. Only Study from the Official, High-Quality Material
ACT can be tricky, you can walk out feeling confident that you have answered all the questions right and be shocked when you see the results. This happens due to using low-quality material to study for the ACT.
The thing about these tests, they are very tricky and twisted. Students who took the ACT say that it tricked them with many wrong answer baits. This is because it tests your concepts in different ways than the ones you have studied and prepared for.
Make sure to use the highest-quality material when it comes to studying for the ACT. Therefore, consider taking the practice test from the official ACT practice tests. Doing so will prepare you for the real test.
3. The ACT Prep Book Is a Must
The ACT prep book will help polish your skills and knowledge by showing you all the different test-taking strategies as well as a variety of exam topics.
Some very well-known companies like Barron’s and Kaplan create strong ACT prep books which you can find in your local library.
4. Practice the ACT in Full-Length.
The ACT takes three hours to be completed, it needs a certain level of physical and mental stamina to keep going. Taking the practice tests will help prepare you for the timing and the content of the test. You can use these practice tests to find out your weak points and work on them.
5. Identify and Fix Your Weaknesses
The key to achieving a high score on your ACT is to do plenty of prep tests to identify your weak points and work on them.
The mistake that most students make is spending most of their time reviewing and revising the material they already know and feel comfortable reading again. While in fact, they should be focused more on addressing their weak spots.
6. Take the ACT Again
Of course, not every student can take the exam again as it takes too much effort, time, and consumes money. However, some students take the test twice or even three times.
Surprisingly, the second or the third attempt actually takes the cake and they keep on scoring higher and higher every time they take it.
In 2015, the high school graduates who took the ACT again scored higher than their first attempt. And not only a small fraction of the test takers, but more than 57% of those students raised their composite ACT score. Therefore, if you can retake the ACT, do it.
Even though the road to reaching that 36 score on the ACT is not easy, it does not mean that it is impossible or unreachable. Following the steps above will ensure that you have sufficient knowledge and study techniques to get the perfect score.
