How to Beat the Top 4 Causes of a Low ACT Score

The ACT is an important college admissions test that will take you one step closer to your academic and career goals. This test is meant to assess how capable you are of studying at university, particularly at the schools of your choice. Incredible benefits await you if you score high on the ACT, which is why it makes sense to prepare well for the ACT by adhering to an effective ACT preparation program.

Your goal is to end up getting a low ACT score. But why do students get disappointing scores? You need to know the reasons why you can dig into their underlying causes and find solutions to overcome them. What are the causes of getting a low score on the ACT test?

• It was too late when you started your study program. You may have been behind when you started your study plan for the ACT test. In reality, it takes months of study for ACT subjects to sink in to your wits. This is often the case not only for the ACT but also for other standardized tests like the SAT and GRE, among others. In addition to your knowledge, these tests will also challenge your reasoning ability. You will be tested on your abilities to infer and predict, as well as draw conclusions not normally practiced in your daily school life. To remedy this dilemma, you must set up an efficient and effective ACT study schedule several months before you take the test. Pay attention to the days you have set aside for your ACT test preparation, and commit to completing your study assignments on schedule.
• You should apply a more effective learning style for your exam preparation. Do you do well studying alone or with a group or class? Are you better suited to online quizzes or do you prefer to do it with your friends? Be sure to implement the learning style that you can settle into. This way, you can really absorb the topics you are studying on the ACT test. The key to this is determining if you are an auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learner. Take the online quiz and follow the study method that is most effective for your learning.
• You are not familiar with the structure and approach of the ACT test. Your preparation for the ACT test should be different from the other tests you encountered. Although the items on the ACT are derived from the standard tests you’ve taken in high school, they are presented in different methods. They are like your vocabulary quiz and midterms delivered in possibly more complex ways. In this case, the best solution is to take practice tests that will familiarize you with test question strategies and the structure of the ACT test. When the big day comes, what you’ll see in your test booklet won’t let you down because, hey, you’ve seen them before!
• You may be under too much pressure and cause yourself anxiety. Studies have shown that a significant number of students experience test anxiety before, during, and after taking the ACT. Test anxiety is an overwhelming feeling and can lead to your thought processes getting bogged down. As a result, you may score low on your test. As a resolution, you should look for ways to prevent test anxiety. Practice deep breathing, do some relaxing visualizations for your mind, and some stretching exercises to stimulate your circulation and relax your muscles. Go ahead and believe in yourself and in the thought that you have prepared enough for your test and you will even pass it.

These are some of the predominant reasons why students score low on the ACT test. But now that you know, you can plan ahead and avoid these dilemmas. Ample preparation time and awareness can go a long way and get you in the right direction when it comes to the ACT test and your academic goals.