Reddit mentions of ACT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective ACT Strategies Ever Published

I think if you want it a lot you can do it (at least get your score to a 32+ range)

So first you want to get all your test scores to a solid 30. For English, this is gonna be pretty easy for you, but obviously a lot harder for science and reading. I think, since your scores are below that 30 range, i think you should focus on content THEN on time and understanding the test.

I'll advice you, if you are financially able to get the actual ACT book (the one ACT inc. sells) as well as this ACT black book. The ACT black book literally has everything you need for a good score, INCLUDING CONTENT and TIPS. And then you probably want the actual ACT book for practice tests and stuff. But PLEASE don't use other ACT books (and if you aren't able to get both, purchase the black book only because you can find practice tests online. If you aren't able to purchase either, I've included links to help with gaining that information)....

​

For English, improvement is all dependent on knowing the rules (esp COMMA rules) and recognizing the pattern of ACT questions. To do this, you have to learn ALL OF THESE grammar rules, (and given that your score is at a 29, then you must know most of them). Then you must strive for consistency and perfection. Every time you miss a question on an English question, please think about why you got it wrong and WHAT THOUGHT PROCESS you needed to go through to get it write. I used to keep a notebook to do this because writing it down helped me remember. English is the easiest score to improve, and it is the quickest so getting your english score to a 35/36 would be really good. It all comes down to consistent practice and understanding your mistakes. Make sure to do a lot of practice questions (but only real ACT English questions, do not use Princeton, Barron, etc.), this builds up your intuition for knowing the correct answer and you begin to recognize patters this way.

​

For Math, you obviously have content issues. Go to this link for strategies, tips, and TOPIC guides. The topic guides are good for reenforcing concepts you don't know. I'm also assuming that time is a problem for you. It was a problem for me too. First, do the math section with no time limit and try to do your best, and if you get to the 30+ range that way, you need to take a lot more sections under the time limit and train your brain to go faster, esp on the first 30 questions. I'm pretty sure that you can still get a 30 on math by missing 10 questions (fact check me on this I might be wrong).

​

For Reading, you need to learn HOW to read and COMPREHEND a passage correctly. You need to understand that all the questions in this section only have one answer, and this answer ALWAYS has evidence in the passage. Even if an answer is partially right, IT IS WRONG. It must be 100% correct to be the correct answer. The black book really reenforces this concept. You also might have time problems. The correct way to do ACT reading is to give yourself 8.5 min per passage. If you're a slow reader, give yourself 5 min to read and process the passage, then head to the questions but know you are going to have to rush. Try to get through all the questions with accuracy and precision.

​

For Science, you don't need to know any actual science. It is all reading graphs and analyzing them under the time limit. There might be like one or two questions that require ACTUAL science. NEVER read the blips of texts unless you absolutely need to, unless it is the Conflicting Viewpoints passage, then and only then READ EVERY SINGLE WORD. Know that you will only have a max of 5 to 6 minutes per passage. That's why you need to keep the reading to a minimum.

​

I think if you really put all the work and heart into studying you can get your score up to maybe even a 34+. It is all about consistency, accuracy, and precision in your practice. You have a month and a half so you should get going as soon as possible. I'd suggest splitting out the sections into a full practice test for the first 2 weeks, and then taking a practice test each week until the test. AMA or PM me if you have any questions or need help, I'm more than happy to. Hope this helps, and that you get your score up!

Also check out the ACT Black Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692078398/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_S412AbEYZ69KP It really helped me with strategy and to break down the test. I studied for a week from it (along with the official 3rd edition ACT prep book) and raised my score from 31 to 35.