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Expert Tips: 7 Easy SAT/ACT Test Prep Hacks to Boost Your Scores

7 Easy SAT/ACT Test Prep Hacks

Scoring well is key to acing your college applications.

Last week, in our “Expert Tips” series, we shared the top test prep mistakes you should avoid.

This week, our experienced teachers at MEK Review list their favorite studying hacks for high school students to smartly use while preparing for the SAT or ACT exams.


 

English Teacher Katie Weisman

Test Prep Hack #1. Practice a little at a time.

“Practice improving only a few skills a week. Often, students try to improve on every topic at once, and it can be overwhelming. Instead, focus on just a couple topics or test-taking skills per week to narrow your focus and maximize your results. For instance, for the Writing section, maybe one week, you focus on re-learning punctuation rules, the next week on pronoun rules.”

Katie Weisman, English Teacher

 

English Exam Prep Coordinator Rachel Erwin

Test Prep Hack #2. Review what you know.

“Review. Students always want to do new material, new tests, new questions. But sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is to review the material you’ve already done and reflect meaningfully on why you made mistakes. Try to figure yourself out as a test-taker, not just the test.”

— Rachel Erwin, Exam Prep Coordinator

 

English Teacher Mac Porter

Test Prep Hack #3. Train on vocabulary.

“Study vocabulary. It is not the most attractive part of preparing for the test, but the confidence given by knowing what all the words in a tricky passage mean cannot be understated.”

 Mac Porter, English Teacher

 

English Teacher Ashley Dorian

Test Prep Hack #4. Expand what you read.

“Read newspaper articles. Get them sent to your phone through email each day. Huffington Post, The Atlantic, and The New York Times are all good ones to start with. This will help students learn how to read quickly and will enhance their vocabulary.”

Ashley Dorian, English Teacher

 

English Teacher Chris Cullen

Test Prep Hack #5. Read as much as you can.

“Read voraciously. Pick a handful of your favorite reputable sources and read them regularly. Besides enjoying yourself, you’ll also be secretly building your vocabulary and critical thinking skills, skills of which always pay dividends when it comes to taking standardized tests.”

— Chris Cullen, English Teacher

 

Director of Exam Prep Tony Kim

Test Prep Hack #6. Look back at older tests.

“They must review their OLD tests. Students do not receive the scores they want NOT solely because of the lack of contents, but making silly “and same” mistakes over and over. They need to understand their weaknesses and fix those first.”

— Tony Kim, Director of Exam Prep

 

Math Exam Prep Coordinator Pranav Gupta

Test Prep Hack #7. Batch your time.

“Make a bunch of “small” times. Allocate 15 mins a day, as opposed to a lump-sum of many hours on a single day.”

— Pranav Gupta, Exam Prep Coordinator

 

What’s Next?

Seeking the way to higher scores?

Register for our ACT Connect!

ACT Connect is a rigorous, self-paced lecture series that focuses on giving you the skills and strategies to earn top scores on the ACT. Through full-length practice exams, informative subject based lectures, and rigorous practice, our expert ACT instructors give you everything you need to walk into test day with confidence.

Or you can sign up for one of our in-person or virtual SAT/ACT test events to get started on your journey to your goal score!

 

MEK Review

MEK Review is the top learning center in North Jersey, dedicated to helping students of all ages begin an incredible success story. With our guidance, students have gained acceptances into the best schools in the country, earned top test scores, prepared for difficult admission tests, and transformed into their best selves in the classroom. To find your perfect solution, explore our programs or book your free consultation with an expert counselor!

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