The Teens Guide to Taking the ACT

I want to start off by saying that I have taken the ACT three times, and learned something new about taking the test each time. I’ve learned that the ACT based off of three things. Trial and error, how well your test taking skills are, and how hard this particular test is. This post will go into more details about my experiences with taking this test, and some advice I can offer you about taking the test.

The ACT is something that everyone dreads when they get into high school. Well I’m sorry honey, but there is no way out of it if you want to go to college! Ok, I guess that you could take the SAT, but that’s still a long test as well, so what difference does it make? I'm going to start off with some suggestions I have for you to do before you take the free, in-school test. I also have a registration tip for taking the ACT. Then I'll go into test taking advice that applies to the in-school test as well as any additional ACT paid tests you'll take.

Suggestions for You Before the Free, In-School Test

One thing that I wish I would’ve done was take the test one time before the free test offered through your high school. I ended up taking the ACT three times, and might have considered taking it a fourth time, but I didn’t have time between the offered testing dates, and the dates to start submitting college applications. You have to send in your test scores when you apply for college and if you take the test again, you have to pay to send the scores again! I would recommend getting your highest score possible before sending in your applications so you can save yourself of the fee trouble. So take a paid test before the free one. The first test you take is often a trial run of trying to figure out how to take the test. The average person bumps their ACT score up 3 points the second time they take it. You could get the score the second time you take it and not even have to worry about a paid retake later that year.

Free In-School Registration Tips

You will be given your ACT registration form in school a couple weeks before the ACT. There is a specific section that you should fill out, and that is the section that asks you if you want to send your scores to colleges. I would fill in as many schools as you can in those boxes. The schools will get your scores for free, and if that ends up being your highest score, you won't have to pay lots of money to send your scores later.

In Test Tips

Accept that you have to do this, and move on. None of us really like taking tests, but it’s what we have to take them, so suck it up! Be mentally prepared to make it through the 4 hour test. The farther you get into the test, the more mentally tired you will feel. Be prepared to feel that fatigue. The best advice I can give you when you are in that situation, is to just keep pushing through. Find a motivation to finish this test. Think of the lunch you get to eat or the nap you get to take after you finish the test, and then get right back to work. Also remember that if you are taking the ACT other than the day it is proctored at your high school for free, you will be given an extra multiple choice section in either English, math, reading, or science that you’ll have to complete as well. I found that really annoying the second time I took the test because I didn’t know I would have to do that. I also didn’t put as much effort into it though, because it isn’t counted towards your overall score. ​Pre-test tip: find your motivation to finish the test. Find yourself a reward that you’ll get after you finish.

Basic testing do’s and don’ts. Part of the challenge of taking the ACT is knowing what the testing technique is. Here’s a couple things I have learned not to do and advise you to avoid at all costs!

Fill in the answer bubble right after you decide the correct answer. The first time I took the test I decided to answer all the questions in my packet and then fill in the bubble sheet when the called time. That was a big mistake! I was barely able to fill in all the bubbles in time.

In the math section, always start in the front. I had the idea of starting in the back of the math section thinking that it would give me more time to think of how to solve the hard questions and then I’d be able to get all the easier ones in the front afterwards. That was a bad move! I sacrificed the easier, more obvious answers by doing this and ended up guessing most of the questions in the back anyways. If you are good at math, you might be able to get away with this technique. If you are an average student like me, you probably don’t have much of a chance.

Writing section. The best advice I can give you here is good luck! I didn’t ever take the writing portion with my test because I wasn’t required to. I took a practice version of it in my AP Language class and found it an interesting essay. It’s unlike any other essay that has ever been designed before! Just try your very best!

How I Feel About Studying

Studying for the ACT is a pretty controversial topic I feel like. It can be found beneficial, but it just depends on the person. Before my last time taking the ACT, I studied really hard the whole week before. I took the test and was disappointed to get a lower score back than my previous test. One thing you should also know about the ACT tests can be easier or harder just depending on the test. I think I got a harder test the time I studied because my test score went down. Keep that in mind as you prepare and take the ACT. Good luck!