Increase Your Students' SAT® and ACT® Scores with Effective Test Day Tips

Test day is a significant moment in a student's test-prep journey. After working hard to get to this point, the pressure to excel can be overwhelming. However, with the right preparation and strategies, test takers can confidently tackle the SAT® and ACT® exams and leave test day knowing they performed their very best.

With our comprehensive tips, you can help your students succeed on test day by ensuring they are mentally and physically prepared to achieve their best possible scores. From choosing the right place to test and effective test-taking techniques to stress management and test-taking strategies, we'll cover everything your clients need to maximize their performance and minimize their anxiety.

The Overlooked Decision: Test Center Selection

Choosing the right test center can significantly affect students' test day performance. While it might seem logical to choose the nearest location, proximity isn’t everything. The nearest center may not always provide the best environment for optimal performance. 

Here are some important factors to consider when helping your clients choose the right testing center:

Testing Environment: Not all testing centers are created equal. Potential disruptions, uncomfortable seating, and extreme temperatures can hinder a student’s focus and performance. Finding a location that offers a comfortable and conducive testing environment is crucial. 

But, how can you find out about those potential issues? Students should consider test-taker feedback and online reviews when selecting their test center.

• Test-Taker Feedback: Gathering insights from past test takers can be invaluable. Tutors should regularly ask students about their experiences at various testing centers. Were there any issues with temperature, noise, lighting, or proctoring? Any positive or negative feedback can help students make better-informed decisions about test centers.

• Online Reviews: The internet can be a helpful resource for checking test center reviews. While it's important to take some comments with a grain of salt, patterns in reviews can highlight consistent issues or benefits at specific locations.

• Direct Feedback: Personal experiences are often more reliable than anonymous online reviews. Encourage your students to talk to their peers who have taken tests at the centers they are considering. Firsthand accounts can provide detailed and relevant insights.

Commute Considerations: The impact of travel on test day should be seriously considered. A lengthy, traffic-ridden commute can add unnecessary stress. Selecting a testing location that is easily accessible and provides ample parking can help ensure that a student’s test day starts on the right foot.

Recommend your students practice driving to the test center beforehand. This can help them plan for adequate travel time and become familiar with the route and key landmarks, reducing anxiety on test day.

Advice for Tutors: Keep Notes. Track feedback from your students about their test center experiences. Maintaining a record of this information can help when other current and future students are choosing the best test locations.

Practice Tests: The Key to Success

One of the most effective ways to ensure success on test day is through regular practice tests. Here’s why practice is so vital and some specific tips to help students make the most of their preparation.

Importance of Practice:

• Familiarity with the Test Format and Functions: Regular practice helps students become comfortable with the format and types of questions they will encounter on the SAT® and ACT®. 

Practicing with SAT®- and ACT®-aligned practice tests and materials reduces the likelihood of surprises on test day and helps students navigate the test with confidence and ease.

• Building Mental Endurance: The SAT® and ACT® are lengthy exams that require sustained focus and concentration. Taking full-length practice tests builds the mental stamina needed to maintain performance throughout the entire test.

Specific Tips:

• Use the College Board’s Bluebook App for SAT® Practice. For students preparing for the SAT®, the College Board’s Bluebook app is an invaluable resource. It offers practice tests that mirror the actual exam, allowing students to familiarize themselves with the digital format and specific test functions, such as the built-in graphing calculator.

• Take Full-Length Practice Tests for Both SAT® and ACT®. Doing a few practice questions is beneficial, but taking full-length practice tests is essential. This simulates the real test experience and helps students develop the endurance needed for test day. 

Encourage students to take these practice tests under timed conditions to get used to the pacing of the exam.

• Advice for Tutors: Utilize Clear Choice Prep’s SAT®- and ACT®-Aligned Practice Materials, Tests, and Curricula. The best way to prep your clients is by using materials that are perfectly aligned with the real deal. Clear Choice Prep has exactly that—a comprehensive curriculum, cutting-edge technology, and expert consulting services that tutoring companies need to help students perform their very best on test day.

By incorporating regular practice tests into their study routine, students can significantly improve their familiarity with the test format and build the mental endurance necessary for success. This practice not only boosts confidence but also enhances the ability to manage time and stress during the actual exam.

The Importance of Mental and Physical Rest

Ensuring that students get plenty of mental and physical rest before test day is crucial for their test day performance. Taking care of your mind and body before a stressful event is the key to managing anxiety. 

Here are some useful strategies to help test takers relax before test day:

Avoid Cramming the Night Before. It might be tempting for students to stay up late cramming, but this can do more harm than good. A tired mind is less capable of processing and recalling information. 

Encourage your students to trust the preparation they’ve done over the previous weeks and months. Last-minute studying is unlikely to make a significant impact and can actually increase test anxiety.

Engage in Relaxing Activities Before the Test. Students should take some time to engage in low-key activities that help lower stress levels, such as:

• Light Exercise: A short walk, stretching, or some gentle yoga can help release tension.

