Preparing for Test Day
1. Take a Study Break. This will help you be more mentally alert the day of the test.
2. Eat dinner the night before.
3. Make sure you know where the testing center is prior to the day of the test.
4. Put all your materials together the day before the test. You will need your ACT Admission Ticket, required identification, two Number 2 pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, an acceptable calculator, a wristwatch, a snack and a bottle of water.
Visit these links to make sure you have the required identification.
Visit these links to make sure you have an acceptable calculator.
5. Go to bed early the night before the test. This test can take as long as five hours (including the essay portion) which will be very taxing. Getting a good night’s sleep can help keep you going.
6. Eat Breakfast the morning of the test. It is proven that breakfast will improve your concentration, mood and memory. Don’t let your grumbling stomach be a distraction.
7. Follow your normal routine as any other school day. Don’t do anything out of the ordinary that might affect the way you will perform on the test.
8. Dress in layers so that if room is cold you will be comfortable, but as you heat up, you can remove a sweatshirt or jacket.
9. Arrive early for the test so you have enough time to use the restroom, find the testing room and get comfortable. Don’t forget the materials you gathered the night before.
ACT Prep
Your student should take active measures to prepare for the ACT. If your student has already taken the ACT and has their scores, you will know what areas that your student should focus on. The ACT has established ACT College Readiness Benchmarks which students must meet to enroll into college level course work without supplemental instruction or developmental assistance.
If your student’s scores fall below these benchmarks, discipline-specific tutoring is recommended. Talk to the high school counselor, the local college or university, or ask a high school or college instructor in that discipline if they can help.
Allow several weeks of preparation for your student to do their best. Understand that the ACT is only offered a certain number of times each year at certain locations. Those dates can be found at this link. You will register your student online to take the test and you can choose the location during the registration process. There are significant penalties for registering late or canceling. Check the link about to find the registration deadline and use the calendar system in this binder to log when your student should register by and what day the test is on.
All juniors take the ACT at their high schools at no cost. However, if your student is interested in applying to Morehead state University’s Craft Academy for Excellence in Science or Mathematics or West Kentucky University’s The Gatton Academy, your student must take the ACT and score the above minimum benchmarks during or before their sophomore year.
Taking free ACT practice tests are a great way but not the only way to prepare. There are free online resources that can be helpful. The ACT has an excellent test preparation section on its website. It has many free test preparation resources.
Also, if your student is enrolled in dual credit courses at a college or university, the college may have ACT preparation programs on their library resources website including free practice tests.
There are other online resources which have free practice tests.
If your student studies better with printed materials, we recommend Kaplan ACT Prep Plus which can be found online at Amazon or other retailers. Sometimes a more book more focused on one subject may be more impactful.
Your student’s scores will be available three to five weeks after test day. You can log into your student’s account to check on scores. Scores will be mailed to the colleges and universities identified during the test registration process.
SAT Prep
Your student should take active measures to prepare for the SAT. If your student has already taken the SAT and has their scores, you will know what areas that your student should focus on. The highest possible score is 1600, 800 in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section and 800 in the Math section. The essay section is graded from 2-8. The SAT has established SAT College and Career Readiness Benchmarks which students must meet to enroll into college level course work without supplemental instruction or developmental assistance. These are set by grade level.
If your student’s scores fall below these benchmarks, discipline-specific tutoring is recommended. Talk to the high school counselor, the local college or university, or ask a high school or college instructor in that discipline if they can help.
Allow several weeks of preparation for your student to do their best. Understand that the SAT is only offered a certain number of times each year at certain locations. Those dates can be found here. You will register your student online to take the test and you can choose the location during the registration process. There are significant penalties for registering late or canceling. Check the link about to find the registration deadline and use the calendar system in this binder to log when your student should register by and what day the test is on.
Taking free SAT practice tests are a great way but not the only way to prepare. There are free online resources that can be helpful. The SAT has an excellent test preparation section on its website. It has many free test preparation resources.
Also, if your student is enrolled in dual credit courses at a college or university, the college may have SAT preparation programs on their library resources website including free practice tests.
Another great free online resource is Khan Academy. This partnership with the SAT provides a free practice that is personalized, interactive, official and instant. Click here for Khan Academy Official SAT Practice.
If your student studies better with printed materials, we recommend Kaplan SAT Prep Plus which can be found online at Amazon or other retailers. Sometimes a book more focused on one subject has more impact.
Your student’s scores will be available within 10 days after test day. You can log into your student’s account to check on scores. Scores will be mailed to the colleges and universities identified during the test registration process.