I will be the first to admit that I did a couple of things wrong while studying for the ACT. Maybe I’m a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to studying for tests. It didn’t matter much on the AIM tests—I exceeded all three sections on my first try without studying. However, the AIM test is a cakewalk compared to the ACT.

    Don’t get me wrong—I tried to study. I read a couple of SAT prep books for vocabulary, hoping that the ACT and SAT will be similar enough in that respect. I even brought some into the test site to do some last-minute cramming. (For some reason, Mr. Faust, one of the proctors, laughed at me.)

    Maybe I should have studied harder, though. The ACT is based on what you know and not on logic, like the SAT.

    I was a little anxious prior to the test. Well, I lied. I was actually quite nervous. Mostly, I was apprehensive. During the first portion, though, I was glad I had done that last-minute cramming, since that was what the subject was about.

    The English and Reading portions seem as simple as on the AIM tests, with a couple of twists and changes to them. If you are prepared, then you can do pretty well. I finished the English test with about 20 minutes to spare, probably thanks to the cramming.

    The second section was Mathematics. I could swear I learned a lot of the stuff on there, and I had seen a lot of the concepts, but just could not remember how to apply that knowledge. Next time, I’m going to brush up on my problem areas (Math and Science) before taking the test.

    The final portion, Science, was mostly interpreting graphs with a nominal grasp of scientific concepts. A lot of my friends complained that the only thing they remembered was how to make Punnett Squares.

    I’m pretty relieved now that the ACT is over, but I wish I had studied for the math section more. I have not seen any math since I finished college algebra last semester, and that may not have been the wisest decision. I am glad the people who grade the tests have decided not to take points away for wrong guesses, because I guessed a lot on the math portion and a negative score in math would not have helped my career goals at all. (The SAT, on the other hand, takes ¼ of a point away for each wrong guess. If you guess wrong enough times, it’s possible to get a negative score.)

    I am glad I studied the SAT English and reading prep books. Studying that area of academics made that section of the test a lot easier.

Usually a student has to pay to take the ACT only to get lost on the way to a faraway testing site. Taking the ACT for free and in our school is totally a blessing for us because a lot of students who think they are not smart enough to go to college may see their scores and think “Hey look, I can get into college.” A test like this could literally change a person’s career goals.

    I am going to sign up to take the ACT again this summer to try and improve my math score, and perhaps my science score. It all depends on what I get.

After 3-8 weeks from the test date, the test scores will be mailed out to everyone who took the test. This means that sometime between the second week of May and mid-June, I will be able to see just how well (or badly) I did. In the meantime, I am just glad I took the test and cannot wait to see how I can improve my scores for next time.