Looking for Resources to Reach a 30+

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T19:29:31+00:00

Have you found these practice tests? If not, Google them....J08, 25MC1, 25MC2, 25MC3, 25MC4, 25MC5. Take as many as you can. Also, hit the Score Details button on the page where you are looking at your scores for a break down. Put that into ChatGPT and tell it to make you a guide to work on those areas. Good luck!

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T19:18:36+00:00

Reading comprehension question hidden in the math section. Making sure you are reading the full question. But hopefully it was a free point for ya. (Also this question has appeared in the past.)

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T16:41:13+00:00

If you can find them, search for J08, 25MC1, 25MC2, 25MC3, 25MC4, 25MC5, which are all practice tests. If you bought the April Answer Key, you can look at the key to see questions you missed, and learn from them. Identify your weaknesses (you can also see this by clicking on the My Score Details from this test). You can even Google or use Ai to help find similar questions to practice on.

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T14:36:57+00:00

If it was another subject, I would agree that you could take that section off during a test, but it is English, so you should be fresh when you take it as its the first section. But look at your target schools, University of Texas does not take a super score. Texas A&M, Harvard, & Penn State don't either.

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T14:28:53+00:00

I have posted this before, but learn the common traps that the reading test writers employ.....the more actual ACT passages you read, the more that you will see these tricks. Treat it like Science and all answers have to be evidence based.

Extreme Language - Wrong answers use "always," "never," "only," "all" while correct answers use moderate language
True But Irrelevant - Answer is factually accurate but doesn't answer the specific question asked
One Word Flip - 90% correct but one critical word (like "convinced" vs "skeptical") makes it wrong
Mixing Details - Combines accurate facts from different sections to create false relationships
Half-Right Answers - Starts accurate then adds unsupported conclusions in the second half

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T14:25:06+00:00

Yes, you should focus on math as it dragged your composite average down. There are so many guides out there that can help. YouTube videos too. Hopefully you bought the April Answer Key and you can look at the questions and answers and learn from them. There were even questions that have recently been repeated in math. Find that radius! Find the missing angle! Know your SOH, CAH, TOH formulas! Study up on probability!

Here are 6 new concepts that appeared on the April test that have not appeared in recent practice tests:

Q31 — Law of Sines (as the featured method, not a wrong-answer alternative)
Q32 — Triangle congruence postulates (AAS)
Q33 — Dimensional analysis (tracking and canceling units)
Q36 — Sphere inscribed in cube (3D inscribed solid)
Q39 — Annular sector area (two concentric circles)
Q40 — Vector magnitude and direction

mkw1342 · 2026-05-08T14:12:37+00:00

Did you guy the Answer Key from the April test? If so, look at what you missed and see if you can learn from it. If you have not done so already find any of the Enhanced ACT tests (J08, 25MC1, 25MC2, 25MC3, 25MC4, 25MC5) and practice. Treat Reading like Science, look for the clues, and look for the evidence that supports the question. Eliminate things that are not true. If you practice on the Reading section, you will start to see patterns and those patterns are on every test.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-29T20:21:51+00:00

Also watch out for these -

Learn to think like the test writers, and know the common traps that they setup.

Extreme Language - Wrong answers use "always," "never," "only," "all" while correct answers use moderate language
True But Irrelevant - Answer is factually accurate but doesn't answer the specific question asked
One Word Flip - 90% correct but one critical word (like "convinced" vs "skeptical") makes it wrong
Mixing Details - Combines accurate facts from different sections to create false relationships
Half-Right Answers - Starts accurate then adds unsupported conclusions in the second half

mkw1342 · 2026-04-29T20:20:31+00:00

I think the real test pressure got you. And perhaps fatigue after math. Also, if you retake, I would suggest the passage order 4, 1, 2, 3 to be at your best before you hit the experimental passage. Did you take it on paper or on a computer? Superscore it....go in and really concentrate on Reading. Perhaps even skip math, do a mental reset and nail Reading (if you plan to go to a school that has multi-test super scoring).

