I know I sorta already asked this, but I want to come from a different and more precise angle.
How do I stop just blanking out on questions and keep pushing through, and also sometimes there are questions in which I don’t comprehend on the spot- any tips?
There are strategies for taking standardized test, but the first thing you need to do is relax. If you are concerned to consumed about why am I not comprehending questions, blanking out, not performing satisfactorily on admissions tests, etc. or what will happen if I don’t …If you want to do poorly on the SAT/ACT, the above thinking will surely guarantee low score. Stop yourself immediately if these thoughts enter your mind. Say NO to yourself.
Also, develop some relaxation techniques that you can depend on to sooth you; find out what works reliably for you. Get a good night sleep the night before and eat a good, tasty breakfast that would cause nausea or…This is not the time for bean burritos, lots of coffee or oj, spicy sausages, and so on.
Remember: stuff happens and you are neither the first nor the last student that stuff happens to. ACT/SAT are not interested in you personally or have any agenda involving you. You are one of millions of test takers. Test makers want payment, good weather, and a comfortable, well-proctored exam site that packs up and returns tests quickly, according to directions, and in the appropriate container. You have the relief of anonymity.
It really helps keep the lid on anxiety to be prepared for the test day. The night before gather your admissions ticket, calculator, sharpened pencils, erasers and whatever else is necessary to you and allowed. Put them by the door in a grocery bag or other container. Wear comfortable clothes. Plan a reward for yourself irrespective of how you think you did.
On test day, remember your biggest asset is your brain; let it work for you. Affirm here we go! Read the directions carefully. Make sure you have filled in your name, school, birthdate, where scores should be sent, whatever; kids have reported on CC that their identifying information was incorrect. If yours is, call the test help line as soon as you get home and discuss your problem. Asking what to do on CC is an indirect approach to problem solving and doesn’t help reduce your frustration quickly or successfully.
Look over the test section just because it is a good idea. Compare the number of items and time allowed to determine the amount of time you can spend on each item. You will not have time to chew your pencil and think. Read the questions as written without second guessing what the test author meant or if there is a trick. Item are pretty straight forward because there is no advantage to tricking an unknown number of or particular test takers. Trickery screws up the statistics. Finally, as soon as you read the question, ask yourself what the answer is and, if you know it, find and mark it.
There are strategies for test taking. Scores are based on the number correct, irrespective of level of difficulty. After looking over the test quickly, move from beginning to end and answer every question you are sure you know the answer. Record, check recording for accuracy on question number and which dot was filled in. Those questions are done now and forever. Next pass, answer to the questions where you had an aha moment about the answer or even found the answer in the stem of another question. At the same time, go over the questions where you can reduce the item choices to two. Do not fall into the trap of changing initial test answers unless you have a really excellent, tangible reason for changing the answer. Why would your brain trick you into answering incorrectly the first time? If you have time, quickly go through the difficult questions and check if you can eliminate some choices. Successful test takers make strategic guesses, but not wild one. They also don’t leave potential points on the table if they have a good guess. Personally, I seldom checked my answer sheets beyond making sure the item were completely filled in and if I had a particular item or two that I was unsure of. Most students do complete the test. Don’t agitate over items if you are done and satisfied. relax for the remaining minutes. It is better to accumulate lots of points than to demonstrate to no one in particular that you are willing to take the time to answer one or more really difficult items.
Your academic competency is being measured. Reading for class, for fun, for information expands vocabulary, reading rate and comprehension. When reading, look up unknown words and learn them. Just like riding a bike, reading successfully takes time and practice. You will find that reading rates differ by comprehension demands; Silas Marner is far more difficult than the Cat in the hat. If you are a successful reader, make sure you are a successful skimmer of text. I found that I could read the text, look over the questions and then read text again and mark an answer when I found it. To read each passage slowly and multiple times is a poor strategy. As far as math, I knew high school math because it was new; I brushed up on middle school/intermediate grade measurements, arithmetic strategies, math vocabulary.
The best preparation for the ACT/SAT is paying attention in class, completing assignments, studying for tests, recognizing connections between information across classes, and so on. high school can be boring and not so fun, but it simply isn’t worth it in the short and long run to avoid school work as much as possible. What else are you planning to do during school time? Further, it is a shame and a waste of time and energy to find yourself cramming for a test when you have no insight into actual test content. Once only, I found a question on the test that was in a study guide. Once! Do not waste your time memorizing questions and answers. I have met so many test takers who are surprised by poor test performance. But I really memorized all the test questions and answers in the study guide!Take practice tests and review to make sure you really knew why your response was correct or why your response was incorrect. Really good information is in the section where answers to test questions are discussed briefly.
After the test, forget about it. Your worrying, anxiety and agitation will not improve your score, but will make you miserable.Test scores come in the fullness of time and are often unrelated to your test site, school, or when your friends get their scores.
Confidence builds competence. Competence builds confidence. Make sure you have both.
Lightly keep underline the passage with your pencil as you read along. If you come across something that seems interesting/unusual/the author indicates is important, then underline that part more darkly.
I made the mistake of reading each article once, then going back to answer questions. If you are in a class, sure, this is a good strategy, but not on the PSAT/SAT. I barely finished the reading section, so I recommend just going through each question as you run into it to reduce the time you waste.
What about during the math section?