Test tactics p1 - Military - Education Strategies and Tips - Military Times EDGE

College entrance exams are intimidating, at best. For nontraditional students — many of whom are years removed from any type of academic setting —- they can be utterly terrifying. If you’re prepping for an entrance exam, and test anxiety is threatening to outshine you on the big day, relax. Jay Brody, editor of “How to Survive the SAT (and ACT)” (Hundreds of Heads Books, July 2007), gives this surefire advice on how to ace your test:

Prepare properly

Make sure you spend enough time and effort studying. Brody suggests working for 10 hours a week for several months before the test. Been out of school for awhile? You’ll need to spend 40 hours, at minimum, preparing.

Consider a tutor

Even a few sessions with someone who can help you find a good system for reading comprehension, or explain basic math concepts, can make a world of difference. Certain online test preparation, Brody says, can be spotty and lead to lazy habits.

Practice using real tests

Both ACT and the College Board, which administers the SAT, offer free practice tests. “[Other] prep companies always have their own agendas,” Brody cautions, “and whether intentionally or not, their materials do not always represent what students will see on test day.”

Don’t expect an easy way out

There are no easy “tricks” or gimmicks to preparing for the ACT or SAT. You simply have to learn the material, whether it’s solving a basic algebraic equation or identifying where to put a comma in a sentence. The key, Brody said, is to focus on learning only what’s actually tested on the ACT or SAT.

Stay calm, and don’t get discouraged

Getting only two-thirds of the questions right may be a “D” in school, but it leads to a pretty good score on the SAT, Brody says. Panicking or becoming discouraged during the study process or the exam can lead to unnecessary errors.

Have some concept of time

That is to say, don’t panic about time pressure, but also do not ignore it. Practice with a stopwatch or clock. You’ll find that you’ll sometimes need to skip questions or leave some sections unfinished. “That’s perfectly OK,” Brody says.

Sleep and eat

Get enough shuteye the night before the test — but not much more than you usually get. And make sure you eat breakfast the morning of the test, preferably something with protein.

— By Jessica Lawson