How To Study For The ACT Test

With so many ACT test prep solutions available, it is no wonder that so many parents and students alike get confused and ask me how to study for the ACT.

It's not hard to know how to study for the ACT if you approach it strategically, like an athlete approaches a major event.

1) Know the Rules. The biggest "rule" with the test is that you are timed and have to learn how to answer questions quickly and accurately and pace yourself. When the clock runs out and you haven't answered all the questions, you lose points.

Learn time management skills and how to answer questions quickly from a good ACT Test Prep course. Knowing how to take the test is every bit as important as knowing what is on the test. So don't just study math and english and science and reading. Study how to answer questions and learn shortcuts and tips and tricks.

2) Begin with the end in mind. If you are a long distance runner, you don't start off a race at a sprint. Rather, you start off with a pace that you know you can keep up. Studying for this test is no different.

Marathon study sessions may impress your parents, but they just wear you out and aren't really effective. Study for shorter periods, like 20-30 minutes, and more frequently. You'll remember a lot more of what you studied and you won't burn yourself out.

Remember, the best ACT prep will teach you the test taking skills and the studying tips and tricks that will show you how to study for the ACT test quickly and efficiently.

How to Overcome Anxiety and "Bombing" on Tests

If you want to overcome test anxiety and bombing on important tests like the ACT test, you have to first realize what causes test anxiety in the first place. There are three main causes of test anxiety. Understanding them will help you do much better on the any test.

Psychological causes are the first problem leading to test anxiety. Whether it is being unprepared or past bad experiences, students go into the test defeated before they start. One key to defeating the tendency to bomb on tests is to understand that even if you guess on every single question, you'd still get a score of 14. Further understanding the key to having enough time to answer every single question, even with a guess, also goes a long way to defeat the psychological causes of test anxiety.

Physiological causes are the second culprit that contribute to test anxiety. The fact is that as we fear the test we tense up and breathe less. Both of these things hurt the brain's ability to be operating at peak efficiency. The fact is that the brain can use up to half the oxygen that we breathe in when we concentrate, and shallow breathing from being nervous starves our brain.

Poor study methods also contribute to test problems. When a student is primarily an auditory learner, who learns by listening, and has spent all his time studying like a visual learner, by just reading books, he has good reason to be nervous! Learning to study according to the style of learner you are is critical to having confidence going into the ACT test.

So if you want to overcome test anxiety that might cause you to bomb on the ACT test, keep in mind these three causes of bombing on tests and learn more by taking a good ACT test prep course that will teach you how to score your best on the ACT.