{"id":15956,"date":"2020-07-15T11:35:30","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T16:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=15956"},"modified":"2023-01-13T21:40:18","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T21:40:18","slug":"pick-b-for-boris-5-reasons-to-take-an-act-practice-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/pick-b-for-boris-5-reasons-to-take-an-act-practice-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons to Take an ACT Practice Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most students never take a ACT practice exam. They just show up on Test Day and hope it goes well. Of course,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0going to be a lot smarter than that.\u00a0You\u2019re\u00a0going to take at least one practice test before the real day, and here are the top five reasons why:
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1. Taking a practice test lowers your anxiety<\/h3>
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The human brain is afraid of what it does not know. A lot of the anxiety you feel about the ACT or SAT is simply your uncertainty about what the test will be like. A practice test makes you familiar with the look, feel, and cadence of the exam. This familiarity wipes out your peripheral uncertainty about the test-taking experience, allowing you to focus on the content and problem-solving aspects of the exam.
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2. A practice test gives you a baseline<\/h3>
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Too many students underestimate the value of knowing their baseline ACT or SAT performance. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re shooting for a 30 on your ACT. If your first practice score is a 27, that\u2019s a very, very different matter than if you come out batting 21. The bigger the gap between your baseline and your target, the more you\u2019ll need to prep\u2014and the more time you\u2019ll need to give yourself to do it. You can\u2019t make intelligent decisions about the quantity or timing of your prep if you don\u2019t know your baseline.
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3. Taking a practice test builds endurance<\/h3>
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One thing a lot of students don\u2019t realize is that sitting in one place answering questions for three hours\u00a0wears you out<\/i>. To get the highest score possible, you need to be as focused answering the last question of section 4 as you were answering the first question of section 1. That won\u2019t happen if your every neuron is screaming for a nap.
Lifestyle factors such as sleep, diet, and exercise can naturally boost your energy and stamina, but you also need to train up for the specific challenge at hand. The more practice tests you take, the more endurance you\u2019ll have on the real exam.
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4. Test-taking is a skill to be learned<\/h3>
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It\u2019s no secret that the ACT and SAT test, as much as anything, your ability to take a test. And why shouldn\u2019t they? You\u2019re about to dive headlong into a 4-year cannonade of exams.
Here\u2019s an interesting thing to consider: most students fear for their test-taking abilities, yet how many students actually\u00a0practice<\/i>\u00a0taking tests? Sure, you take plenty of tests in high school, but those are all\u00a0real<\/i>. Issues such as test anxiety, which many students think are unavoidable and chronic, actually go away with practice.
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5. Practice tests raise your score<\/h3>
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With decades of research to look back on, learning scientists agree that the two best methods for learning something are flashcards and\u2014you guessed it\u2014practice tests. Taking a practice test and thoroughly reviewing it is a fantastic way to start boosting your ACT or SAT score, pure and simple.
If you\u2019re the sort of person who reads an ACT\/SAT prep blog in your spare time, I\u2019m confident that you won\u2019t skimp on your preparation for these important exams. Make sure your prep includes at least one practice test to fully maximize your advantage over the competition on Test Day.
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