I always see improvement in my clients’ test prep scores over the course of our time working together….but there’s one group of students who make even bigger strides than the others. It’s the kids who use a special practice test strategy I teach. Often, a student is resistant at first because the hack seems a little boring. But once they see how high their test scores are climbing, they swear they’ll never study again without it….and eventually sit down to their most incredible test score yet!
During the month before taking the SAT or ACT for real, any student I’m working with will take at least 2-3 mock tests, which is when you take a practice test while simulating real testing conditions. (This step is so important to a high score that I wrote a whole article about how to do it.)
Afterwards, obviously, a given student needs to then compare said mock test against an answer key to see what he got wrong.
This is where most students stop. But that’s a mistake. One that’s costing them hundreds of points.
My students don't stop there, though—which is one reason that they routinely place among the top percentiles. What I teach my clients to do next is like a melody so simple that anyone could sing it….and yet so effective that the ditty’s songwriter would win a Grammy. What IS this astonishing hack??
It’s a little practice that I call The “Things-to-Remember List.”
And it isn’t very hard to do! Let’s break it down:
1) Read back through your completed mock test, reviewing each problem and marking the ones you didn’t get right.
2) Snag a piece of paper or open a new Word or Google doc on your computer.
3) Each section within your test of choice will get a separate page (or column on the page). So, the two sections of the Digital SAT (Reading and Writing, and Math) will each get their own page or page area. Or, for the ACT, you’ll create different pages/columns for the English, Math, Reading, and Science portions of the test.
4) Read through each question you missed on the mock test. For each one, ask yourself this: What was the one formula/fact/rule/thing that—if you’d been able to recall it when you took the practice test—would have given you the right answer instead of an incorrect one? For example, did you forget how to combine a complete clause with a dependent clause, or did SOHCAHTOA fly right out of your head when you were faced with a Cosine problem?
5) WRITE THAT ONE THING DOWN, on the section-appropriate part/piece of paper.
6) Every time you take another mock test, keep adding to your “Things to Remember" List!
See, that doesn’t sound so painful, right?
What rules about the “Things to Remember” List is that when you are done compiling all of these tips, formulas, and bits of info, you’ll have the most specific-to-you, complete, and efficient study guide imaginable! The “Things To Remember” List tells you what mistakes you personally are prone to making, and supplies a straightforward solution for avoiding them. It's a no-nonsense cheat sheet with only the info you need to ace the test.
If you then start using your list as your week-of study guide, you’re guaranteed to improve. And if you continue to add to your “Things to Remember” List when you do another mock or practice test, your study guide will continue to get even more comprehensive! When you adopt the “Things to Remember” List as a part of your study habits, the list adapts to you, reminding you of the things you need to focus on, and providing exactly the information you need to study...all in one place. Looking back on your early entries, several mock tests later, will also give you a satisfying summary of how much you’ve learned over time! That’s a lot of bang for relatively little buck.
So give this simple little trick a try and let it do the work for you. Then, when you propel yourself to victory on test day, you'll join the ranks of "Things to Remember" List success stories.
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I’d be curious to know how this technique works for you, once you’ve tried it….so don’t hesitate to reach out. Of course, you can also hit me up if you want to work with me one-on-one for even more proven SAT/ACT hacks just like this one!
In fact, I’ve recently released a course that brings you even MORE meta-studying strategies for the SAT. If the “Things to Remember” List seems like a good way to maximize points, wait ‘til you see my “Test Section Frameworks” and “Finite Lists of Content” hacks! This totally self-directed, repeatable video course also offers you lots of ways to calm down and get in the right headspace come test day….so you can get the sky-high score you deserve:
