As I write this, we’re just a few days from the first SAT of the new school year. Perhaps you’ve already taken a shot at the Digital ACT or Enhanced ACT but haven’t yet hit your target score, or maybe you’re looking ahead to your very first test date. Either way, I’m sure you’ve been prepping hard! However, your mind isn’t the only thing that needs to be ready for action when you enter the testing room.
I’m going to tell you what I tell each and every one of my private SAT and ACT tutoring clients: a fantastic test score isn’t just a matter of preparing your mind. It also really, actually matters what you bring in your backpack and your body, too.
In that spirit, I figured it was time to share with you this one-stop guide to the eight items that must be in YOUR bag before you leave the house to take the SAT or the ACT!
What to Pack for the Digital SAT, Virtual ACT, and Paper ACT
1. Your admission ticket!
One can’t just show up to take the SAT or ACT on a whim. You have to register well in advance, and on test day the Powers That Be working the front door are going to want to see proof that you’ve done that. Your admission confirmation should have your photo on it and other necessary information so the testing administrators don’t accidentally let a 55-year-old lawyer take the test that was meant for 17-yr-old Eddie. It’d be pretty embarrassing if the College Board or ACT let that happen.
2. Photo identification issued by your school or government.
This is the second piece of evidence showing you’re really you and not that previously-mentioned lawyer.
3. Your calculator.
If you’re taking the Paper ACT:
The best option here is a graphing calculator that you’ve got experience using. There are several from Texas Instruments: the TI 83, TI 86, etc. Your calculator can be scientific and graphing, but it cannot connect to the Internet, be attached to a laptop or phone, or have a QWERTY keyboard. AND, it’s not enough to just bring your calculator—beforehand, make sure to check the battery life! You do NOT want your calculator giving out halfway through the math section.
If you’re taking the Digital SAT or Online ACT:
A calculator is allowed, but not required, since you’re already provided an in-app calculator during the Math sections of the test. That said, if you prefer to use your own hand-held calculator, make sure to charge it or put in fresh batteries and bring it with you!
4. Pencil(s).
One with an effective eraser!
If you’re taking the Paper ACT:
I recommend you bring at least three pencils. As for what kind of pencil you bring, the only acceptable option for paper tests is the good ol’ Number Two pencil. The testing center will not permit mechanical or colored pencils on the ACT.
If you’re taking the Digital SAT or Online ACT:
Even though these are computer-based tests, I still recommend you bring a pen or pencil for scratch work...but it doesn't have to be a No. 2 pencil specifically, since you're not actually bubbling in answers on a Scantron!
5. Layers of clothing.
It doesn’t matter if it’s 15 degrees outside on the morning of the exam: you never know which testing center (i.e. high school) is going to be too cheap to use the heat, or so overzealous with the heat as to boil you alive. The same concern applies when it’s sweltering out: some places will freeze you with AC to overcompensate, while others try to save on their AC bill and hope your sweating and panting doesn’t force you to bubble outside the cute little circles. The best remedy? Dress in layers that you can remove or add on as needed. A comfy hoodie is a great option to have on-hand.
6. Water!
For regular time test takers, the new ACT takes anywhere from roughly two to three and a half hours, depending on whether you take the optional Writing and/or Science sections; the Digital SAT takes over two hours.
Even that lower end, two hours, can feel like a marathon when you’re concentrating hard the whole time. Much like a 26.2-mile run, you really need to make sure you don’t get dehydrated when you’re taking this consequential test. Because do you know what happens when you get dehydrated, dear reader? That’s right: you get tired. Or else you start getting thirsty on a conscious level, in which case you’ll be plagued by intrusive thoughts of “I’m thirsty! When is this section over?!” Which means you’re going to have to read that Sentence Completion passage three times in a row because you can’t hold your focus. Don’t let that be you!
7. Snacks.
What’s the only thing worse than getting thirsty or deciding you need to use the bathroom the moment the math section starts? Getting hungry rumblings in your tummy. Not only is it embarrassing when your stomach starts making noise in a crowded, silent room, but the moment you notice you’re hungry, it’s too late! You’re already day-dreaming about a big slice of pie instead of, you know, that other kind of pi.
Avoid making the test harder than it needs to be. Bring something nutrient-dense and easy to eat, like a granola bar or an apple, and eat a little bit during each of your breaks to keep your blood sugar and energy (and thus, your focus) at a good level.
8. (Digital SAT and ACT Online Only): Your Eligible Testing Device.
For the SAT, this is defined as a "personal or school-managed Windows laptop or tablet, personal or school-managed Mac laptop, personal or school-managed iPad, or a school-managed Chromebook." Make sure the Bluebook app has already been downloaded onto it BEFORE test day.
As for the virtual ACT, students are permitted to either bring their own device (BYOD) (which could be a personal computer, or one loaned by their school) or to take the test on computer administered by the testing center. Learn more about device requirements here.
9. (Digital SAT and ACT Online Only): Power Cord or Charger.
When you’re taking a test this important and fast-paced, you don’t have spare brain space to spend worrying about your laptop or tablet dying in the middle of the test. Grant yourself peace of mind by bringing a portable charger or power cord for your eligible testing device.
***
With these tips in your pocket, you’re now ready to rise to your full potential with the Digital SAT or Enhanced ACT! And if you’ve still got a few months—or years—to go before you sit in that test-day chair, but want to make sure you’re 110% ready to slay when you do….reach out to me to learn more about my tutoring services.
