The ACT and SAT are considered compulsory requirements by universities all over the country. These are standardized tests that play a large role in getting accepted into a college for higher education. Your scores on these tests can give you a leg up on the competition when you are applying for the schools you want to go to.
Getting a great score on these tests takes some preparation, hard work, and a good gameplan. Below are a few ACT and SAT tips that you can use as guidance to earn the best score on the big day.
Take A Test Prep Class
The best way to make sure you do your best on the SAT or ACT is with a test preparation course. Good news! We offer a course for that exact purpose. Here’s a little more information on our course. This SAT/ACT class prepares students to perform well on both the SAT and ACT college entrance exams. We believe, as do many educators, that students should take both tests. Most colleges will accept either and students will sometimes score higher on one exam than the other. We use books by different publishers because we feel that they do the best job of preparing students for each test, respectively. This class covers all subject matter on these two exams (reading, math, English, and science) as well as essay-writing and test-taking strategies.
This will be a 1-semester self-paced course. Lessons will be pre-recorded and available to students to watch at a time that fits best with their schedule, but a suggested schedule with deadlines will be included in the syllabus to guide student pacing.
Read The Directions
This is the most basic of SAT tips, but it is still an important one. Before beginning your test, make sure that you read the directions carefully. This will help you avoid making careless mistakes. You will also be able to determine what you need to do and organize your thoughts.
Go Out Of Order
It is a good idea to start with the questions that you know best first. Get those answers out of the way and then you will have more time to work through the more difficult questions. This will allow you to be more efficient with your time.
Eliminate Wrong Answers
It is easy to fall into a trap with multiple-choice questions — trying to guess the right answer when you aren’t sure. Instead, start by working to determine which answers are wrong and eliminate them. Then if you do end up needing to guess, you’ll have better odds of guessing correctly.
One thing to keep in mind about these tests is that you only get points for answers that are correct. There is no penalty for an incorrect answer. So, don’t stress about losing points for a wrong answer, and make sure you answer everything — even if it is a guess.
Your Writing Is Your First Impression
Remember that your writing matters. Try to keep it as neat as possible when answering the written questions. It may seem strange, but this can help you build a good impression. On the other hand, writing carelessly can cost you some points.
Use Your Paper To The Fullest
If you need to do any calculations, prepare some short notes, or summarize a point, don’t hesitate to use all of the space provided. When you do this, keep your scratch work clear and organized. That too leaves a good impression of your evaluation skills.
Avoid Unnecessary Spots And Marks
SAT and ACT answer sheets are scored by machines. Machines that may not be able to tell the difference between a correctly marked answer and an accidental spot or mark on the test sheet. Be careful not to leave unnecessary marks that could cost you a question. If you need to change an answer, be thorough in erasing the first answer.
Read The Questions
Here’s another one of our obvious SAT tips. You may feel rushed and try to hurry through some of the questions. It is wise to avoid this. Remember, there is no penalty for a wrong answer so be sure to carefully read each question so you understand what it is asking to give yourself the best chance of answering correctly.
Understand The Questions
Take it a step further than just reading the question. Some questions have multiple parts so you’ll want to make sure that you go over them a couple of times if necessary. If you do not pay close attention you may miss out on the second part. Take your time to read and understand every question before answering.
Manage Your Time
Both of the tests are timed. That can put pressure on students who show up without a plan. If you get in a rush, that’s when mistakes happen. Make your plan for how much time should be spent on each section. Then don’t lose track of time during the test. You can have a watch to help you keep track of the time. Just make sure it doesn’t make any noise.
Practice Tests
The more you practice something, the better you get at it. That rings true for the SAT and ACT as well. Practice as much as you can. This will help you with all of the other tips we’ve mentioned. The biggest benefit to practicing may be your ability to solve analytical questions because your mind will have already gone through analytical practice multiple times in your practice sessions.
Double-Check
The last of our SAT tips may not come into play for everyone. If you have time remaining when you are done, use it to read over your answers. This will be helpful in case you accidentally left a question blank. Or, you might find that you want to add or remove some statements in your written portion of the test.
Conclusion
The SAT and/or ACT just might be the most important test that a student will take. Preparation can make all the difference and help you get into the school you want to go to. The ACT and SAT tips we’ve discussed should help. If you’d like to learn more about the course offered at Big River Academy, check out this blog post. Or you can go here and listen to our podcast with our in-house test preparation teacher Marjorie Impraim and learn about the way she approaches preparing homeschool students to take the ACT and SAT. Or, simply go here to apply today to start the easy process to join her next course.
If you have any questions feel free to email us or message us on social media. Make sure to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram and YouTube to keep up with the excitement at Big River Academy.
