LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With one of the largest administrations of the ACT less than a week away, millions of students will be sitting in testing rooms around the country this year with sharpened pencils in hand and fingers crossed for good scores. Stress and anxiety are common reactions to important life events, but according to test-prep experts at Peterson's, a Nelnet company and publisher of The Real ACT Prep Guide, students who learn to beat test-taking anxiety ultimately do better on college admission tests like the ACT(R). The ACT was administered to 2.1 million students in 2005-2006 and upcoming testing dates this year include October 28 and December 9, 2006.
"In most cases, students are not so much reacting to the test, but to their perceptions about it," said Molly Baab, Product Manager for Test Prep Products at Peterson's, a leading provider of education and career guidance information. "Being prepared is the best way to avoid stress, but there is also some last minute advice students can follow to be able to walk into the test center with confidence."
Tip #1
Turn negative thoughts into positive ones. If you keep telling yourself
that you'll never do well on standardized tests or that all the questions
will be terribly hard, shift your thoughts to "I can't control what
questions will be on the test, but I'm confident that I'll do my
personal best."
Tip #2
Keep the test in perspective. Your life will not be wholly determined by
your performance and being too hard on yourself will increase stress, not
reduce it.
Tip #3
Studies have shown that rehearsing a stressful event can significantly
reduce fear. Take a full-length practice test to get a feel for how to
concentrate throughout a long exam.
Tip #4
Make strategy your focus during the final days before the exam. Don't try
to cram in a lot of new material. Concentrate on a few key areas that can
give you the biggest bang for the buck.
Tip #5
Don't even think of doing any serious test prep the night before the real
thing! At that point, you know what you know, and you need to remain calm
and confident.
Tip #6
Make sure you know where the test center is located and pack your
admission card, calculator, pencils, and test center directions the night
before.
Tip #7
Get a full night's rest and wake early enough to have a light, healthy
breakfast.
The ACT is becoming the entrance exam of choice for millions of college-bound students as 99.8 percent of all accredited four-year colleges, including all Ivy League institutions, accept ACT scores for admissions purposes. More four-year colleges require the ACT than any other entrance exam. The test is administered in all 50 states and more than 50 percent of high school graduates take the test in at least 25 states.
More about Peterson's, a Nelnet Company
Peterson's (http://www.petersons.com/) is a leading provider of live, online, and print educational solutions for students, families, schools, and educators in the areas of test preparation, admissions, financial aid, and career guidance. Its web site offers searchable databases and interactive tools for contacting educational institutions, online practice tests and instruction, and planning tools for securing financial aid.
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