Here are some last minute ACT tips that will help you succeed

The next ACT date is just around the corner! Hundreds of thousands of students are getting ready to take the exam and you, like nearly everyone else, may be getting nervous. That’s completely ok. The ACT is a big challenge, but it's also a good opportunity to demonstrate your skills to college admissions officers. During these last few days, it is important to keep your composure and finish the exam strong. Here are some helpful last minute study tips on how to ensure you do your best on the ACT!

Focus on your Weaknesses

By this point, you’ve probably got a good sense of where you stand on a whole bunch of concepts. You’ve taken plenty of practice exams and gone through question bank after question bank. By this point you should have a good understanding of what your strengths and weaknesses are on the ACT. During these last couple days try and focus on what you need the most improvement on.

However, make sure to not over do it. Realistically, figure out what you can tangibly improve on, rather than trying to cram everything you don’t know. You might end up more confused and lose valuable study time on concepts which you can master with some more practice. Just try and focus on sections where you’re scoring low but think you can make a noticeable improvement on. That will make your last minute ACT prep much smoother and more effective.

Maintain your Routines

Just because the test is getting closer doesn’t mean you can start slacking off! You should continue to maintain the same routines you’ve been practicing throughout your entire ACT journey. It’s easy to start slipping because you’ve been practicing so hard, but remember, just because you see the finish line doesn't mean you can stop sprinting. It’s also important to not try and cram as much information in by bleeding into other essential parts of your life. You shouldn’t be sleeping late, drinking lots of caffeine, or trying to cram every math concept in on the car ride to the testing center.

The Last (Practice) Exam

Ok, so there’s one exception to the above rule. On the day before your exam, don’t take a full length practice exam. Instead, your last practice exam should be two to three days before you actually take the real ACT. This test will serve as your baseline and set your expectations for how you’ll do on the real deal.

On the day before the exam, take a break and relax. You’ve studied so hard up until this point and you’re ready to demonstrate your skills to the world. Remember, cramming here won’t be the most effective use of your time. It’s better to go into the ACT feeling rested and refreshed, rather than feeling tired and overwhelmed.

Envisioning your Success

As the old saying goes, if you don’t believe in yourself, then you can’t succeed. Be confident in your abilities and your preparation up until now! Imagine that you’ve successfully taken the ACT even before you step foot into the testing room. Visualize yourself walking out after finishing, confident that you’ve done well. Even if the actual test gives you a few hiccups, you can be assured that by visualizing your success you will be calm as a cucumber and show off your hard work. Once you’ve gained the necessary confidence for your capabilities, you will be able to shine as much as you’ve prepared for the test. Sometimes all you need is that little push at to have the courage to believe and trust the process.

Best ACT Tips for Exam Day

Come Prepared to Take the ACT

The last thing you want as you’re walking into the testing center, confident in your abilities, is to realize you forgot something at home and now all of your prep is gone to waste. Fear not, there are only a few things you really really need to remember but here are the most important.

Here’s a complete list:

ACT admissions ticket! (print from ACTstudent.org, you cannot use your phone as a ticket, and you cannot take the test without it)
Photo identification (You can’t take the ACT without it! Check acceptable forms of identification here.)
No 2. Pencils! (No pens, mechanical pencils, or any other writing device)
A permitted calculator (Here are the acceptable calculators.)
Extra batteries (if your calculator requires them)
A watch to pace yourself (No Smartwatches Through!)
Eraser
Pencil sharpener
Healthy snacks (see below)
A water bottle

Don’t get distracted!!!

When you take the ACT the only thing that should matter to you is the ACT! Don’t worry about anything else that's not the test in front of you, as thinking about other information will slow you down. Furthermore, don’t get distracted by things in the room as well. Is someone coughing really loudly, or is someone else tapping their feet incessantly? Try your best to tune it out. Try and keep pacing yourself throughout the exam to make sure that you don’t get distracted and can finish strong.

Do not under any circumstances cheat

This one should go without saying, but, do not ever, ever, cheat on the ACT. Don’t even consider the possibility. Cheating can be tempting, especially if you feel overwhelmed during your prep, but the consequences for getting caught are monumental. While the ACT won’t tell colleges you cheated, you’ll still have to take the exam again. Even if you only cheated on one question, your entire score could be invalidated and you’ll have to go through the entire process again. What’s even worse, however, is if you get away with it during the exam, but your academic dishonesty gets revealed after you get accepted to university. This could be grounds for rescinding your admissions, or if you’re already attending, potentially expulsion.