If your taking the SAT or ACT in the coming weeks, here are some tips to help maximize your score:
Take practice tests under real test-taking conditions - again and again!
Many students spend a lot of time looking for tricks and shortcuts to improve their test scores. They also normally study in (short bursts) when you really should be spending a lot more time and effort simply taking more full-length tests.
In our opinion, a large component of how well you perform on the test will be based on how much mental endurance you have built up by test day.
Most high school students aren't accustomed to spending up to three or four continuous hours taking a single test. This is a completely new and unique experience.
How often does a teenager EVER sit in one spot for hours - let alone concentrate deeply for that long? Almost never. This is what makes the test so challenging.
No one will tell you this, but the SAT and ACT are mental endurance tests as well. Who can concentrate longer?
By practicing the tests, under real test-taking conditions, over and over again, you will begin to train your brain (and body) to handle the mental fatigue associated with the test.
Over time, you will grow the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. This is not unlike training for any other activity.
1. Prepare well in advance
2. Match study style with learning style (e.g. book, online, classroom with students, tutor, etc.)
3. Get plenty of sleep the night before