Hi everyone! I'm trying to get my head around the whole ACT superscoring thing. Could someone please explain how it works? What's the strategy behind this - should I aim to just ace one section at a time?
Absolutely, I'd be happy to explain the concept of ACT superscoring. Essentially, ACT superscoring is when colleges consider your highest score in each section across all your ACT tests, rather than just looking at your composite score from a single test date.
Here's a practical example. Let's say you took the ACT two times. On the first attempt, you received: English (28), Math (32), Reading (30), and Science (27). The composite score would be (117/4) = 29.25 rounded to 29. On your second attempt, you scored: English (31), Math (28), Reading (29), and Science (31). The composite for this second attempt would again be 29.5, rounded to 30.
But if the college superscores, they'll take the best scores from each section across both sittings: English (31), Math (32), Reading (30), and Science (31). This would leave you with a superscore composite of 31, which is better than either of your individual test day composites.
In terms of strategy, it's generally not a good idea to only study for a single section at a time, as you wouldn't want your scores in the other sections to drop significantly. The goal is to improve overall and maintain your strengths. However, if there is a particular section where your score is considerably lower, it might be beneficial to dedicate some extra prep time for that area before your next attempt.
Remember, not all colleges superscore the ACT, so you should check the admissions policies of the schools you are applying to.
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