How to get a 30 or Higher on the ACT Are you taking the ACT to get into your dream college? Or do you have to take a school-administered ACT as an upperclassman? Well, no matter why you’re taking it, here are my top tips for the test and what I would do differently next time (Scroll down for detailed tips for each subject). I took my first ACT as a sophomore - and I scored a 33 composite (not a 36, but I’m still proud). I had scores of 31 in English, 33 in Math, 36 in Reading, and 30 in Science. Additionally, I took the optional Writing test and got a score of 10 out of 12 total points. I started studying in mid-July and booked a test appointment for October 10th. That’s around 3 solid months to practice, revise, and learn content. General ACT Tips Set a goal: What number do you want? This way, each time you score your test, you’ll have a general idea of how many questions you can get wrong, but still get the score you want. If you’re trying to get into a certain college, you can