Let’s say you just got your SAT/ACT score back….and it’s not pretty.
Which leaves you scratching your head. I mean, you’re usually a stellar student with a top-notch GPA. Wasn’t it basically guaranteed that you’d nail your first standardized test?
But on the other hand, you knew something was wrong the morning of test day. You slept horribly the night before, you’d barely made it into your testing seat before the proctor said “Begin,” and when you opened the book (or looked at the screen), the test was filled with stuff you’ve never seen before in your LIFE.
The next few hours were, predictably, kind of a nightmare.
So, you weren’t totally shocked when you saw those less-than-optimal results. But you still thought you did better than that, for goodness’ sake!
You’re not alone. A lot of my new clients come to my standardized testing prep business with a similar horror story or two in their background. They're talented students just like you; they’ve hit the books hard, they’ve always done their best, and then….a nasty test score destroys their sense of self, seemingly out of nowhere.
But I’m here to reassure you. As someone who’s helped hundreds of students get into their dream schools over the course of more than a dozen years, I know for a fact that your low test score does NOT need to ruin your life….OR your shot at attending your top-pick college. So, please take a deep breath and remember that that one number does NOT equal who you are as a person, or a college applicant.
Instead, think about it like this: a low test score simply shows you that’s something’s slightly out of alignment at the moment. It may be that you’ve never learned some of the material that’s showing up on the test…or that you DO know the material, but are letting your nerves get the best of you.
Whatever the case, this post here offers some tried-and-true solutions to help you do better next time. But, before we even get to that, I also want to lower the stakes of this first test sitting you just completed:
Don’t give too much importance to your first real SAT or ACT. Most students perform a lot better when they take the test again—in fact, it's a rare student who only needs to take the test once! So, no matter how low your test score was this time, you can still SERIOUSLY improve. And you’ll get even better if you follow these tips below. Let’s get started.
ARTICLE CONTENTS
1. How to get a higher SAT or ACT score
a. Schedule a second test date
2. The night and morning before the SAT or ACT
a. Sleep
b. Breakfast
c. What to wear
d. Arrive early
3. Strategies during the test itself
b. Pacing
f. Be decisive
How to Get a Higher SAT or ACT Score
So, now that you’re done beating yourself up over a low test score, let’s talk about strategies for making your next SAT or ACT go way better.
Schedule a Second Test Date
Thankfully, as you probably already know, both the SAT and ACT offer multiple exam dates throughout the year. I’ve laid out all the dates for 2023-24 in this handy post, but here’s the Sparknotes version:
U.S.-based test takers can sit for the SAT in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June. The ACT is offered here in September, October, December, February, April, June, and July (all states except NY).
Depending on how much time you have before you need to start applying for colleges, I recommend that you give yourself at least four weeks before taking a second test. Why? Well, because you’ve got to….
Make a Study Plan for the SAT or ACT
Yup. Now that you’ve got a date to work towards, it’s time to create a solid study plan that will guide you to victory.
Your individual plan will vary, but here are a few best practices in creating the perfect study plan:
Study every day, not all in one chunk on the weekends. In this sense, your test prep is like a homework assignment.
Study in short bursts. Don’t spend four hours a day on studying, but do spend at least one hour each day.
Choose a different topic to study each day of the week. For example: study math on Wednesdays and Fridays and grammar on Mondays and Saturdays.
Plan to take several practice tests.
Improve Your ACT or SAT Score with Practice Tests
You read that right: that’s "tests" with an "s"—more than one practice test.
I really encourage you, if at all possible, to take four timed practice tests in the 4-6 weeks leading up to your actual test.
Why so many? Several reasons:
It helps you get comfortable with the idea of taking a test. Do you know why many students fail to do well on their first SAT or ACT? Performance anxiety, pure and simple. Students understandably arrive at the testing center sweating bullets, unsure what to expect. They pile way too much fear, hope, and energy onto the idea of taking a test. However, if you do a practice test over and over again, you reprogram how you feel about test taking. It becomes less intimidating because it’s now a thing that you’ve done before, many times over.
It helps you master the timing of the thing. Pacing yourself is a MAJOR part of doing well on any test—especially for the ACT, which is notoriously fast-paced! It’s important not to hurry through and miss answers in a rush against the clock. It’s equally important to finish ahead of the clock without sinking time on difficult questions. The more times you take the practice test, the better sense you’ll have of how long you have to answer each question.
It helps you feel comfortable with the language and format of the test. You won’t feel as intimidated by the way questions are phrased if you spend a good deal of time with the practice material.
Night and Morning Routine Before the SAT or ACT
Get a Good Night's Sleep
I’m sure you’ve heard this advice, but it should be repeated because 1) it really DOES impact your cognitive sharpness the next day, yet 2) so few students actually implement this advice. Your brain tempts you into thinking that you can cram in just…a few….more…..facts before the big day.
