One of the many challenges of performing well on the SAT or ACT is managing your time. Some students feel pressure and experience some anxiety. Running out of time before you have completed a section can be frustrating and stressful.
Try these time management strategies to go through the questions more smoothly and efficiently and alleviate the stresses of time limits.
Practice and preparation
- Take full-length, timed practice tests to get a feel for the pacing.
- Use practice tests to identify which types of questions take you the most time and focus your studying on those areas.
- Familiarize yourself with the test structure and types of questions.Â
General strategies
- Try not to get stuck on one question.Â
- Trust your answer selection and move on to avoid second-guessing yourself.
- Grasp the skills each question tests for a more efficient way to answer it.Â
- Stay calm so that you do not rush or misread questions. Practice mindfulness or deep-breathing techniques to stay focused and calm.
Taking the test
- Answer the questions you are most confident about first, then go back.
- For more difficult questions, where you are spending too much, guess and come back to later.
- Eliminate the answers you know are wrong to increase your odds of guessing correctly.
- Pacing yourself by spending about one-minute per question.
- Answer every question, because there is no penalty for wrong answers.
- Use the short break to decompress before the next section.
- Review with any remaining time to revisit questions you flagged
Practicing and applying these time management strategies will help students feel more prepared and confident during their test-taking experience. Being mindful of these tips offer students techniques to feel less stressed and pressured, resulting in a more positive experience.
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