During the weeks -- maybe even months -- before you plan to take a college entrance exam or the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery, you should set aside time each day to review materials. If you're interested in entering the military as an electrician or mechanic, make sure you have the kind of knowledge necessary to prove you can perform those jobs. If you're planning to take the ACT or SAT for college admission, you should study the different aspects of each exam paying special attention to the subjects with which you have greater difficulty in. For instance, if your best subject is English but math is your downfall, take time to review each math class you have taken in high school.
What you do the night before the test is important. You should make sure that you have taken care of any problems -- with family or friends -- before the test so you're not dwelling on them instead of mentally preparing for your exam. Prepare the materials you will need for your test -- you might not be able to take your backpack with you, so set aside a couple of No. 2 pencils, extra erasers and a calculator, if it's allowed, in a place where you will remember to grab them before you leave in the morning. Spend the evening on last-minute studying, but make sure to get to bed early, or at least on time, to ensure you get enough rest.
The morning of the exam is just as important as the night before. Wake up early, but not so early that you haven't had enough sleep. Follow your regular morning ritual if you have one, but make sure to eat a hearty breakfast, as most standardized tests take about four hours and you likely won't have a chance to eat until after it's completed. Make sure you have everything you need before you leave the house.
When you begin your standardized test, review each section as a whole. Write down your thoughts as you have them about different questions; if you're working on an essay section, create an outline before you begin the essay. Pace yourself throughout the exam, but try to answer every question unless there is a penalty for wrong answers. If you can't determine a question's answer immediately, skip to the next question and return to skipped question at the end of the test.