TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

How YOU can prepare ahead of time to be successful!

WHAT TYPE OF TESTS ARE THE LEAST STRESSFUL? Multiple Choice-even if you don’t know the material, you can take an educated guess

True/False- gives you a 50/50 chance

Matching-answer the questions you know first

HOW CAN YOU PREPARE TO DO WELL ON A TEST? Pay attention in class

Study during the unit

Ask questions, stay for help as soon as you get confused on material

Get at least 8 hours of sleep

Eat breakfast, exercise

WHAT ARE SOME GOOD TEST TAKING STRATEGIES? Do the questions you know first

Skip the ones you are unsure of

Read the whole test (teachers tend to give answers to other questions in the test)

Try to spend an equal amount of time on each question

Don’t get stuck on one question

WHAT ARE THE HARDEST TYPES OF TESTS? The kind you don’t study for!!

Standardized Tests (PARCC, HSPA, SAT)

Essay Questions

Cumulative Tests (Mid-terms/Finals)

WHY ARE THEY THE HARDEST TYPES? They directly impact your future!!!

WHAT ARE STRESS FACTORS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER EXAMS? Questions that are going to be on the test (you don’t know what they will be)

How long the test will be

Cramming information

Not having enough time

Being tired, hot/cold

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET BETTER TEST GRADES…

BEFORE THE TEST…

Find out ahead of time what material the test covers, what type of test it will be, how the test will be graded and how much the test will count towards your final grade

Study in a place that is free of distractions and have all your materials ready to use.

Study at a time when you are alert and not hungry or sleepy.

BEFORE A TEST OR EXAM, BREAK STUDY SESSIONS INTO MANAGEABLE TIME SEGMENTS AND MEANINGFUL UNITS.

You'll remember more if you study for short periods of time (45 minutes to 1 hour) and over a longer period of time (1-2 weeks) than if you cram all your studying into a "binge" session the night before the test.

Don’t wait until the last minute to study! Short daily study sessions are better than one long session the night before the test.

BEFORE THE TEST… Set a goal fore each study period. If you are being tested on three chapters, set up four study sessions, one for each chapter and one for a review of the main ideas in all three chapters.

Repetition is key! Read and reread your class notes and the relevant chapters in the textbook.

Take good notes!

Organize your notes according to what will be on the test.

While you are reviewing your notes, cover them up periodically and summarize then out loud. Pretend that you are explaining the material to someone else.

CREATE YOUR OWN STUDY GUIDES…Make an outline from your notes of just the main ideas.Make a timeline of important dates or the order of events.Make flashcards for studying vocabulary or events and important dates.Make up you own quiz or test based on your notes and have a friend, parent or sibling test you.

D.E.T.E.R - TEST TAKING STRATEGY

D = DIRECTIONS

Read the test directions very carefully.

Ask your teacher to explain anything about the test directions you do not understand.

Only by following the directions can you achieve a good score on the test.

If you do not follow the directions, you will not e able to demonstrate what you know.

E = EXAMINE

Examine the entire test to see how much you have to do.

Only by knowing the entire task can you break it down into parts that become manageable for you.

T = TIME

Once you have examined the entire test, decide how much time you will spend on each item.

If there are different points for items, plan to spend the most time on the items that count for the most points.

Planning your time is especially important for essay tests where you must avoid spending so much time on one item that you have little time left for other test items.

E = EASIEST

Answer the items you find easiest first.

If you get stuck on a difficult time that comes up early in the test, you may not get to answer items that tests things you know.

R = REVIEW

If you have planned your time correctly, you will have time to review your answers and make them as complete and accurate as possible.

Also make sure to review the test directions to be certain you have answered all items required.

TAKING TRUE/FALSE EXAMS

The basic idea behind a true-false question is simple: It consists of a single statement; your job is to decide whether it’s true.

What makes the choice more difficult is that to be true, a statement must be 100 percent true!

PAY ATTENTION TO WORDING! Watch for those little words that can turn an otherwise true statement into one that is false, or vice versa.

Researchers have found that statements containing these certain words, are generally false: All, Only, Always, Because

Statements containing certain other words such as the following are generally true: None, Generally, Usually

WHAT IF YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER? If you don’t know an answer, always guess-if you don’t answer the question, you’ll automatically get it wrong!

In true-false tests, your first hunch is usually correct. Don’t change an answer unless you are very sure of the change.

If any part of the statement is false, the whole statement is false.

MATCHING EXAMS

The best way to approach matching questions is to choose one of the columns and match as many items as you can with those in the other column.

Cross out the words you have used as you go along to avoid confusion.

