(DegreeAuthorities.com) – Even the most academically inclined students often feel overwhelmed in the days leading up to their ACT. This test can play a big part in determining eligibility for some colleges, so nervousness is understandable.
Like any standardized test, the ACT is fairly predictable — and there are a few strategies you can use to ease some of the worry and increase your chances of success. Check out these tips to learn the secret to acing your ACT and achieving your academic goals with a clear mind.
Know the Testing Structure
The ACT consists of English, reading, math, Science and essay questions, and you’ll only have a limited amount of time to complete each section. Wasting several minutes at the beginning of the exam to familiarize yourself with the directions and testing layout could cause more stress than you need and even affect your performance. Meanwhile, knowing the structure and directions before the test may improve your confidence while saving loads of time. Make sure to go over them the day before so they’ll be fresh in your mind.
Answer the Questions You Know First
One of the last things you want to do is spend precious minutes over-analyzing a question. If it’s a difficult prompt or you don’t know the answer, move on and get the easier ones out of the way first. After you’ve completed all the simpler questions, you can go back to address the more challenging ones. This will help you make the most of your time and, hopefully, earn more points.
Use the Process of Elimination
This is a multiple-choice test, meaning that no matter what option you pick, you’ll have a chance of guessing the right answer. When in doubt, use the process of elimination to improve your odds. Eliminating solutions you know are wrong first will leave you with fewer possibilities, thereby making it a little easier to find the correct choice. Even an educated guess is better than nothing.
Don’t Skip Questions
The ACT doesn’t give point penalties for wrong answers — only blank ones. This means you’re likely to earn a better score by at least guessing on difficult questions rather than skipping them. Another strategy for prompts you’re stuck on is to select a specific letter or pair of letters and use them throughout the test. It may sound like a silly strategy, but it may actually help you earn more points!
Everyone has their own method of taking and preparing for tests, but the ACT has its own unique set of rules and secrets to success. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare for your upcoming exam, and remember — this is only one test. Whatever happens, you have so much opportunity at your feet waiting to be realized. You can get that degree!
~Here’s to Your Success!
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