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From Practice to Performance: How to Turn Weekly Summer Practice Tests into Strong Fall Scores
If your student is planning to take the August SAT or September ACT, weekly summer practice tests can be one of the most effective tools in their test prep strategy. But the goal is not just to take test after test. It is to use each one as a step toward building the skills, stamina, and confidence needed for real results this fall.
Here is how your student can move from weekly practice to peak performance in eight to ten weeks.
Step 1: Begin with a Baseline Diagnostic
In the first week, have your student take a full-length, timed SAT and ACT under realistic conditions. This establishes a starting point and helps determine which test is the better fit.
Focus less on the score itself and more on what the test reveals. Look at timing, concentration, and types of errors. Did your student run out of time? Were most mistakes content-based or the result of rushing? This first step helps guide the rest of the summer plan.
Step 2: Build Strategy Before Speed
During weeks two through four, your student should take a new full-length practice test each week. But the real progress happens in the review. After each test, encourage them to carefully go over every section. Identify which questions were missed and why.
Help your student notice patterns. Are they consistently missing punctuation questions? Is pacing an issue in math? Use this insight to guide practice between tests. The key is to focus on improvement in specific areas, not to study everything at once.
Step 3: Midpoint Progress Check
By week five, your student will have several practice scores to compare. This is the right time to pause and reflect. Are scores moving in the right direction? Are certain sections consistently improving? Has confidence increased?
If progress feels stalled, it may be time to adjust the approach. This might mean spending more time on review, shifting to new practice resources, or working with a tutor. If things are going well, stay consistent with what is working.
Step 4: Shift to Simulation Mode
In weeks six through eight, your student should treat each weekly practice test as if it were the real thing. Begin the test at the same time the official exam will start. Follow the correct timing and break schedule. Eliminate all distractions.
This simulation approach helps reduce test-day anxiety and builds the endurance needed to stay focused for the full exam. By this stage, your student should be more aware of how to manage their time and energy throughout each section.
Step 5: Make Review a Confidence Builder
Continue to review each test thoroughly, even late in the process. Focus on what is going well. Celebrate small wins like improved timing or stronger scores in a specific section. Also use the review time to fix persistent errors, but keep the tone encouraging.
Confidence grows not only from higher scores but also from a clear understanding of what to expect and how to respond to challenges during the test.
Final Week: Light Review and Rest
In the final week before the actual SAT or ACT, scale back. Avoid taking another full test. Instead, do some light review, revisit past mistakes, and focus on getting rest and eating well.
By this point, your student has done the hard work. Trust in the process and focus on walking into the test calm and prepared.