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ACT Test: Register for the December Test For the Best Score

Since the ACT test is the most important test of a student's academic career, everyone wants to know what is the best month to take the test. The short answer is that the best month to register to take the ACT test is in December, on a national test date. There are two reasons.

First, taking the ACT test in December gives you plenty of time to look at your score and determine what areas you need to study more and then get better prepared for a retake in the Spring.

The December ACT test date gives you some great study time over the Thanksgiving break to prepare. It also gives you the Christmas break, by which time you should have your score report, to make a plan and start studying for the Spring.

Second, when you take the ACT test in December on a national test date (that is, it's not just your school administering the test alone), you are able to pay an additional $19 and get a Test Information Release (TIR).

This report will give you the questions and answers from your test so that you will know exactly which questions you got wrong. This is worth its weight in gold! It will be your roadmap for exactly what type of questions you need to study and learn more about to increase your score!

There is nothing magical about getting a high ACT score, but just working hard is not enough. You must work smart. Register to take the test in December and you will be positioned to get your highest possible ACT score when you retake the test in the Spring.

ACT Test: How To Study To Get the Best Score

Studying hard for the ACT test is definitely not always the best way to get a high score. When I explain that the parents, they are as shocked as their teenagers are happy! The fact is that just working hard is no guarantee of a high ACT test score and at times, working hard studying can actually lower your score.

How To Study for the ACT Test

The most common mistake students make is, when in their finest moments of dedication and self-discipline, they resolve to spend a certain number of hours and days studying for the ACT test. This is totally backwards.

No professional athlete, for example, just resolves to spend a certain amount of time training without focusing specifically on what areas need to be focused on. The dedication and self-discipline should be committed to learning certain skills that will result in a high ACT test score, regardless of the time required. The goal is a high score: not a lot of time studying.

When NOT to Study for the ACT Test

The two most important times not to study for the ACT test are the night before the test and anytime you have been at it for an hour. Studying the night before the test just stresses you out and hurts your ability to go to sleep relaxed, at the very time you need a very good night's sleep.

Studying for more than an hour is a waste of time, as your mind needs a break in order to retain what you are studying. If you covered important information during the second or third hour of your marathon study session, that is information not likely to come to you on test day.

The best way to study for the ACT is to take a look at your current score, whether it is from a practice test or a real ACT, and determine what areas you need to study first. Usually, you'll find that the best way to study is by not studying the subject matter of the test, English, Math Reading and Science, but rather studying HOW to be an efficient test taker.

ACT Test: How High Do I Need To Score To Get Scholarships

Everyone who asks me to advise them on increasing their ACT score is concerned about doing well enough to get scholarships to help pay for college. It seems that this is a bigger concern than getting a score that is high enough to get them into the school of their choice.

The first thing that I tell them is that they have to be realistic. Increasing an ACT test score of 18 to a 25 is a lot more achievable than increasing a 25 to a 32, even though both increases are the same 7 point spread. That's not to say that it can't be done, but the higher your score, the more difficult increasing each point becomes.

In order to qualify for more scholarships, you generally need an ACT test score of about 25 to 27. How hard is that? Well, the national average ACT test score is 21.1, so getting 5 points above that really sets you apart.

The average test score for students of each state varies widely, from 18.7 in Mississippi to 24.1 in Massachusetts. This is also something to consider when you are setting a goal. The easiest thing to do is go onto the website of the college you are considering and, under the "Admissions" section, they will have the average GPA and ACT test score of incoming freshmen. They Financial Aid section will usually list the bigger scholarships and whether there are any minimums for GPA or ACT score to qualify.

The fact is that a lot can change between the time you are taking the ACT test and when your college admission packet is reviewed and scholarships determined. The best thing is to learn how to work smart instead of just working hard in order to make yourself a better test taker and thereby improve your ACT score dramatically.

ACT Exam: 3 Tips to Getting Your Best Score

Every parent and student that comes to me for advice on the ACT exam wants to know the same question; what are the easiest things I can do to quickly raise my ACT score? The question doesn't come from laziness at all, but rather frustration. So many students put in long hours studying and don't seem to get results.

