Prepping for the ACT or SAT over Winter Break

    Wednesday, December 9, 2020



    Winter break is a great time for high school students to prepare for the ACT and SAT.

    Most high school students will be starting their winter breaks in just a matter of time!

    One way for high schoolers to take advantage of the winter break is to study and prepare for the ACT and/or SAT.


    If you are thinking about applying for college sometime in the next 1-2 years after earning your high school diploma, then you are most likely already familiar with both exams. Whether you are preparing for the ACT, SAT or both, it is wise to start studying as soon as you can!

    Use the winter break to rest up and get ahead with these quick ACT/SAT study tips.


    First, consider making a scheduled review plan. Start by thinking about the work that you need to put in and go from there. Have you taken a practice test already? If you have, then you already know your baseline scores. 

    If you haven’t, you can and should start with that. Find time as soon as possible or during the first weekend or so of your winter break to take a practice ACT or SAT exam in a setting that closely mimics a real test setting. 

    Once you know your baselines scores in all sections of each test, you can figure out where you need to spend the most time studying. 

    Rather than just paying attention to a single score, you must take a look at each subject area and figure out how well you’ve done. 

    Ask yourself: What is it that you are having the most difficulty with?

    Is it the reading comprehension section?
    Is it that math section? Which part of the math section? Geometry? Algebra?

    The sections that you find the most challenging are the ones you will want to spend a lot of time on.

    Pay attention to the scores that are furthest away from your ideal score targets. If your practice scores fall way below your goals, do your best to plan for multiple hours of studying each day during the break. 

    Intense levels of test preparation will require anywhere from three to five practice tests per week in addition to anywhere from three or more hours of study time per day. 

    Don’t forget to complete any assigned homework. It is possible that your high school teachers have given you homework assignments to complete during the break. Do your best to schedule in time to complete these assignments as opposed to leaving them all for the final weekend before class starts.

    You will want to take more than one practice ACT and/or SAT test! Frequently repeating the number of practice tests is known as a top test prep method. Practice tests should always taken in one sitting, just like the actual exam. 

    It is imperative that you stick with all the timing requirements for each section of the test. During the regular school semester, it is hard to find time to take more than once practice test for week given that it is easiest to do so during the weekend. Without a regular class schedule during the winter break, you will have time to take more than one practice test per week.