How to Do Your Best on the ACT
Most of us dread tests. We all want a good score. And sometimes need a good score. But how do you get a good score?
First off, get lots of rest the night before. I know some of us tend to stay up late and cram, but your mind will be a lot more alert if you get sufficient sleep. Which, by the way, for most of us is 8-10 hours per night.
Secondly, you should eat a protein filled breakfast. Protein helps the left side of your brain to become activated. The left side is the part that is in charge of your logic. All of the four basic tests on the ACT use logic and smarts. Try to stay away from fruit. It activates the right side of the brain which is in control of your artistic side. You don’t want the right side to interfere or be in conflict with the left side of the brain.
The third thing you should do is arrive a little bit early to the test site. You will be calmer if you have plenty of time to park, find the sign up table, and get signed in. If you are calm you will think more clearly and you will be more apt to get the questions right.
Okay, on to number four. Think positive. Tell yourself that you can take this test and be successful. If you go into something thinking positively, you will have a better chance of succeeding. Likewise, if you go into something thinking negatively, you will have a better chance of failing!
Step five, listen very carefully to the instructions given to you. If you’ve taken the ACT before you may think you know what the instructions will be. But sometimes things change a little or you may not remember correctly. It would be awful to blow the whole test because you weren’t paying attention to the basic rules.
Finally it is time to take the test. The sixth step is to relax and take one question at a time. Read the question carefully. Many times the correct answer hinges on key words in the question. Put all of your focus on that question. Don’t get distracted by anyone or anything else in the room, such as noises.
The final step, number seven, is to do your best. Don’t think of this as an obligation but instead an opportunity. You wouldn’t want to have gone through all this work, and paid to take the ACT, just to have regrets.
These steps are not magic wands. Unfortunately, you will still need to study before taking the ACT in order to increase your chances of getting a better score. There are practice tests on the internet and study books in bookstores and libraries specifically designed for the ACT.
I hope that these steps will help you make the most of your ACT. Good luck to all of you who will be taking the test in June. And remember, it’s not the end of the world if you get a not-so-good score. You can always try again.
Elizabeth Bertram is turning 16 years old this month and has taken the ACT twice.