For high school students interested in heading to college, test-taking has become a big time necessity.
Most colleges will not accept a student without a score on either the ACT or the SAT, two tests that have different formats and are scored in different manners.

The ACT consists of four multiple-choice tests in English, reading, math and science reasoning. Scores are based on the number of correctly answered questions and students are not penalized for wrong answers.

That’s not the case for the main SAT test, known as SAT Reasoning, where points are subtracted for wrong answers in the multiple choice portion of the writing section. The test also includes an essay section, a critical reading section and a mathematics section.

Both tests are time consuming (over three hours) and require some advance preparation. Experts also recommend putting together a test-taking game plan that includes the following ingredients:

• Use the ACT and SAT websites to examine sample questions and take sample tests.
• Talk to people who have taken the tests and ask them what they would have done differently.
• Get a good night’s sleep the night before the test.
• Dress comfortably.
• Plan to arrive about 15 minutes early for the test.
• Make sure you have a proper ID to get into the test site.
• Bring Number 2 lead pencils with erasers.
• Be prepared to pace yourself. Don’t spend too much time on a single passage or question.
• Scan for the easiest questions first, answer them and then go back and answer the toughest questions.
• If you finish a section of the test early, go back and review your answers
• On difficult multiple choice questions first eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can.
• Mark answers neatly.
• Don‘t panic!