The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

92 DECEMBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT sections of the SAT Math test are open- ended and often more complicated, do them before the multiple choice. On the ACT, you can skim the ques- tions first and use the “flag” function to identify questions you want to answer first—the “Now” questions. Then use the navigation function to isolate those and move through them efficiently. How Best to Prepare Start with a goal: That on the day you take the test, you will have a thorough understanding of both the content knowledge that you will need to answer questions and the test-taking strate- gies to answer those questions quickly and accurately. So any plan will include learning (or relearning) content and learning how to take a timed, multiple- choice test of college readiness. You’ll be practicing taking the test well and being so fluent at those test-taking strategies that you can use them consis- tently, quickly and accurately over three hours and in multiple subjects. To organize your test prep, have the tools you need on hand, so it’s easy to follow a daily routine. Two simple steps: First , you will need practice tests, and the best practice questions are from actual SATs or ACTs. The Official SAT Study Guide (ISBN 978-1-4573-1219-9) contains eight actual SATs, including answer sheets. Those same tests are available on the College Board website, but unless you can print for “free,” the book is cheaper and more compact. For the SAT, do your actual test prac- tice on paper, since the College Board is still committed to traditional pencil and paper testing. Second , sign up for help and daily progress. At www.collegeboard.org , you To organize your test prep, have the tools you need on hand, so it’s easy to follow a daily routine.