With the end of the school year on the horizon, time is truly running out. Not only do juniors need to prepare for their last year of high school, but those who have not taken their college entrance exam only have so long left.
Both the SAT and ACT are timed exams, and only allow for a set period before students are asked to stop answering and leave. As such, students will want to make sure they come prepared with knowledge and the ability to take their test efficiently.
Today we’re going to go over some general techniques that save time on these tests and prevent students from losing points on unanswered questions.
How Can I Feel More Prepared For A Test?
Studies have shown that students who study ahead of time will increase their scores and perform better. That part is obvious. But on top of having more information reinforced before the test, students will also be more comfortable during testing time.
Easing test anxiety is almost as important as studying the information itself. If a student can't sit still and relax, it is a lot more difficult for them to summon information on command.
The ACT Science Section
The science section of the ACT is the most common section to run out of time. This is because most students will read the entire passage before moving onto the questions that follow.
While this strategy is the most intuitive technique, it actually isn't the most efficient use of time.
The majority of the science section is actually about reading graphs and scouting tables. There are actually very few questions on the content of the reading itself, meaning that students can save a lot of time by simply switching back and forth from question to graph.
Getting Better With Grammer
Grammar skills are helpful in a lot of ways when working on your college entrance exam. It will make questions easier to read and understand, it will make writing much more smooth, and it will allow for easy identification when looking for specific errors.
Grammar is a bit vague and can be difficult to practice, but dedicating some time to writing and reading has been proven to enhance this skill.
How To Read Faster
Last but not least, we have reading speed.
Reading speed goes hand in hand with grammar skills, as being able to process grammatical rules faster makes it easier to read.
Having to stop and figure out what a word means each time you encounter something unfamiliar can really drag down your test taking pace.
While reading speed does not develop overnight, reading literature and seeking out new words definitely help to exercise this muscle.
Concluding Thoughts
Fortunately, the best way to ease this stress and feel confident going in is through proper studying. Practicing for the exam and utilizing test preparation are the best ways to get comfortable and familiar with a test. Once students know what to expect, they can ease up and focus better.
But there isn't a lot of time.
Test preparation is an excellent resource for all students, but it doesn't work without giving it the right amount of time. Cramming all the information right before the test may actually be counterproductive for students.
Staying up late and trying to memorize a lot of information during the final hour will cause more stress and harm the student's retention capabilities. Not only that, but the feeling of being rushed will distract a student, possibly increasing anxiety and making it harder to think in the moment.
Luckily for students, studying does not have to be crammed into a short period right before the big test.
Let the experts at The College Review give tailored, step-by-step instructions to your students. Give students the tools needed to succeed on their tests and raise their scores.
It is time to take action now before it is too late. Time is running out!