Ten Ways to Better Improve Your SAT/ACT Score

SAT and ACTs are a big deal for college entrances, and chances are you’ve already started preparing for them! You prepare and practice to improve your SAT and ACT scores to increase your chances of qualifying for a scholarship or get into a prestigious college or university.

But there are also other ways to get that perfect score to improve your qualifications and your chances to attend the school of your desires.

To help you improve your SAT and ACT scores, we are bringing you some helpful tips! We understand the feeling of disappointment when you’ve taken the exam countless times and still do not achieve your desired score. 

Therefore, we are here to help you as we also understand that applying to colleges can be daunting, with ways to improve your SAT and ACT scores!

Set an Objective

• Before you begin anything in life, and it is good to set an objective and stick to it. 
• Try and think about why you need a high SAT or ACT score and how it will benefit your life. This will help you stay motivated to achieve your goals. 
• List down a list of colleges and universities and the score you need to get in. 
• You can also take the practice test to get a feel of the exam structure and work on improving your score from there. 
• Set a target score with the practice test and create a study plan.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

• Taking practice tests through different channels such as the SAT or ACT study books or college board will not be the same, but you will gain more confidence in attempting the questions each day. 
• You will be prepared and expect the type of questions you will encounter, which areas you’re doing well, and which areas to improve.

Get More Study Materials

• So far, you’ve relied on practice books, online apps, or an old study note that was given to you by a friend. 
• Just one of these preparatory resources might not cover all the aspects and types of questions on the actual SAT or ACT. You may be used to these materials as they’re right in front of you. 
• But there is a need for other SAT or ACT prep resources or study materials to further challenge yourself in solving complex problems. Doing this, you will cover more ground for the real SAT/ACT.
• These materials can help you to score better:
• SAT/ACT prep books
• SAT/ACT Test prep books
• Flashcards

Identify Your Weak Areas

• It’s good that you’re answering as many practise problems as possible, but this may be inefficient to improve your score.
• To improve yourself, you should target your concept review and practice questions towards questions that you’ve identified to be your areas of weakness or struggling the most.
• Identify your weak areas, go through your completed practice questions, and list out the questions you’ve answered wrongly.
• You will start to notice a pattern in which questions you’re missing points on.

Focus

• By now, you’ve mapped out your study plan and strategies to practice problems, and it’s time to focus!
• You need to be organized, make time to study and practice problems.
• Using the official SAT practise test will save you time as it has a personalized study plan to keep you focused.
• Stay motivated and avoid being distracted by social media, gossiping with friends and families, internet, telephone, or anything that might distract you from studying.

Build and Develop Your Vocabulary

• The SAT is full of words, with evidence-based reading and writing. Some of these words you will learn from your studies more than others.
• Develop a lexicon of words to be more prepared. You can do this by memorizing new and unfamiliar words that you come across while reading and studying.

Set a Timer While You Practice the Test

• Each SAT/ACT section is timed, so don’t waste time on specific questions!
• If you time your practice tests, you can learn to move on to the questions that you know the answer to instead of wasting time on the ones you don’t.
• The exam takes hours and includes multiple sections, and you should be comfortable with this, so it doesn’t become daunting on an actual day.
• If you’re doing your practice test with pencil-and-paper like the actual exam, set a timer to time yourself.
• If you’re doing an online practice test, it will automatically time you and provide your results immediately.

Understand the Test

• Spend some time understanding the structure and type of questions that usually come out in the test and figure out how you can use this to your advantage.
• Try to understand the test from the College Board and the ACT organization’s perspective and set a strategy.
• For example: Knowing the SAT questions are in ascending order of difficulty, you shouldn’t spend much time on the first few questions but rather the more complex ones towards the end. This will save you time and help you answer as many questions as possible.
• Another example: ACT rewards 1 point for each right answer in the multiple-choice section and does not deduct points for wrong answers. Therefore, you should answer every single question, regardless of whether you know the right answer or not, you will still have a 25% chance of getting it right.

Register or Retake the SAT/ACT

• Decide when is the right time to take the test by looking at upcoming dates.
• Register for tests if your previous score wasn’t high enough.
• We recommend that you select dates that work well with your college application timelines, where it will give you 6-7 weeks to practice before the test.
• Once you’ve decided, register and pay for your test to secure a spot in advance. 
• Test centres fill up early, especially in August so book your slot soon!

Take Breaks! 

• Of course, passing your SAT/ACT exams means the world to you, but you must also take care of your health! There is no use for high scores when your body is not taken care of properly.
• Reward yourself with small breaks in between 1 or 2 hours of studying intervals. Your brain wouldn’t be able to take in too much if you’re considering more than 2 hours anyway!
• Take a breather and go outside for some fresh air and remember to stay hydrated!
• Ensure your body is in top form to take in all the knowledge so that you are prepared for the exam.
• Also, remember that your mental health is as essential as your body’s health.