TAKING MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAMS Anticipate the answer before you look at the choices.

Physically cover the answers with your scantron sheet to see if you can answer the question first.

Read over all of your options

Eliminate answers that are very obviously incorrect

Some examiners give away answers in their tests. By answering one question, you may be able to realize the answer to another question.

IF YOU MUST GUESS, KEEP IN MIND: Sometimes lengthy or highly specific answers will be the correct answer.

Be aware of words like “always,” “never,” “only,” “must,” and “completely.”

These are usually the wrong answers since there are many exceptions to rules. These are extreme words that are more than likely to be the wrong choice.

Answer all questions in order without skipping or jumping around.

Recheck these after all questions have been answered.

Do not linger too long on any one question. Mark your best guess and move on, returning later if you have time.

Be cautious about changing your answer to a true/false or multiple-choice question without a good reason. Your first “guess” is more likely to be correct than are subsequent “guesses,” so be sure to have a sound reason for changing you answer.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

THE FIRST STEP IN CORRECTLY HANDLING AN ESSAY TEST QUESTION IS TO READ THE QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL YOU ARE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT THE TEACHER IS ASKING

Read the question several times or until you clearly understand what is being asked for.

Underline key words like define, compare, explain, etc.

Outline the main points you plan to cover in your answer. (Using a topic outline rather than a sentence outline will also save time.)

Write your essay. Your opening sentence will be your thesis statement (the reworded question).

WHEN WRITING THE ESSAY… Keep introductions and conclusions short.

Say what your are going to say in the introduction, then say it in the body, restate what you have just said in your conclusion.

Stick to your outline.

Note any new ideas in the margin; don't just stick them in when you think of them.

WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE DONE, ASK YOURSELF:

Do I need to reread the question?

Does it answer the question?

Are any points left out?

Are there words or phrases that you skipped writing fast?

Did you spell important words (relevant to the subject) correctly?

GUIDELINES FOR TAKING AN ESSAY EXAM Make sure you are ready for the test both mentally and physically.

Begin the test immediately and watch the time carefully. Don't spend too much time answering one question that you run out of time before answering the others.

Read all the essay questions carefully, paying special attention to the key words.

Ask the teacher to clarify any question you may not understand.

Rephrase the question into the central idea for your essay answer.

Think before you write. Jot down all the important information and work it into a brief outline. Do this on the back of the test sheet or on a piece of scrap paper.

Use a logical pattern of organization and a strong topic sentence for each paragraph.

Write concisely without using abbreviations or nonstandard language.

Emphasize those areas of the subject you are most sure of.

Keep your test paper neat with reasonable margins. Neatness is always important; readability is a must, especially on an exam.

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO… Use mnemonic techniques to memorize lists, definitions, and other specific kinds of information.

Form a study group with other students in your class to discuss and quiz each other on important material. This will add other perspectives and help to “complete” your study if you tend to be either a “detailed” or “big-picture” learner

THE DAY OF THE TEST:

Get a good night’s sleep.Eat breakfast.Be on time to school.Avoid stressful situations prior to the test.

DURING THE TEST…

Get the big picture. Survey the entire test before you answer any questions. This will help you to get an overview of what's expected and to strategize how you will take the test.

Take a few deep breaths and to relax tense muscles. Repeat throughout the test. This process will help you to stay relaxed and to make more energy available for remembering, thinking, and writing.

Do a quick "mind dump" of information you don't want to forget. Write it down on scrap paper or in the margin.

Answer the easiest questions first, to help yourself calm down. Matching questions are often good to start with because they provide a reminder of important terms and definitions.

DURING THE TEST (CONTINUED) Listen to and read instructions carefully -- make sure you understand them.

If you have a question, ask it.

Answer questions completely and with detail.

Check to sure you have not skipped anything and proofread your answers.

Do not let other test takers distract you -- it makes no difference who finishes first or last.

AFTER THE TEST…

When the test is returned, read the teacher’s comments carefully and try to learn from your mistakes.

Save tests for later review for end-of-term tests.

YOUR TEACHER IS THERE TO HELP YOU!Do any practice exams or study sheets provided by the teacher. These will help you focus your study session and give you confidence.

Get help from the teacher if you do not understand something.

IF YOU MUST CRAM…

Begin with 5 sheets of paper:Identify 5 key concepts or topics that will be covered on the test. Enter one at the top of each page. Use only key words or short phrases.

In your own words, write an explanation, definition, answer, etc. on each page. Do not use your text or notes!

Compare your response to your text or class notes.Edit or re-write your understanding of each topic.