Here’s a piece of advice I repeat often on this blog: you should select your SAT and ACT test dates 1) with lots of lead time, and 2) with a mind towards balancing several competing factors. One of those key factors is the need to keep up momentum over the course of a likely 2-3 test sittings.
However, as I’ve also noted on this blog before, there are many reasons to take a break from the SAT or ACT before diving back in again—including finals, summer activities and travel, or other life events. So the question here is: how do you find the test-taking rhythm again after you’ve taken a breather?
Luckily, I've been coaching students through this process for over a decade—and believe me, everyone has times when they need to dig deep for momentum. Here are the strategies that have helped my students to get back in the groove and achieve the high scores they’ve been dreaming of.
1) Restart your SAT or ACT studying with a mock test.
It’s likely that certain information faded from your memory while you weren’t studying. If you’re prepping for the ACT, your pacing might be sluggish at best now. It’s time to take a deep breath and assess the lay of the land with a mock test. You need to know where you stand now, which concepts stuck, and which ones you’ll have to revisit.
2) Try not to be hard on yourself if you don’t score high.
The odds are VERY good that your score eroded a bit while your attention was on other things. I've seen students come back from a break 3 ACT composite points or 100 SAT points lower! Yes, it's going to be messy at first, but don't beat yourself up. Realize that if you learned it once, you can relearn it much quicker…and this time, the knowledge will likely stay put in your brain!
Set your path and pace and stick to them—that's the way to climb the test prep mountain.
3) Catch up on test prep by doubling it, at first.
Spend your first 2-4 weeks back doing TWICE what you were doing before you took your pause. If you met with a tutor once a week before, meet with her twice a week to catch yourself up to speed. Do twice as many weekly problem sets to refresh your memory, even on topics you learned a long time ago. In fact, use your wrong answers from your fresh mock test to make a Things to Remember List. This will set you up to relearn all the concepts that fell through the cracks during your time off. The good news is that this double-time pace doesn’t have to last forever. Because next, you get to….
4) …Return to your normal pace of studying for the ACT or SAT.
Once you're back in the rhythm and closer to being up to speed, dial the intensity back down to the sustainable clip that you’d been in before you took your break. This will allow you to keep up your momentum while making sure you have the endurance to last 'til your next test.
5) How many mock tests should you do the month before your next real test?
It’s impossible to overstate how much mock testing can boost your score! (That’s why I’ve written so much about the power of mock tests.) Remember that it’s not just about doing the mock tests, but about using them to improve…so go over each one extensively and use it to add onto your Things To Remember List.
If you’ve taken the five steps I just spelled out, you should be back in “go” mode and operating at your best in no time! It works wonders for my one-on-one tutoring students, and it will do the same you. (If you’d like some extra structure but are more of a self-directed learner, check out my solo study bundles, which give you everything you need to ace the SAT or ACT on your own!) Good luck!
