Pencils scratching, legs bouncing, fingers tapping, and brains whirring. Anxious glances at the clock, erasers scrubbing away marks. Standardized tests are always stressful, but students can employ strategies to help alleviate and eliminate ACT anxiety.

The following are a few strategies to prepare yourself and champion the ACT.

ACT Book

A great, easy and cheap way to study is to buy an ACT book. They can be found new and used, on sites like Amazon and Ebay, or in stores like Barnes and Noble. These enable ACT takers to have freedom for when and how they study; they can start six months ahead, or the last three weeks leading up to it.

Many study books include practice tests inside, which are hugely helpful when preparing. Giving you a taste of what the ACT is like, and how you may score can aid you in determining how much to study. A couple of the best ACT prep books are ones like The Real ACT and Cracking the ACT .

Tutors or Classes

While this is not the cheapest option, it may be the most effective. Taking an ACP prep class or hiring a tutor to help you study can greatly increase your score. Some of these even have a money back guarantee, where if you don’t achieve a certain score you will be compensated.

These classes are offered both in person and online, the best online ones being Kaplan Test Prep and The Princeton Review. For face-to-face classes, look online for programs near you. These, online or otherwise, can cost anywhere from nothing to 1,500 dollars.

Private or small group tutoring will be more expensive, but this gives you the opportunity to have a more customizable learning experience, along with a motivator who can hold you accountable for your studies.

Online Practice Tests

One way to fully experience the test without actually taking it is an online Practice Test, which can help in several ways. Firstly, it prepares you for the layout of the test, along with practice for managing your time while taking the exam. In addition, your results in each section will help you evaluate how prepared you are in each are. This way, you can focus your studies on weaker points.

ACT Question of the Day

It may seem simple, but even the smallest things can yield great results. On the ACT website, there is a Question of the day and looking at it every day is a easy way to prep for the test. Taking a mere minute out of your routine can both improve your confidence and your score.

Test Day

The day before the test, make sure to drink lots of water, eat well and go to bed early. When the day of the test arrives, eat a nutritious breakfast and, if the test is early in the morning, drink a glass for cold water and stay active to perk up. Make sure to bring a bottle of water and a snack to the test, and be certain to have a watch too. This is greatly beneficial in pacing yourself during the test.

If you are easily distracted by noise, bring a pair of foam earplugs to help concentration. Wear comfortable clothes, and most importantly, stay relaxed. Don’t freak or psych yourself out; just breathe and fill in those answers.