Can you stand another ACT question? How much do the scores improve over time?

[Laurie4b]

Ds is a homeschooled sophomore, but would be a freshman if we'd gone by public school cut-off dates. How much is his score next year likely to improve from his score this year?

 

He's done his second practice test and brought up his average score 5 points. His score is decent, but not what he needs for the college he has his eye on. I'm just wondering what difference another year under the belt makes since this is an achievement test.

[Michelle in MO]

I have no actual experience on this, as this is my oldest daughter's first time with taking the test, and she's doing it without the essay portion.

 

However, I was told by a guidance counselor at our local public school that they have found that students' scores improve quite a bit on the math portion of the ACT and PSAT after they've taken Algebra II and Trig. She told me that even if the student struggles in those classes, sometimes even getting a C, they still tend to perform quite a bit better after tackling that math.

 

I've noticed in The Real ACT Prep Guide that we're using that the math portion of the test is subdivided into three major parts: pre-algebra/elementary algebra (EA on the scaled score); intermediate algebra/coordinate geometry (AG on the scaled score); and plane geometry/trigonometry (GT on the scaled score). There are 60 points possible in the math portion, with approximately 24 devoted to algebra (which most students would complete by 9th grade), 18 questions devoted to intermediate algebra/trig. (which most students would complete by 10th-11th grade), and 18 questions devoted to plane geometry/trig. (again, probably by 11th grade). So, I would think a student coming out of 11th grade and tackling that test that following summer or in the fall of their senior year would have an excellent chance of improving that portion of their test.

[ereks mom]

How will I do on a retest?

 

Of the students who took the ACT more than once:

 

 

• 55% increased their Composite score
  
• 22% had no change in their Composite score
  
• 23% decreased their Composite score
  

 

[Kelli in TN]

My daughter's tenth grade and eleventh grade composite scores were the same. She is having a do-over on Saturday!!

[Lisa in TN]

My dd's composite went up about 4 points a year from eighth grade until 11th.

[Missouri Mama]

My girls received decent scores on the ACT, one of them having finished only Alg I & II, the other having completed only Alg I & Geometry. I have no doubt that their math scores would have improved significantly with more math under their belts. Their scores improved 2 pts when retaking the test at the beginning of the school yr with minimal starts in the next math level. I know of one homeschooler that improved a good math score to an excellent math score by taking College Algebra at a community college prior to retesting.

[Mandy in TN]

At the beginning of March my ds took a free practice ACT through Princeton Review and received a composite of 21. The first time he took the actual ACT was in April at the local public school. It was very chaotic. He freaked out and made a composite of 17. The second time he took the ACT was in June at a local private college. It was much better organized. He made a 21. These tests were taken at the end of his sophomore year.

 

Between now and next spring- I expect to see his math scores come up, because he will be taking more math. His science reasoning scores may also increase due to additional critical thinking skills gained through math and maturity. Also, he will be taking chemistry this coming year and per another post here the ACT is now including some questions where prior scientific knowledge is drawn upon. However, because there will be little if any new material introduced, I don't believe that we will see much if any increase in his English or Reading sections unless he happens to gain confidence through repeated attempts.

 

So, if your ds is taking more math, I would expect to see improvement at least in that section over the year from 10th to 11th.

HTH-

Mandy

[Quiver0f10]

My 18 yo had his overall score go up by 4 points, but his math came down and his english went up. Go figure LOL.

[Lisa in TN]

My dd took the ACT several times during junior/senior years, and her composite score didn't change by more than 1 point. At the same time, however, the scores in some individual subject areas fluctuated by as many as 5 points. For example, on one test she might get a particularly low score in science, but a high one in reading. The next time, science might be much easier but reading or math was a killer. Somehow it always seemed to average out to the same composite score.

 

It made me wonder whether ACT designs the tests this way intentionally.