How to Prepare for the ACT

By TRUE JARREL

Moapa Valley Progress

The ACT is one of the biggest deciding factors of high school students’ academic futures. It’s also one of the hardest tests teenagers have to take, which is why preparing for it is so important.

Being prepared for the ACT (or any exam) comes down to this: take care of yourself, and focus on the right things when studying.

Getting proper rest and maintaining a proper sleep schedule makes you more focused during a test! Eating enough food the day before and the morning of the exam provides your body with nutrients to keep you at peak mental capacity.

Focusing on the right study material is a little more complicated, though. Not overworking your brain, along with understanding what works for you personally, is crucial. Luckily, a few MVHS students and our librarian, Mrs. Fulmer, have offered their tips for students looking to make the most out of their ACT experience.

“Taking practice tests helps,” said Grady Call, a senior. “Mrs. Fulmer does a library ACT prep, which really helps.”

In terms of what he would have done differently, Call added, “I didn’t like the online test at all. Paper was much better, so I’d probably take it on paper every time.”

Senior Evan Conger, who obtained a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, had similar advice. “ACT prep is super helpful, and so are practice tests, since it’s important to know what the questions are like.”

Conger emphasized, “Also, TAKE IT TWICE. The first time is never as good as you would like it.”

Mrs. Fulmer added that the MVHS library has books on test preparation that can help students learn to be more time-efficient. Fulmer has also added free ACT practice tools to the library website.

Fulmer’s advice is this: “Practice as much as possible, and focus on time-management. Study as much as you can, but you also need to know when to cut your losses. The ACT is important, but not everyone is going to, or needs to, get a perfect score!”

MVHS juniors will be participating in the ACT on March 12. Good luck!