The truth is that last minute cramming doesn’t really help you much, especially if you haven’t studied that material for weeks or months before hand.
Mostly, cramming and not sleeping just floods your body with stress hormones that can negatively affect your mental processes. This is definitely not good to do before a test.
The very best thing you can do is go to bed. At this point in the prep process, you know the stuff you know, and spending the night before a test trying to teach yourself something new or reinforce what you already know will backfire.
What doesn’t backfire is giving yourself enough rest so that you come to the test alert and with clarity. It won’t happen if you’re exhausted from a night spent cramming.
Eat Breakfast before Your Standardized Test
I know, I know, you’ve heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But this is triply, quadruply true on the day you take a standardized test. A mental and physical marathon lie before you, and you CANNOT run two marathons on zero calories. Your brain will respond better to carbs, and your body to protein. Make sure you have a balance of both.
Also, bring snacks with you to the testing center! An apple or granola bar works wonders to keep focus for the last half of the test.
What to Wear to the SAT and ACT
Your standardized exam is definitely not a fashion show. You don’t have to impress anyone in that room but yourself.
So, let go of trying to look cute. No one’s looking at you anyway, believe me—they’re too busy stressing out about the test! If you come to the testing room in sweats with your hair pulled back in a ponytail and without a stitch of makeup on—perfect. And if you want to put a little lipgloss on, that’s fine, too.
My point is to be as physically comfortable as possible. No high heels, tight shoes, tight jeans, etc.
Do, however, bring layers (like your trusty hoodie) in the event they try to freeze you with A/C. (And check out this list of 6-8 other items you should bring with you to the SAT/Digital SAT/ACT!)
Get a High Score on the ACT and SAT by Arriving Early
Last but not least, be sure to get to your testing place with plenty of time to get settled in your environment. Don’t wait until the last minute to arrive and then have to rush to get your body and brain sorted.
Testing Hacks to Improve Your SAT and ACT Score
Now, let’s briefly touch on some things to keep in mind when taking your test for the second (or third…or fourth) time.
Stay Positive during the Exam
Don’t allow your brain to think negatively. Banish thoughts like: “I can’t do this, I don’t know what this means, I won’t do well on this test,” etc.
Instead, stay upbeat and focused. Repeat to yourself a simple, positive mantra like, “I’ve studied; I’m ready.”
How to Pace Yourself While Taking the ACT or SAT
While I don’t recommend looking up at the clock every five minutes, do keep an eye out and keep yourself on track. This is why it’s important to prep with timed practice tests— you can train yourself to be on time.
Always Look at All of the Choices
You may think you know the answer until you see another, better answer. So, be sure that you’ve looked through each answer before making your decision.
Cross out the choices that you know are wrong. That will make it easier to decide between the choices you have left.
Should You Skip an SAT or ACT Question When You Get Stuck?
Yes, you should. Sometimes a question seems so out-of-left-field and unfamiliar that you’ve got to keep going. You can’t waste any more time. Come back if you have the time at the end of the test.
Guess at Questions You Don’t Know
Yeah, so that question that you skipped over because you didn’t understand—if you come back later on and still can’t make heads or tails of it, just make an educated guess. Who knows? Even with a random guess, you have a 20-25% chance of answering correctly! (For info more on this, read my post on the art of guessing *strategically* on the SAT and ACT.)
Be Decisive
Don’t second-guess yourself. If you find yourself going back and forth between two answer choices, go with the one you initially gravitated towards. Your gut instinct is usually right, and sometimes that’s the best strategy when you’re unsure. Then MOVE ON.
Double-check Your Answers
If you’ve completed the test, but still have time to spare, don’t just sit there twiddling your thumbs ‘til time runs out! Look back over your answers. Double check to ensure that you’ve filled in the right answer.
Final Thoughts
You may have done poorly in your first ACT or SAT, but that’s yesterday’s news. With the right strategies, you WILL do a lot better on your next exam. It’s practically guaranteed. After all, you continue to learn and grow, but the test stays at the same difficulty level! So, take a deep breath, study hard, and say to yourself, “I’ve got this,” because you totally do.
And if you found it comforting to have the strategies in this post in your back pocket, how great would it be to have dozens MORE practical tips and tricks for getting your highest SAT or ACT score ever? If you work with me one on one, you’ll gain access to exactly that goldmine of tried-and-true knowledge.
OR, if private tutoring doesn’t fit your budget or study style, never fear! My online course is perfect for you:
This is a totally digital, totally self-directed video class that will help you slay the dragon of your test anxiety. I walk you through over a DOZEN tricks and strategies for keeping calm and testing on. So if you liked the hack that today’s post had to offer, just imagine the kind of score you can achieve with loads MORE of them!
