SAT and ACT prep isn’t something you should cram the week before your test date. These exams aren’t about facts and figures, and it takes months to master the material and formats. If you forgot to prepare, though, it’s better late than never! As your test date approaches, there are some last minute SAT/ACT test prep tips that can help you ace your exam! Here are 7 of them.
7 Last Minute Tips to Prepare for the ACT/SAT
1. Take an Official Practice Test
Flickr user Daniel Lee
Test prep tip number 1 — if you have the time to squeeze in one last practice test, do it! Taking practice tests can help you develop your time management skills and further increase your familiarity with the format and content you’ll encounter.
A practice test as you’re heading into your test date can also help you calm your nerves and give you some direction on where you should focus your study time in prep for test day. Try to schedule this practice test during the week leading up to your exam date. Don’t try to fit it in the night before – you risk burning out and not getting enough sleep if you do.
2. Go Over Your Results
After you’ve taken your practice test, go over the questions you missed. Since you don’t have much time to prepare, it doesn’t make sense to study all of the content. Go beyond just noting you got the question incorrect – try to understand why you got the question wrong. At this point, your strengths are probably as good as they’re going to get, but you can always use your remaining study time to brush up on your weaker areas.
3. Review Your Plan
Being able to use your time wisely on the ACT and SAT can help increase your score. It’s easy to get flustered during the test and make mistakes when it comes to time management. Reviewing your strategy now can help you keep it in mind during the exam.
Here are a few to remember:
- Skip questions that you’re spending too much time on and come back to them.
- Answer all questions, even if you have to guess.
- If you’re not sure about an answer, eliminate the ones you know to be wrong so you have a better chance of guessing correctly.
- Use any time left over to review your answers.
4. Don’t Cram
This may be your go-to method when it comes to studying for a test, but it can do more harm than good – especially when it comes to the SAT or ACT! They’re exams that need to be studied for over time. You can’t possibly hope to catch up and properly prepare yourself the night before. Or even the week before. There is just too much to cover.
If you’ve properly prepared for the test over the past few months, you should instead take the night before to maybe review the basics, but really – you should be relaxing and preparing yourself mentally instead.
5. Get Everything You Need Together the Night Before (and Leave on Time)
SAT is digital, so no calculator needed, but ACT requires calculator still, pencils, scrap paper, ID, admission ticket, clothes, set alarm
The last thing you want to do is realize you’ve arrived at the testing center without your pencils or calculator. You should be getting everything you need for the exam together the night before. That includes pencils, snacks, water, and approved medications. You also need to have your approved I.D. with a photo and admission ticket. Set these aside in a bag so you can quickly grab them on your way out. If you want to save even more time, get your clothes ready to go the night before.
Failing to arrive on time for the SAT or ACT can mean you can’t take the test! You should plan to get there a little bit ahead of your testing time so you can ensure if you run into traffic or you’re running late, you still have a window of time to spare. If you can’t make the test on time, you will forfeit your testing fees and have to reschedule for another day.
6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep before taking the test is one of the easiest ways to prepare for the ACT and SAT. When you are well rested you can focus on things other than the fact that you’d love a nap. It’s been proven that sleep helps you think and focus. You’ll need to be sharp for these tests, so definitely try to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours.
7. Eat Breakfast and Dress Comfy
Don’t skip breakfast because you’re in a rush to get out the door! The last thing you want to be thinking about during your exam is how hungry you are. Eat a good breakfast that will keep you going until your break.
You should also wear something comfortable. You don’t want to be thinking about how your pants are too tight, the classroom is too warm for your sweatshirt, or the testing center is freezing cold. Think about the weather that day and dress appropriately. Wearing layers can be a good idea, too, as you can always take them off if it proves to be too cold.
Even at the last minute, there are things you can and should be doing to prepare for your SAT or ACT. You definitely don’t want to leave studying until the night before, but getting in a bit of extra practice before you go to bed won’t hurt you. Even if you didn’t study, getting a good night’s rest, dressing comfortably, and eating breakfast can help you improve your test results.
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