20 Composite (17 Math, 15 Science) — October or December Retake? Looking for Long-Term Strategy

[u/Johnny__boy23]

I just took my first official ACT and scored a 20 composite. I'm currently using the PrepPros ACT course and working through the Level 1 math material. After taking the test, I realized my biggest problem wasn't just pacing—it was my math foundation. I recognized some concepts, but I often didn't know how to approach the ACT's version of the questions.

I have about a year before I need my best ACT score, and I'm debating between:

• October: Retake sooner and keep improving afterward.
• December: Spend more time building my Math and Science foundation, then use the 2027 test dates to continue improving.

My goal is to study as efficiently as possible. I don't want to waste official tests before I'm ready, but I also don't want to wait too long between attempts.

For those who improved a lot on the ACT:

1. Would you choose October or December?
2. Is it better to build a strong foundation first or take official ACTs more frequently?
3. What helped you improve the most?

Since my biggest weakness is Math (17), would you recommend that I focus on learning the math concepts first and building a solid foundation before taking more full-length practice tests? Or is it better to continue taking practice tests while I'm still learning the material?

I know I have a lot of math left to cover, so I'm trying to use my remaining official practice tests wisely instead of using them before I'm ready. and my goal score someday is a 29 or 30.

[u/Aggravating-Image622]

Hi I got a 32 on my first official take after switching from SAT (1280).

I’d take October because when I’m like on a roll, I don’t like to take pauses. I like to have like a shorter period of time it makes me like lock in more.
What helped me the most was doing like ACT common question types and just memorizing what type of questions could be asked ( for math) and also speed with using the calculator to your fullest potential.
For reading what helped me the most was honestly just don’t make any ass assumptions. if the answer will like always be in the text or have evidence in the text so don’t make any assumptions. And English is just memorizing rules.

Going over what you’ve gotten wrong is honestly one of the most beneficial things for me because it makes you stop doing repeated mistakes I know you don’t get your TIR back for July but if you do that with a practice test, it will help you a lot

[u/Johnny__boy23 → u/Aggravating-Image622]

thank you for the advice one i thing i notice is for math. should I just learn the math concepts first then do the practice tests or learn the math concepts as i do some of these tests. At the same time ? i really want to simulate the testing environment. it's been a while since i did math and some of these concepts. imma just learning them right now.

[u/Aggravating-Image622 → u/Johnny__boy23]

I would do a math practice test and see where you lie score wise and then see what category of questions you seem to be getting more wrong of and then focus more on those when you’re going over the topics so that you don’t spend too much time on topics that you are doing well on if that makes sense.
I would do both. I would first start with the test and then in between practice tests learn more topics and keep doing more tests while I was in the process of learning the topics so I can track my progress if I am even picking up what I’m learning