Colleges and universities use aptitude tests to determine whether a student is likely to succeed in their institution or whether they are likely to succeed in their chosen courses. They can be incredibly useful for showcasing students’ natural abilities and successes and highlighting areas of weakness that may need to be addressed.
Here are three tips to acing your college aptitude test when the time comes.
Aptitude tests and entry requirements
The requirements for getting into good colleges have become more intense over the last few years. Although the acceptance rate for some universities and colleges has gone up, the entry requirements can still be off-putting for some. For example, The competency side of the ASU requirements as stated on CampusReel as the following:
- 4 years of math
- 4 years English (non-ESL/ELL courses)
- 3 years lab sciences (1 year each from biology, chemistry, earth science, integrated sciences, or physics)
- 2 years social sciences (including 1-year American history)
- 2 years same second language
- 1-year fine arts or 1-year career and technical education
With one of the following aptitude requirements:
- top 25% in high school graduating class
- 00 GPA in competency courses (4.00 = “A”)
- ACT: 22 (24 non-residents)
- SAT: 1120 (1180 non-residents)
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Just like playing an instrument requires hours of practice before you will be proficient, being good at passing tests is also a skill that can be honed and improved upon.e
There are many ways to practice for these tests, either by getting examples from your school’s guidance counselor or trawling the internet for practice options. It’s worth doing as many as possible. Not only will this give you a great insight into the type of content you will be required to know, but it will show you how questions are worded and help you better understand how to answer them correctly.
Budget Your Time
Most aptitude tests at any level work on a timed system. For a 40-question test, you may only be in the room for an hour, meaning you have around 1 and a half minutes to answer each question.
You must spend your time well. Read ALL the questions first and use a marking system either mentally or on spare paper to note which ones will be easy and which will be harder. Tackle the harder ones first but reserve enough time to fire off the easy ones at the end.
Be Calm and Relaxed
A nervous mind is a mind that is not focused on success. It’s essential to ensure that you are as calm as possible before and during the test so that you can answer the questions to the best of your ability, and, as we discussed above, you’ll be happy budgeting your time adequately.
Getting a good night’s sleep before the test, eating a healthy slow-release breakfast, ensuring you’ve had enough to drink (but not so much you’ll need to use the bathroom during the test), and making sure you’re wearing comfortable attire will help to make you comfortable and hopefully settle any last-minute nerves.
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