General test taking strategies

Before the test day…. Be prepared. Study and practice consistently during your training period. Be organized. Pack your bag. Don’t forget your ACT essentials the night before the test: ACT Admission ticket, ID card, pencils, calculator, snacks, and a watch! Rest. Don’t forget to sleep! Go to bed early the night before the test so that you’re body and mind is refreshed on test day.  On Test Day Wear comfortable clothes. Wear something you find comfortable. One clothing tip would be to dress in layers, since temperature in testing rooms tends to be either too hot or too cold for students; peel down to a t-shirt if you get too warm, or put on that sweatshirt if you get too cold. Fuel your body and brain. Eat a healthy breakfast the morning of the ACT, and try to go light on the sugar. Get your normal dose of caffeine, if any, to help you power through the exam. Read something. Warm up your brain by reading the newspaper or something similar. Review some practice material.

Before the test Get to know yourself. Understand your strengths and weaknesses on the ACT. If needed, go over your practice exams and be aware of which areas you need to improve on. Change bad habits. Identify bad habits early on and make small necessary adjustments to overcome these habits.

General test taking strategies Relax. Don’t panic if you are having trouble answering the questions! You do not have to answer all the questions correctly to get a good score. Take a few moments to relax if you are stressed. Put your pencil down, close your eyes, take deep breaths, and clear your mind. When you get back to the test you will feel better. Do the easy stuff first. You do not have to answer the questions from each section in order. It is better to skip the hard ones in each test section and come back to them later. Keep moving so that you don’t waste valuable time. If you get stuck, move on!

Manage the grid. Do not fill in your “bubble sheet” after every question. Mark your answers in the book and transfer them every one to two pages. Make sure to pay attention to question numbers, especially if you skip a question. Your score depends on what is filled in on the answer sheet. Use the test booklet. The booklet is the only scrap paper you will get. Circle your answer choices, cross out answers you eliminate, and mark questions that you need to come back to later. If you think the answer choice might work, underline it. Do the math! Draw pictures to help you figure out problems and use the space available to write down your calculations. Make notes and marks in the margins of the reading passages.

Be aware of time. Pace yourself Be aware of time. Pace yourself. Read and work actively through the test. You learned during practice which questions you should focus on and which questions you should come back to later. Use a watch to time yourself. Stay focused. Ignore the environment around you. Guess wisely. There is no scoring penalty on the ACT! Never leave a bubble blank. Eliminate answer choices that you know are wrong. The more you can eliminate, the better your chance of correctly answering the question. Stick with it. Do not second-guess yourself. Your first answer choice is most likely to be correct. If you are not completely comfortable with your first choice, place a question mark next to your answer and come back to it later if you have time. Only change your answer when you are sure that it’s wrong.

Section strategies: English Listen to your brain. Read aloud silently. If it sounds right to you, it probably is. Avoid redundancy. Wordiness and redundancy are never rewarded. Usually, the fewer the words that you use, the better. Simplify answer choices. If one part of the answer choice is wrong, the whole answer choice is wrong! Stay organized. Ideas within each essay should flow in a logical sequence.

Section strategies: math Draw pictures. It really helps to visualize the problem. Your sketches can be quick and a little messy. You should create tables and write out equations too. Think before computing. Look for a way to reason through the problem. Don’t just go for your calculator. When you do use your calculator, try to have an idea of what your answer should be. Answer the question that they ask you. Cross out any irrelevant information given in the question. Complete all the steps in the problem – don’t quit early. Simplify the question. When reading word problems, translate them into mathematical equations and then use substitution.

Section strategies: reading Read for the main idea. The main idea is comprised of topic, scope, and purpose. Skim the passage. Do not stop on unfamiliar words the first time through. You may not need to know the meaning of a word to answer the questions. Just try to gain a general understanding of the structure of the passage. Read and answer the questions. Paraphrase the question to ensure an understanding of what it is asking you. Use the process of elimination. It is reliable but slow. Use it when you cannot predict an answer or your prediction is not listed as an answer choice. Move around. Don’t be afraid to skip around within the ten-question group that accompanies each passage.

Section strategies: Science Prioritize. Choose passages in the format you like the most and with information that is the least confusing. Think first. Understand the main idea(s) presented in the passage before reading the questions. Use common sense to avoid being tricked by distractors. Be “trendy.” Note any relationships between variables or trends in the data represented in charts or graphs. Don’t be scared by complex vocabulary. The ACT usually defines terms that are absolutely essential to your understanding. Don’t waste time trying to pronounce these new terms either.

Homework: Carlisle assignment #1 Get to know yourself. Understand your strengths and weaknesses on the ACT. If needed, go over your practice exams and be aware of which areas you need to improve on. Change bad habits. Identify bad habits early on and make small necessary adjustments to overcome these habits. ACT mid point reflection: Go over all of your past test prep assignments: what were your strengths (be specific, refer to specific types of questions, skills etc) What were your weaknesses (again be specific) Develop a specific plan for your student choice assignments for the next few weeks before your test date (or before November 1st if you are taking the test in December). What are the bad habits you need to change between then and now? Whole reflection should be a minimum of 2 pages double spaced.