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Best Strategies for Taking College Entrance Exams

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Written by CB Experts

One class has now been accepted to college. But, already the high school seniors-to-be are thinking about next year’s college applications. Part of that process is taking one or both of the major College Entrance Exams, the ACT or the SAT.

Here are some tips to be successful on your SATs and ACTS, whether or not you are taking them in the spring or in the fall, whether or not you are taking them for the first time or are retaking them.

Balance – These are important tests and important to your college admission, but if you are too stressed that is counterproductive. To reduce your stress level
• Get a good night’s sleep,
• Arrive early to the test site to get familiar with it,
• Remember you can retake this test multiple times.

Routine Equals Success – Test Day is not a normal day, but we all function best when we stick to our routines. Sooo…
• Wear regular clothes,
• Don’t get up too early,
• Eat a normal breakfast (Coffee will not help unless you’re used to it.)
• Take full-length practice exams several times to make this kind of test taking more routine.

Know About the Test – Yes, knowing content is important, but these tests have a certain format, and you should know how to approach them.
• Practice time management. Don’t linger too long on a question, and use a watch or the clock.
• Read the instructions ahead of time and understand them and know them.
• Use your test booklet as scratch paper.
• Be careful to bubble in correctly.
• Better to guess than leave a question blank, even the critical reading section. 

You are off on an adventure, which will have its tests. Just be prepared, AND GOOD LUCK!

About the author

CB Experts

Content created by retired College Admissions consultants.