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Writer's picturePhilip Martin

The "Easiest" ACT Test?

I've been teaching ACT prep for a very, very long time. I've written 7 ACT prep books and taught hundreds of students my ACT prep methods. Through it all, there is one rumor or idea that always pops up time and again. There's a glimmer of hope in the students who hold it: if this is true, maybe I'll get a better score right away! However, I have to dispel of this rumor (and did so with a YouTube video here as well).


The rumor is that there is, annually, an "easiest" ACT test. I've heard this rumor about all kinds of ACT's. Some students have said it's the July ACT. Others have said it's the June ACT. I've heard the same thing about the September, December, February, October, and April ACT's (aka all of them!). And, of course, I've heard the opposite, that there is an ACT test that is most difficult.


If we were to examine all ACT tests ever administered, it is true that we would discover that some of them might be "easier" than others (though "easy" can be relative depending on what the student knows or doesn't know).


However, the ACT uses different grading scales for different tests. If you were to score a 60, for example, out of 75 on one English test, you might net an ACT English score of 27. If you did that on the next ACT test however, you might net an ACT English score of 26.


Grading scales for two different ACT tests
Different grading scales for different ACT's

Is that fair? I guess not, but the ACT recognizes that one of these English tests is a little eaasier than another. So, from that point of view, maybe it is fair...I don't know.


What I do know is that whether it's fair or not doesn't matter. What matters is this: are you putting yourself in a position to improve on the ACT? Are you taking that English test, reviewing your answers, learning why you missed certain problems, and doing better the next time?


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Need a little extra help? Check out my free ACT System cheat sheets!

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