I need a 19 composite score on ACT to get into local nursing program.

For the years 2012-2014, 58% of high school students taking the ACT received a composite 19 or better (statistics available at act.org for your viewing pleasure). Being brutally honest here, a 19 is a low low bar to be setting. Can you take an ACT prep class? Can you take a test taking skill class? If you can't meet this standard on pretty basic high school level information, how are you going to perform in prerequisites and nursing school where a very large portion of your grade (if not the whole thing) is based on timed testing? And then there's the NCLEX... an ACT prep class is going to be the first place to start at the very least.

My first time I got a 24 without studying... I can't exactly remember the time limit but you can't be a slowpoke anyway, there are limits on tests for a reason (prep for your future college and professional career). It was adequate. For me, I feel like I know something or I don't. So if I didn't know a question I skipped it then went back to make an educated guess. Don't spend more than 2 minutes on multiple choice questions.

My second try I went to a free ACT prep class and they went over different techniques (sorry, can't remember what they were, it feels so long ago). I got a 26 my second try. This was a year after my first try (first try was junior year, second try was senior year).

Don't think too hard about it, just practice test taking techniques. Eat a good breakfast the day of, sleep well the night before, chew gum during if you need to. Be prepared mentally and physically (pencils, calculator). Just find solace knowing that the ACT is easier than the SAT. I took the SAT before the ACT and thought I had no chance of getting into college.

You will have timed tests all through nursing school, so get used to them now. I'm surprised that there are nursing programs that use this as it is a high school test used for general admittance to college. There are books you can buy to help you study for it.

Suggest that the OP doesn't confuse 'minimum requirement' with 'actual admissions' for any program. The info published in the school catalog does not reflect the nature of the people vying for admission. If OP is unlucky enough to be applying at the same time as a huge bunch of "high flyers", the lowest score actually admitted will be much higher than the minimum because schools always start at the top and work their way down the list until they have filled the class.

The test makers of the ACT have an official review/study guide which is very helpful. Use that to your advantage.

You may want to consider taking it once to get a benchmark and another time to achieve your desired score. A 19 on the ACT is a rather low score; To be more competitive, I would shoot for at least a 22 if not a 24 at the minimum.

My local community college offers ACT prep classes. You have to pay for them but they really do help. A friend of mine took her ACT and made a 19 on it, took the ACT prep classes, retook it and she made a 22. I took my ACT after being out of high school for 6 years, dropping out in 11th grade (didn't even get to finish algebra 1) hardly any studying, and made a 20. Retook it a couple of months later and made a 22. The ACT requirement for my college's ADN program is only 18. actstudent.org is VERY helpful. It's free and gives you a ton of sample questions. The only way you are really going to be able to help yourself is to practice. If you can invest in it, you can buy The Real ACT prep book at any bookstore. It's supposed to be from the "real makers of the ACT". It has 5 very similar tests, test taking tips, score sheet, and a lot of other helpful info. Taking a practice test and timing yourself like they will when you take your ACT will really help a lot. Also, if you don't get the score you want the first time, you can always retake it. I'm retaking it AGAIN for scholarship reasons, and I've taken it twice and I dread it SO much. Our school says that they keep our highest scores for our tests, so if someone makes a 17 and retakes it and makes a 20, they keep the 20. Good luck on your test, and just remember to never give up. I'm sure you'll do just fine.