SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Planning the night before the test is the last thing you really have to worry about before taking the ACT. But how do you know what to do so that you get the best score possible the next day?

This comprehensive guide will lay out everything you should (and shouldn’t) do before you head to bed the night before the ACT. Follow these tips - covering everything from logistical concerns to last-minute exam prep - to wake up confident, refreshed, and ready.

Let’s get started!

Take Care of the Small (But Important) Details

If you square away all of these small logistical concerns the night before the ACT, you’ll cut down on stress and worry the next morning.

Logistical Details to Take Care of the Night Before the ACT 

• Print your admission ticket. This ticket has important details printed on it - you also won't be able to take the test without it. 

• Know what time the test is and when you need to be there - standard check-in time is 8 am. If you’re late, you won’t be allowed to take the exam. Plan on getting there 15-20 minutes early so that you won’t be rushed (or late) if anything happens in the morning, like unexpected traffic. 

• Know where the test is, how to get there, and how long it’ll take you to get there. You can double-check the location on your admission ticket or at your ACT Account. Try using Google Maps to plan out the fastest route. Enter your arrive-by time for the next morning in addition to the testing center address and your starting point - Google Maps will tell you when to leave!

• Have a wake-up plan, especially if you're prone to oversleeping. Set multiple alarms, giving yourself an extra cushion of time (10-15 minutes) to get ready. Plan on having a family member wake you up as a backup plan.

• Set out all your outfit for the next morning. Choose something you’d be comfortable sitting around in for several hours. Layers are a good idea, in case the testing room is warmer or colder than ideal.

• Organize everything you need to bring for the test. There are only a few items you have to bring, but there are several other items that would be smart to have for the test:
  • Mandatory: Your admission ticket
  • Mandatory: Photo ID
  • Mandatory: Several sharpened #2 pencils
  • Good quality erasers
  • An approved calculator + extra batteries
  • A watch (without an audible alarm)
  • A bottle of water and snacks to eat during breaks. Officially, you won’t be able to eat or drink in the testing room, but you should have access to food + water during breaks.

• Plan on leaving forbidden items at home. If you bring any forbidden items, you could jeopardize your scores. Here’s a list of items you should leave at home: 
  • Any electronic device aside from your calculator and watch (no smart watches, obviously)
  • Anything with an alarm
  • Any writing utensils or tools aside from your #2 pencils
  • Any pamphlets or papers
  • Dictionaries or other books
  • You can find more info on prohibited behavior here - basically, just listen to directions and be polite and you'll be fine

A note about cell phones: If you don’t have to bring it, then don’t. If you do choose to bring your phone, make sure it’s turned off and out of reach during the test and during breaks. If it goes off at any point - even if it’s an innocent alarm - all of your scores will be canceled.

Have a Plan for Self-Care 

I think that the best thing you can do before the ACT is to make sure you’re relaxed, well-rested, and well-fed. Even if you prepare really well for the exam, you won’t do very well if you’re stressed, tired, or hungry.

Here, I’ll go over the things you should and shouldn’t do the night before to make sure you’re in the best possible shape the next morning.

Things You Should Do

• Eat a satisfying and healthy dinner - ideally something with produce, fruits/vegetables, and whole grains. Your brain needs fuel!

• On that note, plan your breakfast for the next morning. Something quick, easy, and filling should do the trick, like whole-grain cereal or a bowl of oatmeal.

• Get to bed earlier than usual - maybe 30-60 minutes prior to your normal bedtime. This gives you a bit more time to fall asleep if you're having trouble.

• Take a shower to save time the next morning. This may also help you relax and get to sleep. If your normal routine is to shower in the morning, though, then skip this step.

• Still having trouble falling asleep? Here are some things you can try: 
  • Gentle stretches (no cardio!)
  • Listening to relaxing music
  • A warm bath
  • Caffeine-free tea (chamomile is always a good choice)

You can't go wrong with a cup of tea if you need to wind down and relax. 

Things To Avoid

• Disrupting your regular routine.  Our normal bedtime rituals help prepare us to fall asleep - try not to deviate too much from what you’d normally do.

• Playing video games, texting, or surfing the internet. Staring at screens for few hours before you head to bed can keep you up longer than you’d like.

• Taking any sleep aids. Unless sleep medications are part of your normal bedtime routine, avoid them. They can make it really difficult to wake up the next morning, and you don’t know if you’ll have other adverse reactions.

Prepare for the ACT

You might be feeling pressure to cram as much info as you can into your brain the night before the test. You want to make sure you remember as much stuff as possible, right?

Well, stressful cramming might do more harm than good. The ACT isn’t a test where memorizing factoids will help you perform better - the best preparation strategy is a long-term one.

Ultimately, there are a couple of ways you could “prep” for the ACT the night before the test without stressing yourself out. Here are your options:

Strategy #1: Don't Prepare at All 

If you feel well-prepared for the ACT - or even if you don’t - there's not much you can do to process important, helpful information the night before the test. 

Good ACT prep happens through long-term practice, not short-term cramming. Last-minute prep for any test tends to stress me out, so I avoid it. If you feel the same way, this is probably the strategy for you.

Strategy #2: Briefly Review Key Concepts or Problems

Some students might get nervous if they’re missing out on time to review tricky concepts or practice problems. It would be silly to actively avoid ACT preparation if this would stress you out more than flipping through your study materials.

The best way to approach Strategy #2 is to work through a few practice problems on paper (remember, stay away from screens). You don’t want to pick particularly difficult problems - we’re trying to avoid stress - but reviewing problems that’ll help you start thinking through weaker skill areas may help ease some of your anxiety.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward: The Morning of the ACT

No matter what you ended up doing the night before, there are a few things you can do the morning of the ACT to make sure you do as well as possible. Here are the most important steps you can take to ensure success:

• Eat breakfast. Hopefully, you’ve planned one the night before, but if not, make sure to grab something on the way out the door.

• Avoid caffeine, unless you usually have caffeine in the mornings. It’ll make you more jittery and anxious than awake and alert. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic, which means more bathroom breaks for you during the ACT - this could lead to less time available to work on the test. 

• Take the test one step at a time. Once a section is over, it’s over - your only responsibility is to the section you’re currently working on. Try not to let concerns about earlier sections of the ACT affect your performance.

• Treat yourself! Taking the ACT is stressful and exhausting. Plan on doing something nice for yourself - like getting lunch with a friend, going for a nice run, or even watching episodes of your favorite TV show - after you’re finished with the test.

No matter how you feel about how the test went, remember that you followed through on a really important commitment - that’s a big deal! If this is the first time you take the ACT, and you plan on taking the test a second time, this first test will serve as a really important learning experience.

Good luck, and (who knows), maybe even have fun!

Think of the ACT as a marathon, not a sprint. 

What's Next? 

You know now what to do the night before the ACT, but what about before that? Don't worry - we've got you covered. 

You'll want to start off by checking out our last-minute tips and strategies for taking the ACT. If you have more than a night to prepare for the test but you're still on a tight schedule, you'll definitely want to take advantage of our 10-day ACT study guide. 

If you're just looking for some easy reading to ease your nerves before the test, check out our guide to the ACT rules and regulations you have to know before the test.