The first thing you need to ace a standardized exam is to have the right mindset. Without a good mindset, you won’t be able to get anything done. You need to make peace with the fact that you will need to dedicate time to prepare for your standardized test. You may need to sacrifice some of your other activities to make time to study. The most important thing is being okay with all of that. That way you can focus and tackle your exam with all of your being.
Now the actual preparation process begins. I find the best way to prepare is to do a few questions from different parts of the exam. For example, the SAT Math Section has questions about linear equations, circles, and functions. So you would do different questions from those sections and see how you do. That way you can figure out what you do know, and what you need to review or learn. I find that the best way to do this is to take a practice test. You can buy practice test books or you can find one online that applies to whatever standardized test you are taking. After you take the practice test you can make a note of the questions you missed and areas you need to improve on.
Now comes the actual practice. The best approach for me is to find as many questions as I can and do them all. It’s best to find questions that have come from older versions of the exam. That way you can get used to the way that the exam formats their questions. Start with questions that are similar to the ones you missed on your practice test. If you come across a question that you don’t understand and can’t figure out how to tackle it then I suggest finding a video or step-by-step process online about it. I recommend Khan Academy because they always explain the process very well. They have videos showing how to do problems if you are a visual learner and written-out processes if you are more comfortable reading and figuring it out.
After learning the subjects you don’t understand then you just have to practice, practice and practice. Don’t just spend all your time on the subjects you don’t know. Make sure you keep practicing the subjects you do know. That way you won’t lose the knowledge you already had. After you feel like you have practiced specific problems enough, take more practice tests. Even some that are times so you can see how well you perform under pressure. If you encounter problems that you didn’t see before, just repeat the practice steps. Keep doing this until the day before your exam.
The most important day is the one before your exam. That’s the day you take time to relax your mind and body. Use the day to do things you enjoy like sports, games, and being with the people you love. That way you won’t spend the whole day just stressing out. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep so you have enough energy for the next day. On the day of the test, maybe read a book to get your mind working a little bit to prepare for the exam. But remember not to stress because you used your time well and have fully prepared for your exam.