Things You'll Need:
- A good breakfast
- Brightly colored clothing
- A good night's sleep
- Common sense
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Step 1
Whether you are taking the ACT, the SAT, the LSAT, or the GRE following a few common sense steps will help you improve your score drastically. Assuming you've studied and prepared for the test, following these simple steps should insure your success.
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Step 2
First, you must make sure that you get a decent night's sleep the night before the exam. Avoid taking stay awake aides or extra coffee to keep you awake. They work against your system.
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Step 3
Wear bright colors that you can see while taking the exam. For example, a red sweater or a bright yellow shirt would be great. Wearing colorful underwear won't help. You must be able to see the color if you get stumped by a question. If you forget something you know you studied, stare at your bright color. Psychologists tell us that bright colors stir the memory. Teachers should be encouraged to have posters around a classroom to help with this phenomenon.
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Step 4
Besides being rested and dressed properly, you or your child must have a decent breakfast. Don't just use cereal. If possible, eat a hot meal and drink orange juice or eat a banana to get the brain working. Avoid too much sugar which may have a high then you crash effect.
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Step 5
Although most people are going to eat breakfast at home, studies completed by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School strongly indicate the best place to eat breakfast before standardized testing is at the test site. With this is mind, if it doesn't already do it, on test days encourage your school to offer hot breakfast.
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Step 6
If you are taking a test that gives you a break between sections, use a protein bar, snickers bar, or granola bar as a snack. Follow that with water. You need to stay hydrated.
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Step 7
Finally, as you finish each page, go back and check that you put the right answer in the right box. That is the single biggest mistake people make when hurrying. Take your time, work steady, but use your common sense. By following all these simple steps you should do well on any test you take.
