The clock strikes 8:00 AM, and everyone gathers into their seats. Pencils are tapping against desks, and feet keep shaking above the floor. 

The teacher stands up to pass out the tests, and your heart begins to beat faster. You nervously glance around the room and secretly hope that no one can hear the pounding in your chest. 

It gets louder and louder as the teacher reads out the instructions and at last tells students that they may open their test booklet….. 

This experience is one that many of you have most likely already been through at least once. The stress that you experience while taking a standardized test is like no other, and the anxiety that lingers in your body for days leading up to it is no better. You might be worried that you’ll forget a math equation, misread a question, or just not get the score that you were hoping for. The latter is one of the biggest concerns when taking a standardized test, especially due to the rising expectations of colleges and the increasingly competitive applicants. 

So, to help soothe your nerves and prepare your mind, here are a couple tips and tricks that’ll get you ready for the upcoming standardized tests, including the ACT being given to juniors March 29. 

Before the Test:

Practice!

Going into a test unprepared and not knowing what to expect is one of those things that you should never do, especially with standardized tests. Instead, during the weeks and months leading up to it, download some old tests of the same format and practice with them. You can print them out, time yourself, and act as if it were the real thing. By doing this, you become more comfortable with the format and go in already knowing what sections you need to focus.

Or if you feel the need, there are lots of tutors available in Miami, but keep in mind that costs money. 

Pick out a comfortable outfit before the day

There’s always the chance that you’re going to wake up on the morning of the test and spend an hour just trying to figure out what to wear. To prevent this, pick out an outfit the day before the test and set it out that night. Then, to make it even better, pick out an outfit that’s comfortable and something you don’t mind sitting in for hours. Some great clothing item options are sweatpants, leggings, cozy pants, t-shirts, and oversized sweaters/sweatshirts.

Day Of:

Get a good night’s rest

I understand that it can get annoying being told all of the time to get a good night’s rest before a big day. But, to be fair, they do have a point. Feeling sleepy during an important test is one of the worst feelings because then there’s no way that you could focus properly. So, to make sure this doesn’t happen, make sure to go to sleep early and give yourself enough time to rest. Although, if you can’t fall asleep, try drinking a warm cup of chamomile tea and disconnecting from all devices. This way, the blue light from the electronics cannot keep you awake, and the tea will soothe you into a nice and well needed rest. 

Make sure you have all your supplies 

When going to go take a standardized test, you will need to bring multiple #2 pencils with erasers, an appropriate calculator, and any necessary drinks or snacks. It’s important to make sure that you have all of these items and if you don’t, you can go to any nearby drugstore and look in the school supplies section. Then, if you will be taking a standardized test that is not administered by ILS, you will need your printed admission ticket and a valid photo ID. It’s mandatory to have these two items because if you are missing one or both of them, then you will not be able to take the test. 

During the Test:

Read each test question very carefully

Standardized tests are always timed and this can cause many students to feel stressed and rushed in their work. They might have five minutes left in a section and speed through a question without fully looking at it. This is never a good idea because there are always a handful of questions that have “except” or “not” written in and by glancing over these words, a test-taker might think that it’s an entirely different question. Thus, to prevent this, carefully read over the whole question and make sure that you completely understand what is being asked.

Go through each answer choice

Many times a student will look at a question, be absolutely sure that she’s know the answer, and bubble in the letter without even glancing at the other options. Sometimes this isn’t a bad thing and it can even save you some time in a section. But it can also make you get some of the answers wrong because you’re answering a question without fully examining the choices. So, always be careful and double check that your answer is right by going back to the passage/charts and comparing it to the options for answers given. 

Cross out the wrong answers 

This tip is quite simple, yet very effective. By crossing out the answers that you’re certain are wrong, the question appears less messy, and you’re able to think more clearly. It allows you to blot out the unnecessary parts of the question and completely focus on the options that you think could be the answer.

Never panic 

Panicking during a test will never help or lead to any good. It’ll only make you much more nervous than before and distract your mind from what it needs to be focusing on. Because of this, you should always try your best to remain as calm as possible and if you do find yourself in a scary situation, try out the 5-4-3-2-1 method. You just take a moment to find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can physically feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This exercise allows you to ground yourself quickly and refocus on what you need to do. 

I hope these tips serve you usefully as you begin (or continue) taking standardized tests. Remember that your score does not define you, amd keep a clear head. Good luck!