🏆 How to Improve Your AST Score
A practical improvement plan
🔍 Identify first: Which section costs you the most marks? Which question type within that section? Targeted improvement beats generic re-reading every time.
| 📖 English MC |
Read widely — quality journalism, long-form articles, essays. Practise active reading: annotate the author’s argument structure before answering questions. |
| 🔢 Mathematics MC |
Practise data interpretation — graphs, tables, percentages, ratios. Work through 10 questions daily. Focus on reading the question carefully, not speed. |
| 🔬 Science MC |
Practise evaluating evidence: ‘What does this data SHOW?’ vs ‘What do I know about this topic?’ The AST rewards evidence-based answers, not background knowledge. |
| 🌍 Humanities MC |
Practise argument analysis — identify the main claim, supporting evidence, and assumptions in short passages. Look for what is implied, not just stated. |
| ✍️ Short Answer |
Write one SA response per day to a new prompt. Check your answer against the TEEL structure — is every element present? |
| 📄 Essay |
Write one practice essay per week. Focus on one thing to improve each time: thesis quality, counter-argument, final sentence, or evidence use. |
💡 Pro Tip: The AST rewards students who can think out loud in writing. The fastest way to improve your SA and essay scores is to practise writing structured responses daily — even short ones. 🚀
