More than 3 million college admissions tests are administered each year, making the SAT and the ACT two of the most important exams that a high school student will ever take.

In order to perform their best, students should become familiar with the style and types of questions on the tests — in order to avoid “trap-door answers.” Students should boost their reading and vocabulary skills and learn specific process of elimination strategies. Above all, students need to work through as many practice questions and tests as possible in the weeks and months leading up to the actual exam.

The following tips are proven to help students prepare for these important tests:

• The ACT has no scoring penalty for incorrect answers, so never leave an ACT question blank.

• On the SAT, if you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, you generally increase the probability of guessing correctly.

• Know the instructions for each section before you begin the test; you won’t have to waste time reading them during the exam.

• Never spend too much time on any single question. It’s better to lose one point on a difficult question than to lose 10 points because you ran out of time on a section.

• If you are unsure of a question, circle it and come back to it if time permits.

• Don’t get bogged down on the difficult questions before you have racked up as many points as possible on the easy and medium questions.

• Register for a SAT/ACT prep class at least eight weeks before the testing date to provide extra studying assistance and additional confidence.

For more information regarding Sylvan Learning and our SAT and ACT Prep classes, visit www.slyvanlearning.com.

Morgan Griffith is the center director at the Federal Way Sylvan Learning Center, 32717 1st Ave. S.: (253) 838-0507.