All of my clients’ ACT and Digital SAT scores climb higher over the course of our time working together….but some of them make NOTICEABLY more progress than the rest. Which ones, you ask? Well, that happy honor belongs to those students who learn—and actually implement—the exact trick I’m going to teach you today.
Granted, this technique might sound a little dull at first. But once my clients see how high their test scores are climbing, they vow they’ll never study again without it….and eventually sit down to their most jaw-dropping test score yet!
Ready to join their ranks? I knew you would be!
ARTICLE CONTENTS
1. Watch this article as a video
3. The crucial next step: the “Things to Remember” List
4. Why the “Things to Remember” approach works so well
5. Conclusion
Watch this article as a video:
What's a mock test for the ACT and Digital SAT?
During the month before their official SAT or ACT test date, I’ll have any student I’m working with take at least 2-3 mock tests. This is when you take a practice test under physical and time conditions as close as possible to those of the actual test. (This step is so important to a high score that I wrote a whole article explaining how to do it.)
Then, of course, that student will compare the answers of their mock test to an answer key to see which Qs she got wrong.
This is where most students stop. But that’s a mistake. One that’s costing them a LOT of points.
My clients don't stop there, though—which is one reason that they regularly place among the top percentiles. What I teach my clients to do next is like a dance move so simple that anyone could learn it on the dancefloor at a wedding….and yet so effective that the choreographer would win a Tony. What IS this incredible intervention??
Learn from Your Test Mistakes with the "Things to Remember" List
Enter the “Things to Remember” list. I think you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly! Here’s the step-by-step guide:
1) Read back through your completed mock test, reviewing each problem and marking the ones you got wrong.
2) Grab a piece of paper or create 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’d create different pages/columns for the English, Math, Reading, and Science portions of the test.
4) Review each question you missed on the mock test. For each Q, ask yourself this: What was the one fact/rule/formula/thing that—if you HAD been able to remember 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 use an em-dash, or did you draw a blank when it was time to work with a linear equation?
5) WRITE THAT ONE INFO NUGGET DOWN in the column/part of the paper dedicated to the relevant section.
6) Every time you take another mock test, keep adding to your “Things to Remember" List!
See, that’s not so Bad, right?
Why is this an effective ACT and Digital SAT Trick?
The great thing about the “Things to Remember” List is that when you are done compiling all of these tips, formulas, and pieces of info, you’ll have a totally tailored-to-you, thorough, and effective study guide! The “Things To Remember” List tells you what mistakes you personally are prone to making, and gives the straightforward solution for avoiding them. It's an all-killer-no-filler cheat sheet with only the info you need to nail the test, and nothing more.
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 make the “Things to Remember” List a core part of your study habits, the list evolves along with you and your needs, 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! Not bad for a single strategy.
(And yes, this strategy will also likely work wonders for your final exams, etc.!)
So next time you’ve got a test date approaching, try out this method and let it do the work for you. Then, when you soar to an improved score on test day, you'll happily be able to count yourself among the ranks of "Things to Remember" List success stories.
Conclusion
What if you had a living, breathing “Things to Remember” list in your corner….who also had tons of other SAT- and ACT-specific tricks like this up her sleeve? Learn more about working with me one-on-on here.
In fact, I’ve created 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 relax and get in the right frame of mind come test day….so you can actually get the superlative score you’ve been working so hard for:
