Top 10 Tips for Surviving ACT or SAT Tests

For any high school students out there who plan to apply to college, acing the SAT or the ACT is the best way to boost your chances of admission! Whether you choose to take the SAT or the ACT, you will want to use similar study techniques and test prep strategies. These high-pressure, nearly four-hour long tests take a lot of preparation, but there are a few ways to increase your ability to score well.
The Top Ten
1 Don’t Give Up

Sometimes, it just seems too frustrating to keep studying. Maybe your scores on practice tests haven't increased. Maybe you keep getting the same kind of question wrong. Maybe you always run out of time on the reading comprehension questions. No matter what the hardest part of test prep for you is, try to keep in mind the big picture: taking this test is going to lead to an exciting, new part of life! All your hard work is going to pay off.

2 Practice Makes Perfect

The best way to guarantee a higher score for yourself is to start a consistent practice and prep schedule, and then stick with it! Consistency is the key to improving your score, so start studying now and make it a habit.

I went to prep and now, I'm not even stressed. No stress whatsoever. My SAT is in 2 days. LOL. But I did really well on their tests which were at the same level or harder. I'm kind of excited.

3 Work With a Tutor

If you have lingering questions about the SAT or ACT, or if you're so overwhelmed that you don't know where to start, finding a tutor whom you can work with individually can help demystify either test. While this option may be a bit more pricy than doing self-study with a prep book, working with a real person will give you the chance to ask any questions that come to mind. A tutor can also make sure that you stay on track with your test prep, and he or she can help tailor your practice to fit the areas that you want to improve. If you want to learn more, www.originstutoring.com has a great blog that gives more information about tutoring.

4 Take Practice Tests

After you've done some significant review, try taking a practice test. Compare your results to those from your diagnostic test, and note any progress that you have made. Using this information, choose a new mix of practice questions to answer in order to better prepare in areas that you didn't do so well in.

That's why I chose the option to take the PreACT which I'm commenting this today several hours before I have to take the test early morning. 12:59 AM 10/7/20

I haven't received my results yet I feel that I done very well on the PreACT. That's how confident I feel. 10/9/20 3:47 AM

5 Read Essay Prompts

The SAT has an essay section, and the ACT has an optional essay section. The easiest way to prepare for writing an essay on the spot is by looking at old prompts and practicing how you would outline an essay on that topic. The most important things to remember are to make sure that your essay argues something, and to write about relevant personal/historical events that you can use as evidence for your thesis.

6 Take Care of Yourself Before Test Day

Not all your test prep involves answering questions! Do your best to get a good night's sleep and to eat a good breakfast before the test. Your brain will need all the help it can get, and you will want to spend your time answering questions, not falling asleep or being hungry!

7 Get Yourself a Test Prep Book

Once you know what areas you most want to improve, you need to buckle down and commit to actually studying for your test. Using your test prep book, do as many practice questions as you can in whatever areas you would like to improve. Read the advice and test strategies that the book provides, because those tips can help you save time when you're actually taking the test.

That's what in planning to do once all the PreACT is all over. This means everything to me. 1:00 AM 10/7/20

This thing helped me in every possible way. Better buy a good one.

8 Take a Diagnostic Test

You can usually find one or two practice SAT or ACT tests online. Many test prep companies also manufacture books with practice SAT and ACT tests. The best way to begin your test prep is to take one of the practice tests, just so you can get a sense of how you're doing. Once you calculate your scores, you can choose the subjects to focus on most during your review.

9 Study Important Vocab

On both the SAT and the ACT, many reading comprehension questions will depend on your knowledge of extensive vocabulary. The best way to build up your vocabulary is to read frequently, but you can also use test prep flashcards if you want to do extra review. There are also some dedicated test prep books that have lists of vocabulary words to memorize: learn as many as you can.

10 Sign Up for the SAT/ACT Question of the Day

To kick start your test prep routine, consider signing up for the SAT or ACT Question of the Day. You'll get one real test question emailed to you each day, with a detailed explanation of the answer choices and topics that you might want to study to improve. In just a few minutes each day, this can help you get used to the question format on the test you will take, and it will get you in the habit of doing practice questions.

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