Why is the ACT so much harder?

1 Strict Time Constraints. The structure of the ACT makes it difficult for some test-takers. Consider the English section. You'll get just 45 minutes to answer 75 questions, meaning you'll need to answer a question every 36 seconds to complete the section in time.

Why is the ACT so hard for me?

The main challenge of the ACT for most students is its format. You have a very limited amount of time to answer each question, and there's a significant amount of reading involved.

Is the ACT test getting harder?

Relatively speaking, the ACT has gotten “harder” over the years. As students start to do better on ACT, the test-makers gradually adjust the difficulty level of the test. And students have gotten better. In 1970, the average composite score nationwide was 18.6.

Does the ACT get progressively harder?

Questions typically increase in difficulty as the section progresses, so, if possible, work through the earlier questions as quickly as possible to leave more time for more complex questions later in the section.

Why am I getting worse at the ACT?

The less you study for your retake, the more susceptible you'll be to bad luck, struggling with timing, or having a hard time with test questions. It may be you studied a bunch before you took the ACT for the first time, but underestimated the time you would need to spend for the retake, so your score decreased.

ACT Tips & Tricks that ACTUALLY work (minimal studying) in 2024

Is a 30 ACT score good or bad?

Is a 30 ACT Score (93rd Percentile) Good? A 30 ACT score makes you eligible to apply at the vast majority of colleges, makes you eligible for merit aid, and also makes you a competitive applicant at many institutions. Because of all this, a 30 ACT score is definitely considered good!

Is getting a 15 on the ACT good?

Each section has a test score range of 1-36: Below Average Score Range: 1-16. Average Score Range: 17-24. Above Average Score Range: 25-36.

How hard is a 30 on the ACT?

According to percentiles, an ACT score of 30 is quite high. Data collected by ACT, Inc., shows that a 30 corresponds to the 94th percentile. In other words, very few test takers—only 6 percent—score 30 or higher on the ACT, making it a great score to aim for on test day.

Is getting a 26 on ACT hard?

A 26 ACT score puts you at the 83rd percentile, which means you scored higher than 83% of all test takers!

How hard is a 26 on the ACT?

Is 26 ACT Score Good? With a score of 26, you are in the 83th to 85th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 26, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges.

How hard is a 22 ACT score?

A 22 ACT accomplishes this task — the national average score is just a hair under 21, making 22 better than average! Looking at this from another angle, a score of 22 places you in the 63rd percentile, meaning that you scored higher than 63% of all test takers.

Which is harder ACT vs SAT?

While both the SAT and ACT cover similar math topics, the ACT involves slightly more complex and a broader range of math topics, featuring a higher concentration of geometry questions, logarithms, matrices and trigonometry.

Which is easier to pass ACT or SAT?

The ACT is considered to be more challenging due to the fact that it is more focused on testing a student's knowledge and understanding of the material. The SAT is considered to be less challenging because it is more focused on testing a student's problem-solving and analytical skills.

Is a 21 on ACT bad?

Is 21 a good ACT score? A 21 ACT score puts you right at the national average, making you eligible to apply to a number of schools. It offers you a slight competitive edge, but won't make you competitive for most selective schools.

Is a 27 good enough for ACT?

With a score of 27, you are in the 87th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 27, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges. The exception may be the Ivy League where the score required may be higher than 30 on average.

Is it normal to not finish the ACT?

The majority of people do not finish the ACT.

Is an 18 a bad ACT score?

With a 21 being the most common score, it would put you at the 50th percentile, meaning that you scored higher than 50% of all nearly 2 million test takers. With an 18, you fall at the 38th percentile, meaning that the majority of other test takers scored higher.

Is 27 a good ACT score for a junior?

Is a 27 ACT Score (85th Percentile) Good? A 27 ACT score puts you a good deal about the national average (20.8) and makes you eligible for acceptance at a vast majority of schools. It also makes you competitive at some selective institutions, as well as eligible for merit aid!

How rare is a 36 on the ACT?

Unsurprisingly, a full 36 is the rarest score of all—just 0.25% of all test takers earned a perfect ACT score. Roughly three times more students earned the next-highest score of 35; however, this is still a very rare score that just 0.775% of test takers earned.

Can a 30 ACT get into Harvard?

Applicants should score between 30 and 36 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute SAT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.

Is a 30 ACT good for Harvard?

Average ACT: 34

In other words, a 34 places you below average, while a 36 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute ACT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 34 to have a chance at being considered.

Is 1200 a good ACT score?

For example, a score in the 75th percentile (approximately a 1200 on the SAT or a 24 on the ACT) would likely be strongly considered at most competitive colleges, while applicants scoring in the 90th percentile or higher (a 1350 on the SAT or a 29 on the ACT) would likely be well received even at highly competitive ...

Has anyone gotten a 1 on the ACT?

The absolute minimum ACT score you can get is a 1, although this is very unlikely to happen. You might be more worried about getting a score high enough to get into college.