Like any other test, the ACT in Orinda often causes students to dread having to take the test. Before you panic, learn these tips for taking the test which will make the test day less stressful.

1. Study for the ACT early. Obviously you’re not going to have a successful ACT result if you wait to begin studying three days before the test itself. If possible, you should study for the ACT for several months before you take the test. Remember, the ACT is different from other tests you take in school. Doing well on the ACT may increase your chance of getting into the college of your choice, and could affect how much scholarship money you receive to attend college. A good score on the ACT can change your life! That’s why you should not underestimate how important time really is when you study for the ACT.

2. To measure how you will score high on the ACT, pay the money to get an ACT prep book. Or, without reviewing at all, go to ACT’s official website (ACT.org) and take a complete practice test there, including the essay. The following results will be your baseline score, and can help you determine the areas where you need to improve in order to get accepted into the colleges of your choice. The results will also help you know how much time you will need to devote to studying.

Apart from ACT.org, you can take complete ACT practice tests from other reputable websites such as The Princeton Review, Peterson’s, Number2.com, Kaplan, McGraw-Hill Practice Plus, and the “Test Prep” portion of About.com.

3. Know your options. There are many ways to prepare for the ACT. If you want to study the ACT with a tutoring center, it’s entirely up to you. Apex College Prep can help you prepare. But if you don’t want to use this option, you can also explore other options such as ACT apps (ACTStudent, AllenAct, ACT McGraw-Hill and ACT for Dummies are among the recommended apps) or you may want to review some ACT books. They will help you test and evaluate your ACT test-taking skills — and could also help you (or more likely your parents) save money for tuition expenses.

4. Create a schedule for studying. We know that your school days are already filled with homework, projects, and extra-curricular activities. If doing well on the ACT is important to you, you should still figure out a way to study for the test as much as you can. If you can allot fewer hours to study for the ACT it means the earlier you should start. As much you can, study without the distractions of gadgets and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Get used to practicing without having to interact frequently with the social media, or becoming involved in a TV program! You will need to focus on studying if you want to succeed on your ACT in Orinda.

5. Know the basics. It might sound like a no-brainer, but once when you’re in the “hot seat” come test day, you may panic and forget the basics. Do you know that the ACT has four sections, plus the optional Writing test? Do you know what a good ACT score is? Do you understand how the multiple-choice questions should be taken? You should find out about the ACT fundamentals.

6. Once you understand the basics, you should also know your directions. For instance — since you already know that the ACT has four required sections, knowing what to expect from each section will come in handy to get you through repetitive practice. That way, you don’t have to waste your precious time reading the descriptions at the start of each section. It will also buy you time you need to answer the more difficult questions at the end of each section. This strategy is a bit risky but if you practice well enough, the effort will pay off.

Studying for the ACT in Orinda doesn’t have to be difficult, or very expensive. All it takes is a little bit of planning and preparation, some guidance, and some time to achieve the ACT results you would like to achieve.