SAT/ACT Diagnostic Test: How Does It Help?

Are you planning to take the SAT or the ACT in a few months? If yes, you might be wondering about the best resources to study and where to start from. If not, you might still be wondering what are the best books and how to start prepping for these tests. In either case, the best answer is to START WITH A DIAGNOSTIC TEST.

Why take a diagnostic test?

A diagnostic test is a test that you take at the beginning of your prep. You might be wondering if it is worth your time. Yes! It absolutely is worth your time. In fact, it is the most important test that you will take in the course of your preparation.

A diagnostic test helps you:

1. Get familiar with the test pattern

2. Get to know the question types

3. Identify which topics are tested on the test more often

4. Find out your strengths and weaknesses

5. Ascertain how well are you doing currently on the test

6. Figure out where you stand currently in terms of the score

7. Measure how much improvement is needed to reach your target score

So, whether you are worried about the tests or excited to start your prep, we strongly advise that you start with a DIAGNOSTIC TEST.  It will help you study in a more effective manner. 

Which is the best diagnostic test?

There are so many free practice tests available in the market. However, the best diagnostic test is the official test. So, for the SAT, use one of the 10 official tests released by the College Board and for the ACT, use one of the four official tests on the official ACT website or use the retired official ACT tests, available with the 2 Day Free Trial on the Collegify E-learning portal.

Why only the official tests? Because, your diagnostic will not provide a good result if it is not a good replica of the original tests. It is important that the diagnostic test you take mimics the official difficulty level, content coverage, and format of the real test.

How should I take the diagnostic test?

Here a few rules to follow when you sit for diagnostic tests:

1. Keep the timing strict

2. Take the test all in one sitting

3. Use only the breaks you’d get on official tests

4. No mobile, no music, no TV, and no people in your room

How to analyze the diagnostic test results?

The BEST and the WORST section

How does your score on the different sections (Reading, Writing, Math, and Science (in case of ACT)) compare to each other? Are some section scores higher than others? This helps you divide your time more efficiently. You would want to concentrate more on the sections where you need the biggest improvement. So, say, if your lowest score was on Math, you would want to spend more time on the Math. 

The type of questions that challenged you the most 

When you review the results in detail, you will not only find what sections to focus on but also what types of questions - main point, inference, data representation, percentages, or word problems - you struggle with. 

The more detailed your review of the test score, the better it will help you to create a study plan that helps you improve your scores in the most effective manner possible. 

The time pressure

Were you pressed for time on any of the sections? Or any type of a question? Both the tests are strictly timed, hence, it is important that you understand the effect of time pressure on your results. Many students struggle to complete the test in time. Leaving just a few questions blank because you didn’t have enough time to answer all the questions can have a major impact on your score. 

Hence, working on your time-management skills will be key to improving your SAT or ACT scores. 

Further, be vigilant about questions that you got incorrect just because you were running out of time. It is important to not get stuck on any question and waste so much time on it so that you don’t have a chance to answer other questions. If you are spending too much time on a question, skip it and come back to it later. 

Question comprehension

Do you read questions too fast to save your time? If yes, you need to be extra careful understanding what the question is asking. It is a good idea to underline key parts of the question so that you are not missing any important information when answering the question. 

I don’t know how to do it

How many questions did you not know how to approach? Were these questions from a similar group of topics or different topics? Make sure to brush up on these concepts using class notes, reference materials, or a prep book.

Careless Errors

Were there questions where you did 2 + 2 = 5 or solved for (B) but marked (C) as your answer? Understand the common traps that the SAT or the ACT plant for you on the test. Leaving yourself a few minutes at the end of each section to review your answers is a good idea to reduce these silly errors. 
 

What to do after the analysis?

1. Set a target score for yourself

Once you know your diagnostic score, you can set a realistic goal for yourself. Check if your target sectional scores are close or far away from your diagnostic scores. This can help you create a better study plan. 

2. Use high-quality study material

Using official practice material is important. However, you would be using unofficial study material for your prep and that’s where you will face the most challenge. These unofficial resources may or may not help. Hence, use only trusted sources. 

3. Focus on your weaknesses

Prioritizing on your weaknesses is of utmost importance. Use good prep books or a comprehensive online platform such as collegify.com to help improve your weak areas. Don’t procrastinate if you need targeted assistance in identifying and improving your lagging areas on the test.  Collegify tutors are always available to guide you through your weak areas. 

4. Take regular full length tests

Once you have studied something, it is important to test whether you have understood that concept. What is better than a full length test to achieve this objective? Take full length tests regularly to form good habits of test-taking and improve your understanding of concepts. Collegify recommends taking 5-10 full length tests before the final test day. 

5. Keep a check on your progress

As you take tests, you must keep a check on your progress. Keep a track of your improvements on the weak areas. Are you improving on the topics that you wanted to? Is there a drop in performance on any other section? Do you have a plan to fix these issues? 

It is important to keep a check on your progress so that you get to know what is working and what is not. If you are stuck on something, make sure to change your approach. 

Just follow these steps for the next few weeks and you will be on your way to a high score on the SAT or the ACT. Sign-up for a free trial on collegify platform to take a free diagnostic test that comes with a detailed diagnostic report.