• Reading for Pleasure: Enjoying a good book can be a great way to relax and help take their mind off the upcoming test.

• Mindfulness and Meditation: Practicing mindfulness or meditation can help calm the mind and improve focus.

• Avoid Screens: Limiting screen time, especially before bed the night before, can do wonders to improve sleep quality.

Additional Tips for Test Takers:

• Establish a Nighttime Routine. Consistency helps signal to the body that it’s time to wind down. Recommend a relaxing pre-sleep routine, such as taking a warm bath/shower or practicing deep breathing exercises. Again, advocate limited screen time before bed.

• Create a Restful Environment. Just as establishing a relaxing nighttime routine can help test takers wind down, a comfortable, quiet, and dark sleeping environment can promote better rest ensuring they wake up on time on test day.

• Make Sleep a Priority. Nothing is more important than adequate sleep. For teens, in particular, at least 9 hours of sleep is essential for a typical night. Advise your clients to turn in early the night before test day and get those 9+ hours of z’s so they wake up refreshed, energized, and ready to crush their exam!

By prioritizing rest and engaging in calming activities, students can approach test day with a clear mind and a well-rested body, ready to perform their very best.

A Healthy Start: Eat a Good Breakfast

On the morning of test day, a nutritious breakfast is essential for optimal performance. Rushing through breakfast or skipping it entirely can negatively impact focus and energy levels.

Urge your students to carve out enough time in their morning routine to have a healthy breakfast. Avoid grabbing a granola bar on the way out or rushing to eat on the way to the test center. Instead, take the time to sit down and enjoy a balanced meal.

A healthy breakfast consists of “brain foods” that provide good fats, nutrients, water, and limited carbs. Ideal options for test day include:

• Eggs - packed with protein and essential nutrients.

• Nuts - a great source of healthy fats and protein.

• Yogurt - offers protein and probiotics.

• Cottage Cheese - high in protein and low in carbs.

• Water - hydration is essential. Staying hydrated is crucial as a well-hydrated brain functions optimally. Dehydration can cause headaches, confusion, slow reaction time, fatigue, and sensitivity to light and sound. 

Test takers should avoid eating sugary, non-nutritious foods like pastries and drinks like caffeinated energy drinks that can cause energy crashes during the test.

Additional Tips for Test Takers:

• Allow Time for Digestion. Eating breakfast well before the test allows time for digestion, ensuring that energy is available when needed most. 

Eating early also helps cut down on extra breaks needed during the test. Taking bathroom breaks during your test means losing time you can't get back.

• Bring snacks for breaks. Healthy snacks like nuts, jerky, apples with peanut butter, cheese, dried fruit, trail mix, granola bars, bananas, yogurt, and cottage cheese provide sustained energy and help maintain focus.

By starting the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast and staying hydrated, students can enhance their cognitive function and maintain steady energy levels throughout the test, improving their chances of success.

Preparation: Pack Essentials the Night Before

I’m a huge advocate of making a packing list and packing a bag the night before any major event. That way, I am much more likely to remember everything I need and I don’t feel rushed in the morning. 

Advise your clients to do the same. Depending on the test they’re taking and the test center they’ve chosen, they will need to pack items like their exam admission ticket, a valid photo ID, a graphing calculator (again, this depends on what test/test format they’re taking), bottled water, and healthy snacks.

For more on this, check out our post: 7 Essential Reminders for Students to Cross Off Their Test Day Checklist. Download and share our Illustrated Test Day Checklist with your students before test day.

Strategies for Handling Test Day Stress

To perform their very best on test day, students need to learn how to manage stress and overcome test day frustrations effectively. 

Here are some strategies to share with your students to help them stay calm and focused before and throughout their exams:

1. Practice Focused Breathing. Encourage your students to use breathing exercises to calm their nerves. Techniques like counting down from 10 while focusing on inhaling and exhaling can help reduce anxiety and allow them to refocus.

2. Apply Time Management Skills. Emphasize the importance of pacing. Test takers should keep an eye on the time but avoid rushing through questions.

For tips on pacing, check out our post: It’s Time to Start Utilizing the Most Undervalued Test-Prep Tool.

3. Use Breaks Wisely. Test takers should use their breaks to recharge. Encourage them to stretch, use the restroom, and have a light snack or drink to maintain their energy and focus.

4. Maintain a Clear Perspective. Help your clients understand that feeling stressed is normal during high-stakes moments but there are coping strategies to help them push through that feeling. 

Encourage them to try their best to channel that test-day stress into a positive source of energy and motivation.

For your clients who suffer from test anxiety, urge them to lean on mindfulness techniques like positive self-talk and breathing techniques that can help them overcome their anxious minds. 

5. Prepare for Unexpected Situations. Forewarn your students about potential test day irregularities or test center issues such as disruptions, no visible clock, or proctor mistakes. 

