hi andrew. my first piece of advice for you is to not be so hard on yourself. yes, this is a very frustrating situation. but many act students have been where you are, with a score that seems “stuck” at an unsatisfactory level. and just as many act students have found ways to move on from this sticky situation and get their scores to improve.

one thing you should do right away, if you’re not doing it already, is to use “real” act practice questions and tests from the people who make the exam. be sure to do practice tests with the most recent edition of the real act prep guide, and be sure that you are also practicing with act test preparation from the official act website.

of course, you may already be using those materials. if so– good! those are the best materials to prep you for test day and give you an accurate sense of your current act ability.

next, it’s important to know and understand your strengths and weaknesses. don’t just look at your whole-test score in act practice. also make a plan for future studies based on how you’re doing in individual sections. for example, you may find you are scoring higher in reading or english, compared to math. or vice versa. maybe the science section is the hardest for you, while reading is the easiest.

look at individual question and passage types as well. are story problems harder than other math problems, or easier? are you strong or weak in your use of act math formulas? are you more confident with act science reading passages or act science graphs and tables? are there any act english question types that you’re stronger or weaker in?

you should also look at how you’re doing with test strategies. often, when someone is stuck with a low score but they know they’re capable of getting a 30+, the problem is test skills and strategy rather than academic knowledge. if you determine that test skills are your main problem,this can actually be good news. test skills can be built on and improved fairly quickly, compared to the time it takes to gain new academic knowledge. think about how you’re doing in skills such as act multiple choice strategies. and think of strategies to help you score well even in difficult situations, such as things you can do when your’e running out of time on act reading.

finally, consider a new approach to tutoring. it’s definitely good that you have sought out tutoring. but it sounds like your’e seeking act help in fixed 12 week sessions, probably from a major test prep company. this kind of set up is often “one size fits all.” but to improve your score, it’s usually better to find assistance that addresses your individual learning needs. sometimes, just a handful of 1 on 1 sessions with an individual private tutor can be more beneficial than a 12 week course with fixed curriculum. and sometimes, all it takes to improve on the act is guided self-study, where you make most of study decisions and plans on your own on your own. or you can do this with light additional guidance from a self study service, such as our very own magoosh act.

whatever you choose to do next, i also believe you’re capable of getting a 30+. take careful stock of your strengths and weaknesses, stick with the right materials and assistance, and you should be able to make a plan of action that gets you out of your twenty point rut and moves you forward to success. a lot of other students are in your very frustrating situation. i appreciate your courage in coming forward to talk about this, andrew. the discussion we’re having here on the blog can help a lot of act students.