What to Consider If You Get Bored During the SAT or ACT

When you imagine a student who is motivated to prep for the SAT or ACT, you probably picture someone who is focused and attentive during practice tests. If the student's mind wanders during practice tests, you might expect the distracting thoughts to relate to the test (“I wonder how this is going? Am I reading quickly enough? Did I get the right answer to question 12?”)… This presumption might lead you to feel like an anomaly if you—a student who is motivated to prep for the test—sometimes feel bored when taking practice tests.

​But the truth is, it’s common to go through periods when you feel bored during practice tests. You can both be motivated to succeed, as evidenced by your willingness to make the time for practice tests, and sometimes feel distracted or disengaged.

However, just because boredom is a common experience among test-preppers doesn’t mean it’s optimal. Just as you should try to create test-day-like conditions in the environment around you when you're taking practice tests, you should approach your practice tests with the mindset and focus you want to have on test day. So, in today’s blog, we’re going to talk about what to consider if you sometimes (or often) find yourself bored during practice tests.

Here are seven questions you can ask yourself:
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1. How much thought have you given to why you're prepping or taking the test in the first place?
   You may be able to focus better if your reason for taking the test is more defined. Check out “Goal Setting, Part One” in the first chapter of Acing It! A Mindful Guide to Maximum Results on Your College Admissions Test for more guidance on getting clear about your goals. I provide a PDF of the first chapter of Acing It! to everyone who subscribes for email updates, so if you’ve already subscribed, you have access to that chapter. (And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Subscribe here!)
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2. How well-rested are you?
   The explanation for this one is self-evident, but the better rested you are, the better your ability to focus.
   
   
3. How often are you taking practice tests?
   You might be experiencing burnout. As a frame of reference for how much prep might be reasonable, in my One Month SAT and ACT Prep Plans, I suggest approximately eight hours of prep each week, including time spent taking and reviewing practice sections and full tests. That averages to a little over one hour a day. If you are spending significantly more time than that, remember that the quality of the time you spend prepping is just as important as the quantity of time you spend prepping. If you think your attention issues might stem from overloading yourself with practice tests, you might consider changing the activities of your prep (for example, spending more time reviewing the concepts and less time taking practice tests) or simply spending less time on your test prep.
   
   Also, remember that while it’s important to take full practice tests for the sake of building endurance, an effective prep plan usually doesn’t consist of only full practice tests. It also includes individual practice sections and drills (a few of which I describe in Chapter 6 of Acing It!).
   
   
4. What are you doing immediately before the practice test?
   Do you jump right in or do you do a mental or physical warm up? Students often think of taking a test as an activity that doesn't require a warm up. However, it is often highly beneficial to do something to get into test-prep mode. Consider changing into a specific test prep “uniform,” meditating for twenty minutes, or spending ten minutes reviewing a previously completed practice test.
   
   
5. How much are you marking up the test?
   Actively underlining, crossing off answer choices, and showing your work keep you more engaged than simply reading.
   
   
6. What is your work style when you aren't taking the test?
   How you work and focus on other projects establishes habits for how you’ll work during the SAT or ACT. If you're used to checking your phone frequently when doing homework or reading a book, you haven't established a habit of focusing for an extended period of time. Therefore, if you want to improve your focus on the SAT or ACT, you might change your habits on other activities to improve your ability to focus when taking the test.
   
   
7. What language do you use when describing the SAT or ACT?
   ​"Boring?" "Stressful?" "Tedious?" "Hard?" ...Your college admissions test prep may never be the highlight of your day. A good score isn't contingent upon enjoying practice tests, and you don't need to lie to yourself about how you're experiencing the test. But, if you find yourself using this sort of negative language when describing the test, you might consider if there's another way to look at it. I have friends who do a crossword puzzle everyday and find it fun. I've worked with students who play challenging video games or work to get better at playing an instrument and find it fun. There's no rule that says that solving math problems needs to be terrible or that reading a passage from 1805 is always sleep-inducing. If you can "game-ify" the SAT or ACT, turning it into a mental challenge, you might start having a better experience of the test and performing better.

What do you think? How do you keep yourself from getting bored when taking the SAT or ACT? Anything in addition to what I've suggested? If you find yourself getting bored during practice tests, is there anything here you feel inspired to try? Let me know in the comments below or contact me to share your thoughts!

Want more guidance? Here are a few resources and offerings you might consider:

• Acing It! A Mindful Guide to Maximum Results on Your College Admissions Test:
  My book, in which I walk you through all the steps of the test prep process from beginning to end.
• Test Prep Coaching Package:
  Work with me for 12 sessions to get your SAT or ACT prep into top shape! Includes a review of what you need to know for the SAT or ACT using my Math and Grammar outlines, opportunities to take and review official SATs and ACTs, and opportunities to learn mindset and study habits that facilitate top performance.
• Mindset Coaching Package:
  Work with me for 10 sessions to learn mindset and study habits that will facilitate top performance on the SAT, ACT or other challenges. ​
• Test Prep Power Up:
  Work with me for a single coaching session. Come with any questions you have about how to perform better on the SAT and ACT. Includes the opportunity to take and review an official SAT or ACT.

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