The 7 Best ACT Test Taking Tips for Colorado Students

With the February 8th ACT test day quickly approaching in our area Highlands Ranch High School & Thunder Ridge High School in Highlands Ranch, Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Aurora Central High School, Overland High School, Rangeview High School and William C Hinkley High School in Aurora, Eaglecrest High School in Centennial and Chatfield High School in Littleton, we thought we would pass on 7 great tips for doing your best on the ACT. 

You’ve spent hours and hours preparing, you’ve taken some practice ACT tests and you’ve worked with your classmates, tutors and teachers to prepare for one of the most important tests you will ever take. Even the most prepared students can falter on the day if they don’t have a good ACT test writing plan. Knowing what to expect and having a clear plan of action is the best way to ensure success.

Get a good night’s sleep

I know you think that using those extra hours to cram in everything you can is the best use of your time, but it isn’t. When you are sleep-deprived and tired, your higher brain functions start to shut down. Tired students are more likely to misread questions, make mistakes, and find it difficult to come up with solutions to complex questions. You must try to get at least eight hours of sleep before you write your ACT test.

Fuel your brain

Your brain needs carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients to function optimally. You are able to think clearer and faster when your brain has healthy fuel. This means you can’t eat a breakfast of donuts and coffee and expect to fire on all cylinders. Ensure you have a balanced meal of carbohydrates, proteins and fruit before you take your test. Make sure you are well hydrated.

Read the questions

Read through all the questions carefully before you start. Prioritize them from easiest to hardest and then answer the easy questions first. Read every question at least twice to be absolutely sure you understand what is expected of you. Even if you write the best answer in the history of ACT, misinterpreting the question will still get you a low score.

Quit it if you can’t hit it

Don’t know the answer? Move on to the next question and come back to it later. Never waste time trying to figure out a difficult question. Time constraint is the biggest challenge you face in the ACT, so answer all the questions you can and then come back to the ones you struggled with.

Take a wild guess

Still don’t know the answer? Take a guess at what it could be. There is no penalty for incorrect answers in the ACT, so make an educated guess.

Every day we’re bubbling, bubbling

Be very careful when bubbling. If you mark the incorrect answer on the answer sheet, all your hard work will be for nothing. Ensure that you leave time at the end of the test to check that you have filled the right answers in on the answer sheet.

Smile!

OK, so maybe you won’t feel like smiling, but try to stay positive. A defeatist attitude is your worst enemy. If you can’t figure something out, just give yourself a pep talk and move on to the next question. A positive attitude can really make a difference to your final ACT score.

If you are not planning on taking the ACT test on February 8th and are interested in the next ACT test date and location near us, the ACT Test will be on April 14th at Mountain Vista High School and Thunder Ridge High School in Highlands Ranch, Aurora Central High School, Overland High School and William C Hinkley High School in Aurora, Eaglecrest High School in Centennial and Chatfield High School in Littleton.

If you are interested in increasing your ACT score, we offer some wonderful programs that will help you do your best.

Call us today for a free consultation to find out how to get started. 720-524-3191

7 ACT Test Strategies that Work

The ACT is a daunting test and the outcome has serious consequences for every student. While there is no substitute for working hard, you can optimize your chances of succeeding in the ACT test by learning strategies for answering questions effectively. Learning to navigate the landscape of an ACT will ensure that you get the best possible results.

Practice makes perfect

Practice tests are available online for you to try. Practice subject tests prior to writing your ACT test in order to familiarize yourself with the way questions are asked. You should also study the instructions for each subject test prior to writing. Since time is such an important factor in your ACT test, knowing the instructions beforehand means you won’t waste time reading them more than once during the exam.

Prioritize your questions

Read through the questions before you start writing. Order them from easiest to hardest and start with the easy ones. Getting the easy points done is a great way to ensure the best score. Doing the easy questions first will also help to build your confidence and get you in the right headspace to take on the more difficult questions.

Shake it off and move on

If you get to a question you just can’t find an answer to, move on. Don’t waste any time getting bogged down on difficult questions. You can come back to it if you need to at a later stage. As you are working through questions, make notes in the margins. You don’t need to hand in a pristine paper, use every inch of paper to make notes and jot down thoughts. That way, when you come back to the difficult questions, you can see what you were working on before.

Don’t know the answer? Guess!

Never leave an answer blank. The ACT test doesn’t penalize you for incorrect answers, so taking a guess may just render the right answer.

Bubbling with care

Take great care when bubbling. It’s easy to accidentally colour in the wrong bubble even when you have the right answer. While you may be working through the answer quickly, double check that you have filled in the right bubble. It’s best to get a couple of answers ready and then fill the bubbles in at the same time to make it faster. Ensure absolute accuracy by saying the question number and the answer in your head as you fill out the bubble grid: “24, F and 25, C.”

Take it easy

This may sound like the worst idea ever when time is such a crucial factor in a successful ACT test, but taking the time to read questions carefully will prevent misinterpretation. Some answers will try to trick you and if you rush through, you will fall victim to these partially right answers.

Stay positive

Adopting a defeatist attitude will result in a poor test score. Tell yourself you can do it, take a deep breath and start with the easy questions so that you can build on your confidence before tackling the more difficult ones.