Just a relatively few years ago, no one studied for the ACT. This gave those who studied a marked advantage. Simply studying for a moderate amount of time could boost a student to the 95th percentile or beyond.Those days are gone. Most students now study for tests like the ACT. Simply reviewing a study guide or glancing at ACT practice tests will not yield a top score.Fortunately, making the best use of ACT practice tests will help any student get a better score on the ACT. Many students study by reviewing books and information on the ACT. This is useful to learn the material and refresh the memory, but it is not the best way to study for a standardized test. Combining this type of study with practice tests is much better preparation for actually taking the test, not just knowing the material.Some students naturally do well on standardized tests, while others do not. This is where taking ACT practice tests can really improve a student's score. One problem, or advantage, to standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT is that knowing how to take the test matters.Of course, a student who doesn't understand or know the material tested will not score well simply because he knows how to take a standardized test. Studying the subject matter is absolutely required. But a student who doesn't use practice tests and does not understand how the test works will probably score lower than if that student had devoted time to learning the test.One good thing about this reality is that students who spend time on ACT practice tests are building their knowledge of the test material and their knowledge of the test, at the same time. This is not wasted time, as far as learning the math or the principles behind the verbal questions. Instead, this is an excellent opportunity to test those reasoning and verbal skills and gauge how well the other studying is working.Perhaps the most important benefit of practice tests is that a student who practices will be more confident going into the test, and will probably do better as a result.