Sweating the SAT
or ACT?
Chill out with practice tests.
by Scott Johns
TWEENS
& TEENS News December 2007
Wish you could get a sneak preview
of your biology or English test ahead of time?
Imagine how much easier tests would be if
you could see the kinds of questions your
teachers were going to ask. Sound like a dream
come true?
You do have this opportunity for standardized
tests like the SAT, ACT and PSAT by way of
practice tests. Practice tests are designed
to simulate the real thing, including the
types of questions asked and the number of
questions in each section. Also, questions
on a practice test cover the same concepts
you’ll see come test day, whether it’s
for English, math or any other subject.
Combining strategy and subject review, practice
tests are an important method of test prep.
In a recent online poll from Peterson’s,
nearly two-thirds of all college-bound respondents
said practice tests were most helpful in preparing
for standardized exams.
Learn the format of the tests.
Tests like the SAT, ACT and PSAT are standardized,
meaning they present the same types of questions
about the same topics every time the test
is administered. The more practice you get
answering the types of questions you’ll
see on test day, the better prepared you’ll
be.
Use practice tests to also learn each section’s
directions ahead of time. The directions on
the test are the same! Therefore, when you
take the actual test, you won’t have
to waste your time figuring out what you need
to do.
Practice your pacing.
When you play a video game or swing a baseball
bat, you rely on timing. You are coordinating
your fingers, hands and arms with your brain
to make sure you hit the baseball in the right
way. The more you practice these timing skills,
the more you become comfortable with the tasks.
The same is true with tests like the SAT,
ACT and PSAT. You’ll have a set amount
of time to answer a group of questions on
each section. To do your best, you need to
develop the habit of not spending too much
time on any particular question.
Consider this: If a test section allows you
30 minutes to answer 30 questions, you have
an average of one minute to spend on each
question. If you spend five minutes on one
question, then you have 25 minutes to spend
on the other 29 questions. That leaves you
with less than one minute per question, making
it harder for you to answer the remaining
questions.
Taking practice tests helps you get in the
habit of spending the right amount of time
per question. You’ll want the test-taking
experience to feel natural— for your
brain to say, “You’re spending
too much time on this question. Move on!”
Just like swinging a bat, you’ll only
develop that instinct with practice.
Develop a study plan.
You’ll get the most out of a practice
test if you treat it like the actual test
and use the results to develop a study plan.
Take the practice test in one sitting and
use a timer to make sure you don’t go
over the time allocated for each section.
When you are finished, calculate your final
score. Don’t worry if it’s lower
than you expected; this will be your starting
point for preparing to do better on the next
practice test and then on the real thing.
Once you have your results, list your strengths
and weaknesses. Review every question, including
the easy ones. If you missed a reading question
that asked you to find the main idea of the
passage, write “Reading— Main
Idea” in your weaknesses list. If you
missed a second main idea question, add a
check mark next to the original entry. Try
to make an addition to either the strengths
or weaknesses column after you review each
question.
When you’re done going over every question,
you’ll have a complete list of where
you’re strong and where you have room
to improve. No worries, improvements are where
you can focus your preparation time. If you
work hard on your test weaknesses between
practice tests, then you should see an improvement
in your scores.
Calm your nerves.
Let’s face it: Sitting down to take
an important test like the SAT or the ACT
is a bit scary. High scores on those tests
help you get into college. However, you can
remain cool, calm and collected on test day
by finding your comfort zone.
Perhaps you’ve been in other high-pressure
situations that don’t come along every
day, such as dance recitals, school concerts
and championship games. Those events can be
nerve-wracking, where everything you do feels
weird and unnatural. However, you rarely walk
into these types of unique events without
a lot practice and rehearsal, which help to
put you at ease.
Likewise, practice tests enhance your comfort
zone involving standardized tests. You may
not know how to answer every single question
correctly. But with practice you are going
to feel comfortable with the types of questions
asked, the subject matter in the questions
and the amount of time you have to spend on
questions.
Gauge your progress.
Is your score improving on practice tests?
Can you identify concepts that used to be
weaknesses, yet are now strengths? Look at
your answers to each practice test question
carefully, just as before.
One-to-two weeks before test day, take a final
practice test. How much has your score improved
since you started preparing? Are you more
comfortable with the types of questions? Are
you spending ample time on each question?
If you put in your study time, you should
see improvement.
And practice makes perfect.
The great thing about practice tests is in
the name— they’re just practice.
The more times you rehearse, the easier the
test becomes. Perhaps start the practice sessions
with one of Peterson’s free practice
tests, available at www.free-practice-tests.com.
As a result, you’ll feel less stressed
and more confident about what you are doing
come test day. This confidence will translate
into better test scores.
Scott Johns, test preparation product
manager for Peterson’s, a Nelnet company,
has ten years of expertise in test prep, including
practice tests, classroom instruction and
online courses. Peterson’s Nelnet, LLC,
a Nelnet company, is a leading provider of
education and career guidance, test preparation
and information on educational opportunities,
admissions and financial aid.
