There are many ways for students to prepare for the ACT test, and sometimes the choices may seem overwhelming. At awesomescores.com, we believe that every family member plays a big part in helping a child prepare for the ACT and alleviate any form of anxiety.

Different families will approach test preparation in different ways. Even the same family will sometimes choose different options for different kids. But to make every step easier, we have prepared some tips you can try in preparing for the ACT test as a family.

Plan to Take the Test More than Once

The ACT test can be taken as many times as your time and budget will allow, and schools will consider you for admission and scholarships based on your highest score. Hence, it is important to support the test taker in the family if he or she plans to take the test more than once. In fact, one of the best ways to prepare for the test is to take it. Once your student has sat through the test, he or she will have a better feel for what’s included and which areas they need to study to improve the score.

Take Challenging Courses

Encourage your child to take academically rigorous classes in middle and high school. The ACT is designed to measure a wider range of subject matter learned in school, and it takes years to truly master these aspects.

Read

The most effective way your child can improve his score on the reading portions of the tests is to improve his vocabulary. The best way to do that is not with flash card drills in the two weeks before the test, but by reading — books, newspapers, magazines, and, yes, textbooks.

You can also use the “Question of the Day” game. Busy high school students may find it difficult to set aside large blocks of time to study, but a question a day is something most anyone can handle.

Get Familiar with the Test Format

Taking tests is a skill, and you can help your child learn strategies that will help him on this one. When researching test-prep strategies, take into account the way your child studies best. Some students benefit more from one-on-one tutoring, particularly if they need work in specific subject areas. Some benefit more from a group setting in the company of other motivated students. Others will quite happily work independently online.