Welcome back to another round of Tricks of the Trade, where we share important-but-little-known tips to help you unlock your full SAT/ACT potential. Today we’ll be discussing how to use your test booklet as a tool that will help you to become a more organized and efficient test taker. Oftentimes, students will treat their test booklets like textbooks, referring to them constantly yet not marking in them. However, there’s no reason not to write all over your test booklet, as doing so can help you to stay on task and take note of important details. Let’s break this down section by section.

For SAT/ACT Reading (and ACT Science):

Read with your pencil! If a question mentions line numbers or keywords, physically underline them in the passage. When you come across direct proof for a given question, underline or circle it, then refer back to this evidence when checking the answer choices. Since Reading passages can be long and intimidating, having visual markers for where to start and stop reading will help you to stay on track and avoid unnecessary rereading.

In ACT Science, the same process will apply—flag your evidence within the passages as well as on graphs, tables, and figures. Make sure you don’t look at the wrong line on a graph or column in a table by physically drawing a symbol such as a star or an arrow.

For SAT Writing & Language/ACT English:

Writing & Language/English questions tend to be detail oriented, so it’s important to underline clues in the passage. Is the question testing verb tense? Underline nearby verbs and find the pattern! Is the question testing pronouns? Underline the antecedent (the word the pronoun is replacing)! By forcing yourself to locate the evidence instead of just picking what “sounds right,” you’ll be much less likely to miss important details in the passage.

If a W&L/English problem actually includes a question before the answer choices, make sure to underline the key words that will help you to choose the best answer. For example, if a question asks you to choose the best conclusion to a paragraph, circle the word “conclusion” and make sure that you choose an answer that wraps up the paragraph (as opposed to one that introduces new ideas or details).

For SAT/ACT Math:

Math sections are probably the most obvious places to put pencil to paper. Don’t force yourself to do mental math and potentially lose points on silly mistakes. Stay organized with your work so that you can easily retrace your steps if you end up returning to the question later. For any geometry questions, draw pictures to help yourself visualize the scenario.

As in the other sections, underline or circle key words you come across. If a math question specifies that the answer must be a negative integer, circle it. Noticing these key details can often help you to eliminate wrong answers without doing any math at all (now that’s what I’m talking about!)

For Answer Choices:

Use POE (process of elimination) markings on answer choices as you consider them. If you can tell that an answer is wrong, physically cross it off so you don’t read it again. If an answer seems iffy, put a little squiggle (~) next to it. And if you’re pretty sure that you’ve found the correct answer, put a check next to it before checking the other possibilities. By marking each answer choice as you go, you’re saving time by ensuring you won’t reread wrong answers.

Final Thoughts:

Ultimately, the answer sheet is the only part of your test that really matters. No points will come from your test booklet, and nobody will ever look inside to judge you for your messy handwriting or all your stars and squiggles. So don’t hold back from making all the marks and notes you need to flag clues, avoid trap answers, and reach your goal score!

If you’re enjoying these Tricks of the Trade, there’s so much more where this came from: schedule a call with a Student Success Advisor today to get matched with a test prep guru of your very own.