ACT: Third Time's the Charm?

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ACT:  Third Time's the Charm?

                Yesterday, I took the ACT for the third time.  I took it once in seventh grade, and once in ninth grade, but this was my first ‘legit’ time, because I am now a junior.  The ACT is a pretty brutal test; not because each of the sections individually is so excruciating, but all together the four to five hour test really wears you down by the end.  The test is always taken in the same order; English, math, reading, and science.  And if you choose to take the Plus Writing option, then writing is at the end. 

                In seventh grade, I didn’t take the writing part, but I still felt the full effect of the psychological breakdown that occurs through the grueling hours of the exam.  I felt fine during the English section, because it was first, and math is by far my strongest area (I got a 35 on the math section my first time, and the only two I missed were stupid mistakes), but then came reading, my relative weakness.  It took a lot of effort to get through it, especially since I was pressed for time, as I was the next two times I took the ACT also.  Then came science, which is really just the evaluation of scientific studies, which totally caught me off guard.  In the end, I was grateful that I would be able to take this test many more times to get a better score.

                In ninth grade, I took the ACT Plus Writing.  I was much more conditioned against the mental fatigue, and got a better score, except I got the lowest possible score on the writing section.  It wasn’t because I am a horrific writer, but rather because I didn’t follow the directions.  The writing section always presents a controversial issue, and you have to take a side on the issue, or develop an entirely different solution.  I, however, sort of took both sides, which was apparently totally unacceptable.

                Yesterday, I felt like a professional athlete when facing the test weardown, and I am sure that when the results come in, I will get my best score by far.  This time, I followed the directions on the writing section, and I hope to get a perfect score on it or perhaps one point less.  If I get a good enough score on the entire test, I will be done and never take it again.  However, I’m not easily satisfied, so the score better be high as all hell.  :)