ACT Tips for SAT Takers

April 14^th is quickly approaching ladies and gents, and for you juniors out there, this could very well mean that it’s time to take the ACT (maybe for the very first time).

I can tell you that the ACT was totally my jam! On the SAT/ACT comparisons I scored about 200 points higher on the ACT than the SAT. While I didn’t take April) exam, I know that this is a high-pressure month.
Not only are AP exams and the next batch of SATs right around the corner (ahh!), but the guidance office and all the college resources are so focused on those pesky seniors right now.

So here are some tips for taking the ACT, and how to rock it hardcore, even if you’ve only studied for the SAT up to this point.

1. When in doubt, fill it out.

Someone I knew bombed her first ACT because she didn’t fill in the bubbles on the ones she didn’t know. The ACT has no guess penalty. You only earn points for the things that you get right. So always guess, and if you’re running out of time, fill in the bubbles at the end anyway (if you’re really, REALLY out of time and have 30 seconds to fill in 10 bubbles, just make them all A or all D, statistically you’ll get more questions right if you make them all the same).

1. Time is of the essence

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1000 times; The ACT is a test of TIME. If you haven’t yet practiced a full test with the time constraints, DO IT NOW. It feels very different from the SAT, and SAT trained students tend to not finish their first ACTs. Bring a watch, don’t get stuck on a question for too long.

1. Don’t be blinded by science

Shockingly, the science section is about science reasoning more than science knowledge. It is also perhaps the most time-crunchy of the ACT sections. If you haven’t seen a science section before, go practice a few. The reading section of the science part is a huge time suck, so be careful with it. The graphs are usually manageable, but make sure you know which part of the experiment they’re comparing. If there’s a part of the science that you’re really stuck on (ex: I encountered a physics section when I hadn’t taken physics) fill in random bubbles for the ones you can’t answer and go back to it at the end. You’re better off hedging your bets on the questions you do know that wasting time on ones you probably won’t get right.

1. Smiting the Writing

You are probably (hopefully) taking the ACT plus writing. This is great because it can stop you from having to take (or, lets be honest, submit) SAT IIs. But don’t stress too much on the actual plus writing. First of all, the questions are usually more tailored to student life (I believe mine was about students being allowed to graduate early from HS) so your SAT canned responses might not fit so well. Luckily, colleges really don’t look at your essay score (I mean, they see it, but it’s not really used for anything). They’re going to rely on your CommonApp essay way more than the ACT essay score. So if you’re really confused or stuck on the essay, don’t stress. It doesn’t really matter.

1. Waiting for Super-scores

There’s this super weird SAT strategy where students bank on the magic of super-scoring. In this strategy, students sit for the SAT 2-4 times and each time really focus on one part (Math, CR, Writing), while taking breaks during the other sections.

The ACT uses your best composite score. It's the average of your best scores. The individual sections of the ACT don’t really matter as much as your overall score. This is excellent if you’re weak in one part of the test and very strong everywhere else.
Focus on having a good sitting.

Overall, I’d say to keep a close eye on the time and stay calm. It’s an exhausting experience no matter what test you’re taking. But that finish line is in sight and you will do well.