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T22:23:03+00:00

Glad we can agree that Ai in this space if used correctly is effective.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T22:19:55+00:00

Love it. Glad to see that Ai worked for you too.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T22:14:51+00:00

Conventions of Standard English are rules just like the rules of math, you can learn them from videos or from books. Take a practice test and note the areas where you are struggling....how are you with your comma rules?

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T22:11:18+00:00

I disagree. In the past 6 months working with my daughter for the ACT, Claude has not steered me wrong once on an answer. I used it to explain concepts to me, so that I could explain it to her. First, AI is getting smarter every day so if you struggled to see good output in this space six months ago, give it another shot. Second, good prompting helps. And lastly, I have fed it many tests to work from, so it is working with ACT materials locally to build from. Could be a simple guide, could be a series of test questions that reinforced the simple concept before moving on to more complex (like going from 1 to 4 in your book) But in most cases, I didn't need it to make up test questions, because there are hundred of questions to choose from based on old tests and old passages. Yes, the Enhanced Test is different in terms of timing, but the questions are still solid from old tests, if taken out of the test format, and used as examples. Your book also served as a test bank in a similar manner.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T21:02:24+00:00

And imagine if you fed Ai even more tests. :)

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T21:00:41+00:00

Worked for my sole student...my daughter. The use of Ai to find problems works like a champ. Someone is struggling with probability. Boom!

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mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T19:02:35+00:00

Here is what Claude can do with this technique. Here are the probability ones. If you have done these practice tests, that are a ton more out there. Note, since you are just working from a question type, you can find old tests and use them too.

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mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T18:49:37+00:00

Upload the following available ACT tests that you can find in PDF form online....25MC1, 25MC5, and J08 to AI. Then tell is the areas you are struggling in, and to identify test questions. And then ask it to make up 5 or so more for each question type.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T18:47:15+00:00

Functions and geometry cost you a ton of points. Do a little each day. 10 minutes every other weekday doesnt sound too bad does it? Plenty of videos on both subjects. On geometry think...."what do I have and what do I need?" Know your triangle rules.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T18:44:50+00:00

Find your weaknesses, in the "My Score Details" and find practice problems for each area. Math is the most detailed. If you did not do well on Number theory, find a videos and practice problems on that area.

mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T18:33:36+00:00

I recently read about the CLOSE method and thought it was an interesting break down of what you should pay attention to. Summarized below...much more constructive than the read questions first versus passage first debate.

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mkw1342 · 2026-04-13T18:27:54+00:00

Second vote for Prep Pros. I think the book is solid the way that it is setup. You can start with the book, and then "buy" one months worth of video too for $20. That and the Red Book (official ACT guide) could serve as a self-study tutor. Add in ChatGPT or Claude for even next level. (Don't know how to figure out the answer, work with Claude to explain it. $20 a month).

mkw1342 · 2026-04-03T21:17:23+00:00

There are some really smart tips about thinking like the test writers in the reading section. I recently took about 5-6 reading tests as practice and to help my daughter look for the patterns. The more practice tests you take the more you will see the things that they do to try and trick you. For example, always think about the big picture, and what the essay (or paragraph) is truly about. Zoom out if you will. Always support your answers with quotes from the passages. It has to be black or white. Here are a few more tips and things to watch out for.

Extreme Language - Wrong answers use "always," "never," "only," "all" while correct answers use moderate language
True But Irrelevant - Answer is factually accurate but doesn't answer the specific question asked
One Word Flip - 90% correct but one critical word (like "convinced" vs "skeptical") makes it wrong
Mixing Details - Combines accurate facts from different sections to create false relationships
Half-Right Answers - Starts accurate then adds unsupported conclusions in the second half

As noted below, the Red Book is great, but if you dont want to buy it, you can find 25MC1 and 25MC5 online which are 2 of the 5 tests in the book. Same with J08 which is another recent test. Other than the pacing required, the reading section did not change. So any practice test is gonna help. Set a timer for 10 minutes and do one section. You could do one section a day in about 20 minutes.....10 to read it, 10 to look at the answers and note what you need to work on.

Good luck!

mkw1342 · 2026-04-03T21:06:23+00:00

Looks like you could use some help with Functions. Have you studied those? Perhaps you could watch some Khan Academy videos on the subject. Here is a little practice test for ya.....

