<p>The difficulties of the various standardized tests has been a constant discussion for many years. There are certainly many variables which go into a successful test day; the difficulty of the test, the student’s physical well being, and the student’s emotional outlook.</p>
<p>Have your student take as many ACT and SAT tests as possible. The more familiar they are with the format, the more comfortable they will be with the tests.</p>
<p>Take a prep style course, these are usually given by the high school directly for very little money. (ours was $35).</p>
<p>Use the practice books. Many kids buy them and really don’t use them.</p>
<p>Get a good night’s sleep and bring a snack for the test, also stay well hydrated and hope the testing room is a good temperature.</p>
<p>For some kids, taking the test in an unfamiliar testing center (not your school) can be helpful, this can cut down on distractions. The student goes in to test, knowing very few of the students there and can focus better, simply because they are there to test and test only.</p>
<p>Get to the testing site early, so you have time to checkin, use the bathroom, set up and get prepared. Getting there right on time or late is not good. Feeling rushed and flustered is not a good way to begin the test.</p>
<p>Practice some deep breathing and center yourself before you start the test.</p>
<p>For the SAT test there are experimental sections which can be very confusing and downright difficult. Students know going into the test that these sections are there (they just don’t know where). Ultimately these sections will not affect your scores, however they can sometimes throw a student’s confidence into a tailspin and affect their stride. This happens because the student does not know if these are just particularly confusing or difficult questions or if these are the experimental questions, they don’t know whether they should try to answer or skip the question, they don’t know if they are wasting their time. Best advice is to treat every question like it counts! Your student needs to prepare beforehand for these roadblocks and just keep going strong.</p>
<p>After the test, your student will need to unwind; they may need to be quiet or sleep or talk about the test. This depends on the student. It is good to relax and try not to worry about the test too much. They will have another shot at the next testing session.</p>