ACT Exam: 3 Tips to Getting Your Best Score

A Student of the University of British Columbia studying for final exams. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Mike Bius

Every parent and student that comes to me for advice on the ACT exam wants to know the same question; what are the easiest things I can do to quickly raise my ACT score?

The question doesn't come from laziness at all, but rather frustration. So many students put in long hours studying and don't seem to get results.

Why Students Have Trouble Increasing Their ACT Score

The biggest problem that students face when trying to increase their ACT score is that they are doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. A focused plan makes all the difference. Otherwise, you may just be spinning your wheels and wasting time and energy. You need to learn to quickly answer questions, manage the clock and know what to study.

Learn to Quickly Answer Questions

Simply retaking practice tests to "become a better test taker" isn't going to do much more than get you comfortable with taking tests. That helps some, but not an enormous amount. There are specific test-taking skills that have to be learned, such guessing, saving time answering questions, how to read the Reading / Science passages and more.

Time Management is Key for the ACT Exam

Every student struggles to get all the questions answered in the time allotted. There are two time-management skills that help tremendously, and they do not merely include "go as fast as you can." As a matter of fact, some students make the mistake of thinking that the "easy" questions are first, so they just hurry through them, costing valuable points.

Know What To Study for the ACT Exam

Knowing what NOT to study can be just as important as knowing what TO study to get a high score on the ACT exam. For instance, studying Trigonometry is not a good use of your time unless you are hoping to score above a 32. Memorizing the periodic table for the Science portion is also a big waste of time.

The key to a good score on the ACT exam is to be strategic and have a well thought out plan, dealing specifically with your strengths and weaknesses. This normally requires a study course that is designed to teach you "how" to take the test, as opposed to teaching you more of the same curriculum that is on the test.

By the way, if you are a parent or a student and want to see a brief video telling you more about the best way to prepare for the ACT test, you can watch the PARENT Video or go here to watch the STUDENT Video.

From Mike Bius, College Exam Tutor's ACT and College Success Coach.

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