How To Prep For The ACT in One Week
So, you have one week until you take the dreaded ACT test. Do you need to improve your ACT score, ASAP?
The important thing is that you are here now, and you still have a week before the exam. That may not sound like a lot, but there are plenty of things you can do this week to boost your confidence and your score before the big day.
Disclaimer: As an educator, one week is not enough time to prepare and get the best score you are capable of. But for seniors, who want to improve his/her score before college apps are due we want to help you get you most points possible in limited time. The best case scenario, we highly recommend you should spend at least five weeks preparing for the ACT. If you give yourself more time to practice, it is easier to guarantee a score boost.
Focussing on your weaknesses is a key component of this effective plan. Due to only having a week to study, you can not afford to waste time. How much time spent will indicate how much you improve the ACT.
Study Plan For Quick Score Improvement
The first step is to find out what you don’t know and then master it. Assess where you are at right now, and what is realistic for you to accomplish with only one week until the test date.
Time Requirement
This schedule assumes that you will have at least an hour and half a day to devote to your training. Hopefully, this is feasible for one week of studying balanced with your other priorities (school work, work, extra-curricular activities). If it is not possible, then you can adjust the plan to focus on reviewing your weaknesses and taking practice sections.
Materials:
- The Official ACT Prep Guide: Click here to purchase on Amazon
- E3 Modern Learning Proctor Test Timer via Youtube
- E3 Modern Learning Last Minute Prep Bootcamp for only $197 (optional) Special offer $97 use code I got this. Register here NOW before its too late!
For step-by-step guidance, check out our ACT prep training boot camp. we highly recommend our online ACT prep training. We go through the process with you and provide a personalized game plan.
If you are flying solo, or just barely keeping your head above water, then here’s what we suggest for your prep:
Study Plan Schedule
Day 1 Take and Review A Practice Test
Take a complete practice test from the book The Official ACT Prep guide. Use the proctor timer. Be sure to simulate actual test-taking conditions. Take the allocated 10-minute break after the mathematics test.
The practice test will highlight your strengths and weaknesses, so you know where to focus your time on. Due to time constraints, you can not afford to waste time, so focus your training on the sections with the lowest score.
After you have scored your test, it is crucial to complete the next step, review and analyze the results. Follow the guidelines below will help you identify your weak areas.
- Take notice if running out of time hindered your score due to guessing or leave unanswered. Where did you run out of time and why? Did you make sure you quickly filled in all bubbles?
- Review every question you got wrong and know what the correct answer is.
- Understand why you missed it so you don’t make the same mistake again
- What type of questions your missing
- What content gaps
The key focus is to pinpoint your weaknesses so that you can effectively train. Lastly, decide what subject areas you want to focus your time on.
Suggested Study Plan
3.5-4.0 hours: Take a full official practice test with breaks
1 hour: Review missed questions and make sure you understand why you missed it. Look for patterns such as running out of time, was one type of passage easier than the other.
Days 2-5
This is the time to hone in on your weaknesses. The best way to improve is through improving your areas of weaknesses and practice. Whether you struggle with remembering grammar rules, solving geometry questions or interpretation of data, your first priority is to pinpoint topics you don’t know and then master it.
Only focus on a single ACT section each day.
Suggested Study Plan
35 minutes – 1 hour: Take a full section from prep book, strictly timed.
1-2 Hours: Review missed questions and make sure you understand why you missed it. Don’t just brush it off as ” Oh, I don’t remember when to use commas, so I guessed.” Take time to learn the content, so you won’t make the same mistake on test day. Use your prep book and online resources to learn new content.
For example: If you realize you always missed comma questions in the English section, first research comma rules and then do practice problems. You can review comma rules here.
Day 6
Gather up all material that you need to test day. We have listed the five items below.
- #2 pencils
- approved calculator
- drink & snack
- admissions ticket
- photo I.D.
Be sure to get a good night rest. Lastly, remember you got this, and visualize the score you want to receive.
Day 7
- Eat a light breakfast
- Superhero pose for two minutes- Proven to build confidence & decrease test anxiety
- 20 minutes of exercise- backed by research scores improve
- Pick clothes that are comfortable but not too comfortable. Dress for success
- Take a deep breath and enter testing room with confidence
- During the ten minute break, don’t stay in your seat. Your brain deserves a break. 🙂
If you are not sure you can handle this on your own, check out our ACT Bootcamp. We go through the process of identifying your weak points for you. We also give you access to micro- training modules based on your score report.
Good luck and remember you can do it!
–