Advise your students to remain calm and focused even when unexpected events occur and empower them to take the necessary steps to report problems if they experience any during the test. Issues must be reported to the test proctors. Encourage your clients to speak up for themselves if they are having an issue during testing. 

If a test administrator ignores or disregards a test taker’s complaints, both the SAT® and ACT® have dedicated channels for reporting those issues.

• For the SAT®, test takers must use College Board’s Test Day Toolkit to report irregularities or follow the directions for reporting issues under “Test Center Complaints.”

• ACT® test takers must report test day issues through The ACT Test: Contact Us form.

Under “How can we help you?,” students must choose “Test Center or Test Day Issues” under the “Select your issue*” drop-down menu.

By equipping students with these stress management strategies and proactive measures, you can help ensure that your students stay calm, focused, and resilient so they can perform their best on test day. And, if any problems do arise on test day, they know exactly what steps to take to advocate for themselves.

Test-Taking Strategies

There are many different test-taking strategies, and which strategies students should use really comes down to the test, the test format, and their individual learning styles. 

While some approaches may work better than others, here are 2 that are tried and true:

1. Focus on One Question at a Time. Encourage your students to carefully read each question and the provided answers. Rushing can lead to misinterpretation and careless mistakes, which can be costly. It’s crucial to approach each question methodically.

For instance, the new digital SAT® adapts to student performance; early mistakes can affect the difficulty of subsequent questions and ultimately the final score. 

2. Complete Questions You Know First. Another strategy is to skip over and return to difficult questions. Students who choose this strategy move past challenging questions and focus on the ones they can answer confidently. This ensures they maximize their points and don’t waste valuable time. Then, they can go back and spend the remainder of their time working out those tough questions.

Just be sure to remind your students to go back and answer those skipped questions. There’s no penalty for guessing on the SAT® or ACT®, so test takers should always select an answer rather than leave it blank. 

For more specific test-taking strategies, check out these posts:

• 3 Ways to Attack the New Digital SAT® Reading and Writing Modules

• New Digital SAT® Insights: Comparing Scores and Strategies

• The Gift of Extra Time on the ACT® and SAT®: How to Spend It Wisely

• 3 Simple Ways to Help Students Save Time on the ACT® and SAT®

• Best Strategies to Tackle the ACT® Reading Paired Passages

• 5 Tips for Improving a Student’s Speed on the ACT® Math Test

By focusing on these strategies, students can effectively manage their time and reduce anxiety, enhancing their performance on test day.

Perspective and Adaptability

Maintaining a healthy perspective and being adaptable can greatly influence a student’s approach to test day and their overall performance.

Keep Test Results in Perspective. Students need to be reassured that their test scores are just one aspect of their academic profile. While doing well can open doors, scores alone do not define their abilities or potential. Remind your students that test scores are only one component of the college application process. Admissions committees also consider grades, extracurricular activities, personal statements, and letters of recommendation.

Furthermore, there will be future opportunities for them to retest if they choose to do so. Every test taken provides valuable feedback that will help them fine-tune their test prep and boost their scores next time.

Superscoring: The Benefits of Taking the Test Multiple Times. Encourage your students to use superscoring to their advantage, where colleges consider the highest scores from each section across multiple test attempts. This approach allows students to improve their overall score by focusing on different sections in subsequent tests.

Encourage a Growth Mindset. Foster a positive and flexible attitude through a growth mindset by emphasizing that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. 

Champion academic challenges as opportunities to learn and grow rather than as insurmountable obstacles. A flexible attitude can help them navigate stress and setbacks more effectively.

By keeping test results in perspective and cultivating a growth mindset, students can approach their SAT® or ACT® with confidence and resilience. This balanced outlook can help them understand that while these exams are important, they are just one part of the pathway to college and beyond.

Key Takeaways

• Ensure your students are mentally and physically ready with effective test-taking techniques and stress management strategies.

• Advise your clients to choose the right test center by considering the environment, student feedback, online reviews, and commute. Keep records of student feedback for future reference.

• Recommend plenty of rest before test day. Remind your students to avoid cramming, engage in relaxing activities, establish a nighttime routine, and create a restful sleep environment.

• Regular practice tests build familiarity and endurance. 

• Encourage your students to eat a nutritious breakfast with “brain foods” and to stay hydrated on test day. Remind them to avoid rushing and bring healthy snacks and water for breaks.

• Teach your students to use focused breathing, visualization, time management, and breaks effectively. 

• Prepare your clients for unexpected situations and reporting irregularities during the test.

• Emphasize that test scores don’t define students. Encourage a growth mindset and help your students to view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

By incorporating these tips into your guidance, you can help your students navigate the pressures of test day, perform their best, and achieve their academic goals.

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Before you go, just a quick reminder: Summer 2024 SAT® and ACT® Test Dates Are Fast Approaching: Have Your Clients Registered Yet?

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