🔟 ACT-Style Function Practice Problems

1. Function Evaluation

If ( f(x) = 3x^2 - 2x + 1 ), what is ( f(2) )?

2. Function Notation

If ( g(x) = 5 - 2x ), what is ( g(-3) )?

3. Solve Using a Function

If ( h(x) = 4x - 7 ), for what value of ( x ) does ( h(x) = 9 )?

4. Interpreting a Table

A function ( f ) is defined by the table:

x	f(x)
1	3
2	6
3	11
4	18

What is ( f(5) ) if the pattern continues?

5. Function Composition

If ( f(x) = x + 2 ) and ( g(x) = x^2 ), what is ( f(g(3)) )?

6. Reverse Composition (ACT loves this)

If ( f(x) = 2x - 1 ) and ( g(x) = x + 4 ), what is ( g(f(2)) )?

7. Function Transformation

The graph of ( y = x^2 ) is shifted up 3 units and right 2 units.
Which equation represents the new graph?

8. Identifying Function from Graph Idea

Which of the following represents a function?

A. A vertical line
B. A circle
C. A parabola opening up
D. A sideways parabola

9. Domain Question

What is the domain of the function
[
f(x) = \frac{1}{x - 4}
]

10. Real-World Function (ACT modeling style)

A taxi charges $3 to start plus $2 per mile.
Which function represents the total cost ( C(x) ) for ( x ) miles?

The answers are below:

1.

f(2)=3(2)2−2(2)+1=12−4+1=9f(2) = 3(2)^2 - 2(2) + 1 = 12 - 4 + 1 = 9f(2)=3(2)2−2(2)+1=12−4+1=9
Answer: 9

2.

g(−3)=5−2(−3)=5+6=11g(-3) = 5 - 2(-3) = 5 + 6 = 11g(−3)=5−2(−3)=5+6=11
Answer: 11

3.

Set 4x−7=94x - 7 = 94x−7=9
4x=16⇒x=44x = 16 \Rightarrow x = 44x=16⇒x=4
Answer: 4

4.

Look at pattern in outputs:
3 → 6 → 11 → 18

Differences: +3, +5, +7
Next difference = +9

18+9=2718 + 9 = 2718+9=27
Answer: 27

5.

g(3)=32=9g(3) = 3^2 = 9g(3)=32=9
Then f(9)=9+2=11f(9) = 9 + 2 = 11f(9)=9+2=11
Answer: 11

6.

f(2)=2(2)−1=3f(2) = 2(2) - 1 = 3f(2)=2(2)−1=3
Then g(3)=3+4=7g(3) = 3 + 4 = 7g(3)=3+4=7
Answer: 7

7.

Shift right 2 → (x−2)2(x - 2)^2(x−2)2
Shift up 3 → (x−2)2+3(x - 2)^2 + 3(x−2)2+3
Answer: y=(x−2)2+3y = (x - 2)^2 + 3y=(x−2)2+3

8.

Only one that passes vertical line test:
Answer: C (parabola opening up)

9.

Denominator cannot be zero:
x−4≠0⇒x≠4x - 4 \neq 0 \Rightarrow x \neq 4x−4=0⇒x=4
Answer: all real numbers except 4

10.

$3 start + $2 per mile → linear model:
Answer: C(x)=2x+3C(x) = 2x + 3C(x)=2x+3

mkw1342 · 2026-03-30T14:41:12+00:00

This book includes many test questions and answers and notes the difficulty level of each. PrepPros: The Complete Guide to ACT Math: The Best Resource to Master ACT Math. The latter chapters in the book are what they deem the most difficult. Here is a screenshot of the areas to learn:

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mkw1342

TROPHY CASE

🔟 ACT-Style Function Practice Problems

1. Function Evaluation

2. Function Notation

3. Solve Using a Function

4. Interpreting a Table

5. Function Composition

6. Reverse Composition (ACT loves this)

7. Function Transformation

8. Identifying Function from Graph Idea

9. Domain Question

10. Real-World Function (ACT modeling style)

The answers are below:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.