🎙️ How to Review Your ACT Practice Tests the RightWay

A Step-by-Step Guide to Smarter Studying (and Higher Scores)

If you’ve been grinding through ACT practice tests but not seeing the score jumps you hoped for, the issue may not be the test itself—but what you’re doing after it.

Welcome to this week’s recap of Test Prep+, where host Aimee Urdiales breaks down one of the most powerful yet overlooked parts of ACT prep: reviewing your practice tests the right way.

Spoiler alert: Just checking the answer key and moving on is not going to cut it. Let’s walk through what actually works.

🧠 Why Reviewing Matters Just as Much as Taking the Test

Taking practice tests builds your stamina and gets you familiar with the ACT’s structure. But real improvement? That comes from reviewing what went wrong.

Think of it like this: Elite athletes don’t just play the game—they study the tape. They analyze every move to see where they can improve. That’s what you need to do with your practice tests.

📊 Fun Fact:

Students who actively review their mistakes improve twice as fast as those who don’t.

✅ The 5-Step ACT Practice Test Review Method

Aimee’s got a simple but powerful process for reviewing that will help you turn every mistake into a learning opportunity.

Step 1: Retake Your Missed Questions (Untimed)

Go back and try the ones you missed—without the clock ticking.
If you get it right this time? Great.
Still stuck? Flag it for deeper review.

Step 2: Label Your Mistakes

Sort each wrong answer into one of these four categories:

• 🧠 Content Gap – You didn’t know the concept.

• ⏱ Timing Issue – You ran out of time or rushed.

• 🤷 Careless Error – You knew it but made a silly mistake.

• 💡 Strategy Mistake – You fell for a trap or misread the question.

Step 3: Log It in Your ACT Error Journal

Track your mistakes using a notebook, spreadsheet, or our downloadable [Practice Test Review Log]. Include:

• Section and question number

• Topic (e.g., comma rules, linear equations)

• Type of mistake

• What you’ll do differently next time

Step 4: Look for Patterns

Now the magic happens. Ask yourself:

• Am I missing the same type of punctuation questions in English?

• Do graph-heavy Science questions trip me up?

• Are the last 10 Math questions consistently dragging my score down?

These patterns = your personalized study plan.

Step 5: Turn Mistakes into Targeted Practice

Based on what you’ve logged:

• Make flashcards for content you need to memorize

• Redo missed questions

• Create mini sets of similar problems to master weak spots

🚫 What NOT to Do When Reviewing

Here are the common mistakes that keep students stuck:

❌ Only checking answers and moving on
❌ Skipping the questions you guessed correctly
❌ Rushing through review in 5 minutes

🧠 Pro Tip: Spend 30–45 minutes reviewing one full section. Focus less on what you missed and more on why you missed it.

👪 Parent Tip Corner

Parents—you can play a key role in helping your student improve, without hovering or adding pressure.

💬 Instead of asking: “How did you do?”
Try: “What kinds of questions challenged you this time?”

📅 Help them build review time into their weekly schedule.

📝 Ask to see their error journal weekly—not to judge, but to celebrate growth and progress.

⏰ When Should You Review?

To get the most out of your test review, aim to do it:

• After every full-length practice test

• Or after 3–4 timed sections

• Ideally within 24–48 hours, while it’s still fresh

📥 Don’t Forget Your Free Download!

Ready to start reviewing smarter?
🎁 Download your free Practice Test Review Log — complete with all five steps and a built-in tracking system.

And if you’re using it, tag us on Instagram @UPrepTestPrep—we’d love to see your progress!

🎧 What’s Coming Next?

Next week’s episode is a must-listen:
What to Do When You’re Stuck at the Same Score (and How to Break Through)
Whether you're plateauing at a 25 or stuck in the low 30s, we'll help you break that ceiling.

Until then—keep learning from your mistakes, trust your prep, and remember:
You’ve got this. 💪

Blog by U-Prep Test Prep | Based on Episode 39 of the Test Prep+ Podcast with Aimee Urdiales
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For more tips and strategies, tune into the Test Prep+ podcast or explore our resources on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Let’s conquer the ACT together! 🎓

Check out all of the resources mentioned in this episode:·      

• Download your FREE guide to using your practice tests to reach your goal score—click here: https://u-prep-test-prep.myflodesk.com/analyze-practice-lm

• Looking for practice ACT tests?  We have you covered.  Click here to see all of the practice test we offer: https://upreptestprep-site-1ee6.thinkific.com/collections/practice-tests

• Taking the ACT in June and want to boost your score in 4 weeks?  Our ACT Masterclass can help you do that!  Click here to learn more about it: https://u-prep-test-prep.myflodesk.com/masterclass 

Good luck on your test prep journey!

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