Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

As strange as it may sound, for experienced test prep tutors, taking a new SAT or ACT can actually be fun. I can move through an SAT verbal section in under ten minutes and usually score near-perfect results. Scoring that section feels even better—question after question marked correct, each one reinforcing confidence.

Math, however, is a completely different experience.

If verbal questions are cookies, math questions are lima beans.

I don’t get every math question right. Some problems require real effort. Others make me uneasy—especially trigonometry, which I never studied in high school. Grading math sections still makes me nervous, and getting a question wrong stings.

Students Naturally Avoid Their Weak Spots

What’s true for tutors is even more true for students.

Every student has strengths and weaknesses across SAT and ACT sections. When completing homework or practice tests, students almost always:

• Start with the sections they enjoy

• Save the harder topics for last

• Sometimes skip the hardest material entirely

Why? Because strong areas give positive feedback, while weak areas bring frustration, doubt, and stress. Since test prep doesn’t involve grades, weaker sections often don’t get the attention they need.

Smart Test-Day Strategy: Do the Easy Questions First

On test day, there is no rule that says you must answer questions in order.

In fact, the smartest ACT and SAT test-taking strategy is:

• Answer easy and medium questions first

• Secure points you’re likely to earn

• Leave difficult questions for the end

If you run out of time, it’s far better to miss questions you were unlikely to answer correctly anyway. Even if time isn’t an issue, this strategy reduces stress and keeps you focused—because you already have points “in the bank.”

Prep Strategy Is the Opposite of Test-Day Strategy

Here’s the paradox.

What works on test day does not work during preparation.

You’re already good at the material you like. That means there aren’t many new points hiding there. Your weaker sections, on the other hand, are filled with missed opportunities—by definition.

Every skill you improve in a weak area unlocks:

• New points

• Better timing

• Higher consistency

This is where real score gains come from.

Why Real Improvement Requires Discomfort

The essence of effective SAT and ACT prep is choosing the path of greatest resistance.

To raise your score, you must:

• Identify the questions that give you the worst feedback

• Spend time on topics you’d rather avoid

• Face the discomfort head-on

It’s like walking into a room full of people who don’t like you and figuring out how to make friends. That’s uncomfortable—but it’s also how growth happens.

Let Go of Your Practice Test Score

Here’s the good news:
Your practice test score doesn’t matter.

It has:

• No impact on your future

• No audience

• No permanent consequences

You don’t even need to look at the final score.

In fact, obsessing over practice test results often makes improvement harder. When students fixate on the score, they retreat to their comfort zones and avoid risk. Ironically, letting go of the score is what allows the score to improve.

Practice tests are meant to be:

• Experimental

• Risk-friendly

• Strategy-driven

Trying new approaches will feel uncomfortable at first—but those moments are exactly where new points are created.

Use ScoreSmart to Target the Right Struggles

This is where ScoreSmart becomes essential.

ScoreSmart score reports show you:

• Where you are losing points

• Where you are losing time

• Which question types need the most attention

The Drill Banks then deliver exactly what you least want to practice—and most need to practice.

That’s where your time should go.

Final Thought: Eat Your Vegetables First

I hate to say it, but your mom was right.

You have to eat your vegetables before dessert.

In SAT and ACT prep, those “vegetables” are the hard questions, weak topics, and uncomfortable strategies. Master those—and the score increase will follow.

That’s the path of most resistance. And that’s how scores change.