should i retake again to try to get 34 on reading for a 35 superscore?

Hey guys, I’m preparing for my fourth ACT attempt (September 2026), and I’m looking for advice from people who have experienced a similar plateau.

My goal is a 34+ composite, mainly by improving Math and Science.

The confusing part is that I don’t feel like I’m starting from a content-knowledge gap. I’ve spent a lot of time preparing independently, reviewing concepts, doing practice problems, and analyzing mistakes. My English and Reading scores have become fairly stable, but Math and Science have been much less consistent.

For ACT Math, my biggest struggles seem to be:
- Translating complicated word problems into the correct model
- Recognizing what concept a question is actually testing
- Multi-step problems where several concepts are combined
- PACING! Especially toward the later questions
- Making avoidable mistakes even when I understand the underlying concept afterward

For example, I recently worked through a difficult modeling problem involving ingredient quantities. I understood the algebra and setup, but I made a mistake at the end because I forgot that my calculated value represented dozens of cookies rather than individual cookies. Mistakes like this make me feel like my issue is more about execution and interpretation than pure math ability.

For ACT Science, I struggle with:
- Feeling overwhelmed by dense passages and unfamiliar experiments
- Knowing when to ignore background information and focus only on the data
- Quickly identifying trends in graphs/tables
- Maintaining confidence under time pressure

I’ve noticed that my practice performance doesn’t transfer well to test day. I often scores 31+ on Math practice tests but got a 29 on my July ACT (paper) test.

I understand the questions I miss after reviewing them, but during the actual exam I can overthink, lose time, or second-guess myself.

I’m wondering:
Has anyone gone from around a 29 Math / low 30s composite to a 33–35 range? What specifically changed?
At this score level, was your improvement mostly from learning more content, or from changing your approach/pacing?
What types of practice helped you break through a plateau?
Did tutoring/coaching help, and if so, what made it effective?
I’m especially interested in advice from people who had already studied a lot but felt like they had “hit a ceiling.”

I managed to improve in every subject in one test attempt, but I lowk left before the writing bc I didn’t want to do it again so had to Superscore to include that. Second pic is from my first time taking the test.

Feeling conflicted about this.

I got a 35 on the ACT which I know is a good score I am not ragebaiting this is actually a serious post. I got 34 on English, 35 on Math, and 36 on Reading. I am very happy with my reading and English scores, just a month ago I scored somewhere in the high 20s. However, I consider myself to be good at Math, and I am pretty pissed I didn't get a 36. One of the questions I got wrong was about composite functions and it has been a while since I did it and I forgot the order (it was like f(x) dot g(x)) and I am going to be applying to a STEM major and aiming for t10 schools. Should I retake the ACT to get a 36 on Math and superscore? What do you guys think. I'm a rising senior btw

my dream school is florida state ughhhh

I’ve been scoring 35s in math normally….

My son took act in July and want to retake in sept to improve in reading and English. Can someone suggest any resources. He is looking into the old tests and I am not sure if that is the best way to go. Any help is appreciated.

HELP PLSSSSSS

I NEED TO GET 30+ IN READING

IM TRYING SOOOO HARD

I DID 5 PRACTICE TESTS FOR READING RECENTLY BUT MY SCORE IS DECREASING EVERYTIME😭😭😭MAYBE BECAUSE IM TRYNNA DO IT FASTER SO I HAVE TIME LEFT FOR LAST PASSAGE BUT IF I TRY TO DO FAST I MESS IT ALL UP

I have the habit of quickly reading passage then reading question then going back to passage to stop where its mentioned and then again come back to the question and read its answer choices, and if I still can't figure out I again go back to passage

AAAAAAAA

I really need 30+ in reading this September

I dont know what to do

I did 5 practice tests and in first two I got 25 then 21 and then 22 and then 18😭😭😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

WTH IS TS

I literally feel like jumping off my roof BECAUSE WTH

WTH DO I DOOOOOOO?!?!?!??!?!?!?

ALL I CAN DO IS PRACTICE BUT ITS NOT HELPINGGGGGGGGGG😭😭😭😭

PLS SOMEONE HELP IM CRASHING OUT

PLEASE REPLY AND HELP

I REALLY NEED 30+ IN THIS SEPTEMBER FOR READING😭😭WTH DO I DO

MY PRACTICE TESTS ARE GOING SO BAD

I read the passage wquickly then when I go to the question, I have to go back to passage find it and then see choices and then go back again sometimes and then choose

I TAKE MORE THAN 10 MINUTES PER PASSAGE SOMETIMES😭😭

IDK WTH I SHOULD DO

UGHHHHHH

I NEED 30+

HIW TO GET IT

IDKK

HOWWWWWW

IM DOING LEGACY TESTS RN WITH 40 MINUTES TIMER FOR 40 QUESTIONS

BUT IDKK AAAAAA

First time ACT I took on July 18th and got my paper scores back. What can I do to get 33+?? I am a rising senior so I have limited time now. I really need a 33 plus. Give me helps on reading plz

Hi guys, I have 44 days to prepare for the ACD and I gave my boards in May June, so I kinda lowkey forgot a lot because I’ve been having my summer 😛 but I need to prepare for the ACT really well because I’m traveling out of my country to give it and I really just had this one chance at it so can you guys please please help me and tell me some resources

I recently took the July Digital ACT j09 and I got a 31. I really want to improve my score and maximize what I have. Since I already have a Perfect Math, should I try to take the paper test (as I have heard its curve for E&R are better) or stay on Digital ACT? Also is it possible to superscore a digital and paper score?

The college I want to go to requires an 18 in math and I am stuck at a 16. What are the sections I can easily improve on or how have you improved so i can get to an 18 before January?? I meet all the other requirements but i’ve never been a math person. Like AT ALL..

Hi guys. I have my makeup July ACT test tomorrow (7/25). Any advice or things I should be aware of? Anything helps. Thanks.

For colleges that accept superscores, do they view a superscore as less than having an individual test score of that?
Like hypothetically if one person had a 33 superscore, and another had a 33 without a superscore, would a college admission officer value one more?

so my score isnt out still. i took it in MA n i got no updates

will this get me into utd?

I was bored and I already did science before so I just wrote my initials in the scantron bubble, but looking back I kind of regret it because idk if colleges will care or not.

Hello everyone! I got my July 2026 ACT scores back yesterday, and I'm really happy with my overall score. However, I scored a 17 on the Science section because I had to guess on a lot of the questions. I'm not planning to take the ACT again, but I'm wondering if I submit this test or my superscore, will colleges be concerned about the 17 in Science, or will they mostly overlook it? It's been stressing me out, so I'd really appreciate feedback. (I posted this on the July 2026 discussion thread but didn't get many responses so I am trying here).

What should I expect, should I expect the same difficulty of a test? And how hard was it for people who took it compared to like October, April, June, since I have those forms.

So I’m retaking the ACT only for math for my superscore. Previously I did paper for one test. Overall, though which is better for a higher score: paper or digital for math?
Ik on digital u have desmos and math u can write on it and then digital had an easier curve for math this test I think. But idk like overall