ACT Test Prep? Have already used Real ACT Test Prep guide and ACT booklet

[Hoggirl]

My ds took the ACT last year. For prep work we used the Real ACT Test Prep guide and the ACT test booklet. Well, the test booklet from the ACT has not changed. I looked at it on-line and it is identical to the one we have. He used all of these practice tests lastyear. All three in the big red book AND the one in the test booklet. Is there anywhere else to get "real" practice tests?

[AnitaMcC]

Bump

[KAR120C]

My ds took the ACT last year. For prep work we used the Real ACT Test Prep guide and the ACT test booklet. Well, the test booklet from the ACT has not changed. I looked at it on-line and it is identical to the one we have. He used all of these practice tests lastyear. All three in the big red book AND the one in the test booklet. Is there anywhere else to get "real" practice tests?

I have a friend who really liked the McGraw Hill SAT prep book, so I was going to give their ACT prep book a try too. It's not "real" but she found the SAT practice tests fairly comparable.

[creekland]

We weren't successful finding other real tests. Middle son did Barron's and McGraw Hill for prep besides the real tests. He thought McGraw Hill was easier than the real test and Barrons a little harder. He liked both. McGraw Hill gave better explanations (his opinion), but he liked the harder questions of Barrons that made the ACT seem easier when he took it.

[Hoggirl]

I have a friend who really liked the McGraw Hill SAT prep book, so I was going to give their ACT prep book a try too. It's not "real" but she found the SAT practice tests fairly comparable.

 

This is one that I was considering.

[Janice H]

Is there anywhere else to get "real" practice tests?

 

I didn't find anything else when I researched it last Spring.

[homeschoolally]

We weren't successful finding other real tests. Middle son did Barron's and McGraw Hill for prep besides the real tests. He thought McGraw Hill was easier than the real test and Barrons a little harder. He liked both. McGraw Hill gave better explanations (his opinion), but he liked the harder questions of Barrons that made the ACT seem easier when he took it.

:iagree:My son found the Barrons prep books much tougher than the actual test and felt they were great prep. The McGraw Hill books seemed easier than the test, or it might have been the scoring scale--but there was a pretty big gap between his Barron's scores and McGraw Hill scores. His actual score ended up about in the middle of these two.

 

ACT has an online test prep that has 2 additional tests, and there are also two you can print online. They are linked here: http://dissectingact.blogspot.com/2010/12/why-did-we-write-this-book_27.html

[creekland]

:iagree:My son found the Barrons prep books much tougher than the actual test and felt they were great prep. The McGraw Hill books seemed easier than the test, or it might have been the scoring scale--but there was a pretty big gap between his Barron's scores and McGraw Hill scores. His actual score ended up about in the middle of these two.

 

ACT has an online test prep that has 2 additional tests, and there are also two you can print online. They are linked here: http://dissectingact.blogspot.com/2010/12/why-did-we-write-this-book_27.html

 

McGraw Hill had my guy scoring higher too (on practice tests). In that aspect, it was a bit disappointing to him. Barrons was pretty much accurate. But... he still liked the explanations better in McGraw's. I don't think I'll have youngest do the practice tests in McGraw because scoring lower on the real thing would be a real detriment to his mental well-being. Middle son was disappointed, but could shrug it off (and he got a good score anyway - just not AS good as he was hoping for).

[Quiver0f10]

We found some books that cover the individual subsections and used those( we only used the math and science book) after we finished the Real ACT book. Here is the math and science one:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Math-Science-Workout-College-Preparation/dp/0375428089/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293809886&sr=8-3

Edited December 31, 2010 by Quiver0f10

[Denise in NE]

We have The Real ACT Prep Guide, but my daughter never cracked it open. She also didn't bother with the online practice tests either. She used Barron's ACT 36: Aiming for the Perfect Score and Barron's ACT Math and Science Workbook - though I am not sure exactly how much of each she did.

 

When I asked her opinion, she said she "hates that kind of thing (practice books)", but she does admit that they helped a little. She did take the test three times and was able to raise her score 3 points.

 

Denise in NE