Why Student's Have Trouble Increasing Their ACT Score

The biggest problem that students face when trying to increase their ACT score is that they are doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. A focused plan makes all the difference. Otherwise, you may just be spinning your wheels and wasting time and energy.

You need to learn to quickly answer questions, manage the clock and know what to study.

Learn to Quickly Answer Questions

Simply retaking practice tests to "become a better test taker" isn't going to do much more than get you comfortable with taking tests. That helps some, but not an enormous amount. There are specific test-taking skills that have to be learned, such guessing, saving time answering questions, how to read the Reading / Science passages and more.

Time Management is Key for the ACT Exam

Every student struggles to get all the questions answered in the time allotted. There are two time-management skills that help tremendously, and they do not merely include "go as fast as you can." As a matter of fact, some students make the mistake of thinking that the "easy" questions are first, so they just hurry through them, costing valuable points.

Know What To Study for the ACT Exam

Knowing what NOT to study can be just as important as knowing what TO study to get a high score on the ACT exam. For instance, studying Trigonometry is not a good use of your time unless you are hoping to score above a 32. Memorizing the periodic table for the Science portion is also a big waste of time.

The key to a good score on the ACT exam is to be strategic and have a well thought out plan, dealing specifically with your strengths and weaknesses. This normally requires a study course that is designed to teach you "how" to take the test, as opposed to teaching you more of the same curriculum that is on the test.

ACT Test: A Parent's Guide to Getting a High ACT Test Score

So many parents ask me what they can do to help their students get a higher ACT test score, and so many of them are doing the wrong things, that it can be discouraging. However, at least they are asking and can get the right information.

There are two categories of advice I give parents about helping their students get a high ACT test score. What to do and what NOT to do.

What NOT To Do:

First and foremost, don't ramp up the pressure on your student unintentionally by well-meaning, but misguided tactics. Spending a lot of money on tutoring or an ACT prep course may seem like the right thing to do, but that just puts more pressure on the student to make sure the money is not wasted. They need a confidence booster, not fear of increasing consequences of failure.

The other thing is not to nag. So many students plan to study and then, when their parents remind them, they choose not to study because they are feeling forced. Sometimes the best thing a parent can do is nothing; let them take the test the first time and do poorly, and then they will be more responsive to some gently suggestions.

What TO Do To Help Your Student Get a High ACT Test Score

The things that you want to do are to be supportive, but in a way that builds confidence. A quiet, reassuring "I know that you'll do well" goes a long way to reducing the Test Anxiety that can cause students to bomb on tests.

Also, involve your student in selecting an ACT prep course that is simple and not intimidating. If it is too long or too expensive, they will just feel more pressure to perform and anxiety over how they will complete the course.

Sometimes, it is a better idea to have them complete two shorter ACT prep courses, because after the first brief course, they may see results and opt for a second. It's much easier to climb a mountain by thinking one step at a time. Faced with a 10 week, 20 hour course, few students feel enthusiastic.

ACT Test: 2013 Test Dates and Deadlines

The 2013 ACT test dates and deadlines are as follows, along with important information on how to study and get a high score:

February 9th, 2013 ACT Test

Registration Deadline: January 11, 2013

April 13th, 2013 ACT Test

Registration Deadline: March 8, 2013

June 8th, 2013 ACT Test

Registration Deadline: May 3, 2013

Probably the most important thing to remember about the ACT is that you can take is more than once, and you should. Ideally, you should take it the first time at least three to four months before you retake it, so that you have plenty of time to get an ACT study course to zero in on your weak areas.

The easiest and quickest way to increase your score is by targeting only the areas that you need the most improvement on, generally in the Math and English portions of the test. However, if you scored below a 23 on either Science or Reading, there are some very simple ways to bring those scores up as well.

The most important key to increasing your test score is that you spend enough time on learning the simple test-taking skills that will get you through the questions quickly and easily. Most students make the mistake of spending all their time studying the content; that is, the Math and English and Science and Reading.

With good test taking skills, you will be able to save a lot of time and not feel so rushed during th test. Then you will be less stressed and make fewer "stupid" mistakes, which brings up your score. Add to that, the test-taking skills will help you guess much better and get even more questions right.

So when you are looking at the 2013 ACT test dates and registration deadlines, consider that you need to also look into a simple ACT study course that will teach you those skills.