What to do this winter break: Getting ready for upcoming tests

Winter break has started for one or two weeks for some of you; and have you had any plans for it yet? Sway away the ideas of lying around or hanging out with friends all day, because you should look at your SAT/ACT schedule to keep track with it.

You know the importance of SAT/ACT since it plays an essential role in enhancing your college application. But don’t be so hasty and mess everything up. Instead, take a deep breath and have in mind what to do to prepare for the test. If you still don’t know where to start, here are some tips for you.

Set out some spaces to do SAT/ACT practice on your holiday break agenda.

Make sure you where to go for SAT/ACT practice since realistic full-scale sample questions influence your test result. Secure yourself either The Official SAT Study Guide 2nd Edition or of The Real ACT Prep Guide (CD) 3rd Edition due to their genuine components.

When reviewing the score, don’t just pay attention to the final result. Instead, be mindful of specific area scores to circle your weaknesses. Do you have problems with vocabularies? Are you struggling with reading comprehension? How about algebra? After determining this, you know what you need to work harder on to elevate your scores.

Choose a proper place to practice like a quiet space as you need to highly concentrate the whole to you take the test.

Keep in mind that practice is the key to success so don’t skip even one day. Perspiration will pay you off at the end of the process. Imagine your winter break as an extension of school day to maximize your efficiency.

Equip yourself some tricks before taking the tests

You know, when you are playing board games like chess, go, tick tack toes, knowing the game signifies that you have advantage over others. Same applies for SAT/ACT. You need to know the rule of the test in order to win over it.

• Reduce random guess: guessing doesn’t work due to the new rule of SAT/ACT which states that you will be penalized for incorrect answers. As a result, random guessing will not aid you. You lose more points for incidentally guessing compared to leaving the question unanswered.
• Notice the ascending order of difficulty in SAT/ACT. They are designed that way, so don’t hesitate to skip tricky questions towards the end of the test to review your previous answers.
• Use your time wisely: a lot of students realize they had wasted their precious testing time in some silly things. For example, they reread to direction twice or more, they come back late from break, etc. Don’t waste time inadvertently and then regret it.
• Elimination always works: SAT/ACT testers always have some questions that are obviously wrong so you can cross out and increase your chance of getting the right answer. Value this clue instead of trashing it. The only exception takes place when you encounter free response questions in which you have to pull out information from your knowledge to put down a complete answer.
• Practice, practice and practice: you have the right tips, but the only way for you to master them is to put them in practice. You won’t get anything from starring at those tips or memorize them; because the limitation of time will prevent you from thinking too much.

Relax yourself as well as balance your time between studying and playing.

After all, it’s your winter break. You may spend time for family, friends, hobbies and some outdoor activities. It should be ok for you to take a day off somewhere in your calendar, but don’t lose yourself too much in resting. Stick a note to remind you about the importance of SAT/ACT.