Running into a roadblock with your ACT or SAT math?
Then these tips can help. Follow them and it will help you get your top score.
And if you need more? Then get our guide 5 Easy Steps Towards Building Confidence in Math, which shows more strategies on how to get caught up and ahead!
- Take a practice test and get it scored.
There are many free practice tests like that on Khan Academy.
2. Start by looking at every question that you have missed. Pick the ones that look the easiest to look at first.
- Then read the exact answer for this test. Does that answer make sense to you? If so, take a moment and rewrite the entire solution in your own words or say it aloud.
- Then look at a nice clean copy of the problem again, and rework the problem.
- Make sure that you have every single step written down.
- Then see if you got the right answer. If you did not get the right answer, highlight your mistakes, and then do the problem again.
3. Then proceed with the next problem until you run out of problems that have made sense.
4. Make sure to take short breaks every 30 minutes, so you stay mentally fresh.
5. Once you have run out of problems that you understand how to do, now start going back through the problems that didn’t make sense.
Look at the answers again. Underline. Highlight. Look up definitions. Lookup formulas. Keep repeating the process over and over until you get closer to understanding. If you have spent 5-10 minutes on a problem and are not making any headway, then put it down and try again the next day.
6. Make sure you memorize your formulas. It will become difficult to take the test under timed situations if you do not memorize your formulas.
7. Make sure that you show enough work that you can see exactly what you are doing. Don’t skimp. You’ll make careless mistakes.
8. Review your missed problems. Not just once, twice, but at least 3-4 times to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes.
9. Go on to take another test when you have mastered the first test.
10. Get some help when you are extremely stuck. Someone who understands the test can explain it to you in a way that just clicks, and it will not only save you time, but it will save you the frustration of not understanding what to do.
If these tips helped you out, let us know! We’d love to hear from you. You can message us at: support@tampabaytestprep.com.
We look forward to hearing about your success!
