Taking the SAT/ACT
Tips to do Well on the Tests
1. Study!!!!: Over the years, I have talked with many fellow students about their testing experience. Many have expressed their disappointment in their results yet the majority of them did not study. The easiest way to do well or improve your score is to study and by study, I do not mean flipping through a prep book, answering random questions for thirty minutes and calling it good. Studying for these tests requires a strong plan, dedicating a select amount of time each night to improving your knowledge of the test. Kahn Academy makes it easy on you if you are taking the SAT as it designs a personal study plan. All you have to do is select how much time a night you are willing to spend and then they will provide you free practice questions everyday. They also schedule practice tests for you and will give you a rough composite score afterwards to see how you would have scored. Lastly, one week of studying will not help you dramatically improve your score but a month or more will allow you to greatly improve your knowledge of the test.
2. Take Practice Tests: The only way for you to know on what you need to improve is to practice the test. Companies like The Princeton Review and Barron's offer excellent preparatory books that feature practice tests with answer explanations. Kahn Academy also has a bevy of practice tests that are scored for you. Reviewing the questions you got wrong is crucial when assessing what you need to study. Pacing is also an important aspect of taking these tests so learning how to pace yourself in order to answer all of the questions can help improve your score.
3. Retake them!: Just because you scored poorly on your first attempt does not mean you are stuck with that score. However, do not just retake them in hopes of getting a higher score. Rather, dedicate time to studying again, especially on concepts that gave you trouble. Note that some colleges, like Stanford University and Yale University, require you to send all of your scores. This should not be a problem as most schools also Superscore, meaning that they take your best scores on each section, regardless of which day you took them, and create a new composite score. For example, if your best SAT math score was a 760 from the May 6th exam and your best reading score was a 700 from the April 5th exam, most colleges will "Superscore" this and say that your new SAT score is 1460. Be sure to check and make sure that each school to which you are applying allows this feature.
4. Choose the test that best suits you: Figure out which test is best for you. Below is a direct comparison between the two tests. Don't be afraid to try both in order to figure out which one best caters to your strengths. If you are better at science and knowledge-based questions, you may want to try the ACT. Perhaps the best way to determine which test to take is by trying a practice test for each exam. Comparing your results and how comfortable you felt on each exam can help you make a decision. Check out the full comparison below:
2. Take Practice Tests: The only way for you to know on what you need to improve is to practice the test. Companies like The Princeton Review and Barron's offer excellent preparatory books that feature practice tests with answer explanations. Kahn Academy also has a bevy of practice tests that are scored for you. Reviewing the questions you got wrong is crucial when assessing what you need to study. Pacing is also an important aspect of taking these tests so learning how to pace yourself in order to answer all of the questions can help improve your score.
3. Retake them!: Just because you scored poorly on your first attempt does not mean you are stuck with that score. However, do not just retake them in hopes of getting a higher score. Rather, dedicate time to studying again, especially on concepts that gave you trouble. Note that some colleges, like Stanford University and Yale University, require you to send all of your scores. This should not be a problem as most schools also Superscore, meaning that they take your best scores on each section, regardless of which day you took them, and create a new composite score. For example, if your best SAT math score was a 760 from the May 6th exam and your best reading score was a 700 from the April 5th exam, most colleges will "Superscore" this and say that your new SAT score is 1460. Be sure to check and make sure that each school to which you are applying allows this feature.
4. Choose the test that best suits you: Figure out which test is best for you. Below is a direct comparison between the two tests. Don't be afraid to try both in order to figure out which one best caters to your strengths. If you are better at science and knowledge-based questions, you may want to try the ACT. Perhaps the best way to determine which test to take is by trying a practice test for each exam. Comparing your results and how comfortable you felt on each exam can help you make a decision. Check out the full comparison below:
Comparing the SAT and ACT