Great ACT Test Taking Tips and Tricks

An ACT Practice Test Can Help You Easily Boost your Score!

Taking an ACT practice test is single best way to prepare for the ACT. However, you have to be smart about it to ensure that you get the most benefit! First of all, what are the advantages of taking a practice test?

1) You learn firsthand what the test is like, so you are more comfortable on test day, having been through it at least once before.

2) You build confidence by seeing that you probably have less to worry about than you thought you did!

3) If you bomb on your test, it doesn't count. It just alerts you to what you need to study and how you need to prepare for the real ACT test.

4) You get a chance to learn the "timing" of the ACT test by taking going through the English, Math, Reading and Science portions of the test. Since time management and answering all the questions are key to getting a high ACT score, a practice test is invaluable.

These are huge advantages for you to have in order to do well on the very competitive ACT test. However, all practice tests are not alike. There are a few things you need to know so that you don't waste time, or spend money that you don't need to.

ACT Practice Test Cautions

1) All ACT practice tests are not alike. The best ones are old, "retired" tests that ACT publishes for use as practice tests free of charge. Though the individual test questions change each year, the test itself does not change. Getting a test from last year to use for practice is invaluable. Add to that the fact that they are free and you can't lose.

2) Beware of ACT practice tests published in books for sale; they are not all created equal. The best ones are actual ACT tests, not "simulated" ACT tests that someone writing a book puts together. Also, many of the tests in books for sale do not contain the entire scoring system which enables you to break down your individual Math and English scores into sub-scores. This is critical to helping you quickly and easily know what to study to increase your score.

3) Make SURE that you take your test on a Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. Taking the test in the afternoon is not going to give you an accurate reading of how your brain works in the morning, which is when the real ACT test is administered.

4) Ensure that you take all four subject tests of the ACT together. That means you have to set aside about 3 and a half hours on a Saturday morning. If you take the four subject tests separately, you will not have the real-life experience of taking the Science test after three hours of working your brain. It's not realistic, it's not done that way on test day, and it will not help you nearly as much as sitting down to take the entire test all at once.

You Don't Have To Settle For An Average ACT Test Score

If you follow these tips on utilizing the very powerful tool of an ACT practice test, you will be well on your way to all the advantages that a high ACT score holds for you. A higher ACT score means that you are more likely to be able to get into the college of your choice and qualify for scholarships to be able to afford the tuition!