Juniors and families,
Happy almost ACT day!!! A reminder that all juniors will be taking the ACT this Tuesday, April 28th. This is the ACT with writing test, which students can send as an official test result to colleges.
Read the tips listed below, and welcome to one of the first steps of many
along this path to being college ready. (Though ACT test day may not produce shouts of joy in your household, there are ways that students can better prepare - even the night before!)
1. Get a good night’s rest!
You will be testing for about 4 hours during the ACT. Your brain and your body need to be well rested in order to endure this intellectual marathon. (That good rest can start even 48 hours beforehand!)
2. Wake up with plenty of time to get ready.
The last thing you want to do on test day is to wake up late and rush out the door realizing you left something at home. Remember to set your alarm and wake up earlier so you will be relaxed and not feel rushed.
3. Have a good breakfast
Even if you are not a breakfast person, it is important for you to eat something on the morning of test day. This will help to give your body the energy and nutrients it needs. Brain-healthy foods such as yogurt, nuts and cereal are good choices.
4. Prepare the items you will need for test day, THE DAY BEFORE
There are certain items you must bring and certain items we suggest you bring:
- 2 pencils with erasers,
- calculator you are familiar with.
- Suggested items – bottle of water & snacks
Make sure you bring and use a calculator with fresh new batteries that you are familiar with and have been using to study. Test day is not the day to whip out the new TI85 you just purchased and to figure out how to use it. Also, you WILL get hungry. Your brain needs to be focused on the test and not on what you will be eating later, so mitigate those hunger signals by eating a healthy snack.
5. Review the rules of the test and review testing strategies
a. Do not leave any question blank. Your answer will be marked wrong if you leave it blank so put something.
b. You don’t have to answer the questions in order. You may want to start with the questions at the end of a section first if they seem more doable.
c. Manage your time wisely. Again, it is important that you attempt to get to each question on the test since you will be penalized if you don’t answer them. Do not spend too much time on any question or reading passage. For example, give yourself 9 minutes per passage in the Reading section and about 1 minute per question on the Math section.
REMEMBER this is a test & only a test, you can take it again (most people do) and you can develop strategies to improve your test scores or pursue colleges where testing is optional. Most importantly, remain positive, do your best and keep perspective. Happy testing.