1. Time yourself
The most baffling mistake in all of test prep – never timing yourself. Year after year we see students that do not accurately time themselves for standardized tests and suffer unnecessarily for it. There are timing devices available on amazon, or even better yet, come to one of our practice exams. The first one is on us!
2. Get Diagnostic Results
Another simple error is never getting a diagnostic report done. Many students self-study or go through school programs that do not have detailed diagnostics. Heck, even the SAT and ACT have very inadequate reports that come with their tests. “I got a 26 out of 40 on Math, what does that mean?” Yup, you guessed it, nothing. The fake data given out by the testing companies is made to give you a false sense of assurance. Luckily we have the most detailed diagnostics possible. Once again, the first one is on us, and we send you one every time you take a test with us.
3. Learn Math Formulas
Another very simple solution to a higher SAT or ACT score is to simply know every math formula cold. We can provide you a list of formulas you need to know on the test to get you started. It is senseless to lose points because you forgot the special right triangles, or the pythagorean theorem. Anyways, remember that knowing the formulas is step 1, but being able to apply them is step 2. We can show you both.
4. Learn Grammar Rules
Another obvious but overlooked aspect of the SAT/ACT. You MUST know every grammar rule tested on the exams. You must understand the parts of speech, independent and dependent clauses, and how to use punctuation. This is not a sounding test, and anyone that tells you to sound out answers is simply incorrect. You must analyze the grammatical issues in each sentence in and out. Knowing the rules is the first step to a higher score on these questions. We can teach you the rest.
5. Know when to Skip/Guess
A final easy way to improve your score is to simply guess on questions you do not know. For starters, you should leave no questions blank, even if you run out of time. There is no longer any penalty for wrong answers. Second, it is crucial that you do not get bogged down on one question at the expense of others. Each question is worth the same number of points!
– Take these 5 simple rules to heart and really try to absorb them. You are already on your way to a higher score! –
For more information
Call (516)728-1561 to speak with our expert about how to prepare, or explore our Classes & Events.
By: Nicholas LaPoma, Owner, Curvebreakers