Barron's ACT 36, 2nd Edition: Aiming for the Perfect Score Author: Alexander Spare M.A. Ann Hirsch M.A. Jonathan Pazol M.S. Krista L. McDaniel M.A. | Language: English | ISBN:
0764147056 | Format: EPUB
Barron's ACT 36, 2nd Edition: Aiming for the Perfect Score Description
An ACT test score of 36 represents test-taking perfection. College-bound students who approach this score are more likely to gain acceptance into the nation's finest colleges. Students who are focusing on getting an exceptionally high or even perfect score on the ACT will want to get their hands on this innovative book. Inside, they'll find:
Advice and strategies for tackling the ACT's most difficult questions and coming up with winning answersExtra-challenging practice tests in all ACT test areas: English, Math, Reading, Science, and the optional Writing testInstruction on reading efficiently and retentivelySpecial tips for boosting your science scoreDetailed advice on writing a winning essay
Book can be purchased alone or with an optional CD-ROM presenting a full-length ACT practice test that closely matches the real ACT with answers, plus 50 extra-difficult questions with answers.- Series: Barron's Act 36
- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 2 edition (February 1, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0764147056
- ISBN-13: 978-0764147050
- Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I am a parent of a son who attempted to improve the score and he acheived it. The reason for my review, I went through the pain of finding out what is the best book to coach. So we purchased different(used) books, each one has its own strength and weakness. His score improved from 28 to 33. So I asked him to rank the books which he would recommend for others -
1) Real ACT
2) Barron's ACT 36 and the other ACT books of Barron's
3) Princeton
4) For practice he used Mcgraw-Hill - 10 exams
5) Used online websites in local library to try the practice exam. My local town lib provided two real exams. He felt it was a good one.
Bottom line, I coached him and didnt send to any other coaching centers. I asked him to review the concepts in each book then practice. The drill was each weekend for last 3 months. One full test over the weekend including writing. We tracked the practice test score consistently and observed the pattern. Except for Math and Science his exam score was same as practice(35). So the Math and Science questions in these books could be easier than the real exam; he scored lower than the practice test. Few days before the exam, we went through all his mistakes on all subjects. For Math, I reviewed the concepts along with him as mistakes were reviwed. We both spent time to review Geometry, Trignomentry and math formulas/concept. A day before the exam I asked him to review ACT 36 book tips and quick bite of the information. He felt it was a good recap. He is junior in high school and I asked him to try one more time to improve 1 or 2 points or shoot for perfect score as he got the grip of it. Let us see. Practice, Practice...then review the mistakes slowly to strengthen the skills. That's all.
I'll certainly say that this is the most detailed ACT strategy book I've read. Being someone who scores in the 30s, I needed a book that was going to help me answer the more difficult questions. I had no use for the books that simply taught you how to use a comma, verb tenses, possession, etc; I knew that stuff already. Basically, this is the book for those who want help scoring above a 30.
The strategies in this book aren't great, and I found myself using it more for the information it gives in the English and Math sections. The English section goes through a huge chapter-worth of all the complex grammar or punctuation rules you may just happen to find one question on on the test. However, having taken the real ACT three times already, I have to say that they don't really test you on that kind of stuff. The math section does the same type of thing, teaching you the basics but also complex sequencing, trigonometry, etc. to help you on those two or three harder questions that make the difference between a 30 and a 33 or even a 33 and a 36. The only really good thing from the Science section is the '5-6-7 strategy' and I haven't found anything too helpful from the reading section. Those are just sections no one can really tell you what to do; you have to find what works for you.
Overall, I'd say that this book really over-prepares you, showing you how to answer the questions you'll probably find once a 'testing-season' on one of the tests. However, if you're truly aiming for that perfect score, then you're going to have to be prepared to answer those types of questions.
It does include a practice test for each category, but they're pretty difficult, as the book strategy covers more difficult questions as I said.
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