Test Taking Tips

Test Taking Tips

• ♦  Pace yourself, don’t rush! Read the entire passage AND the entire question
  and pay attention to the details. Don't worry about when others are
  finishing, focus on your own test.
  
• ♦  Check your work! If you have time when you are finished, look over
  your test. Make sure that you have answered all the questions. Only change an answer if you misread or misinterpreted the question because the first answer that you put is usually the correct one. Watch out for careless mistakes.
  
• ♦  Read carefully! Always read the whole question carefully. Don't make assumptions about what the question might be. Read the questions twice, and consider what kind of question it is. Is it multiple choice or multi- select? The type of question will affect HOW you answer! Read all the answer choices before you make a choice!
  
• ♦  Focus on addressing each question individually! As you take the test, if you don't know an answer, don't obsess over it. Instead, answer the best way you can and come back to it if you have time at the end of the test. Treat each question individually. Don't let one hard question steal your confidence! EXPECT that there will be some hard questions!!! Do your best and move on!
  
• ♦  Stress much? Expect and accept a little bit of stress. Don't worry if you still have some stress while you begin the test. Almost everyone feels this-it's there because you want to do your best and get a good score. The key is to accept it and not let worrying about the stress make you even more stressed. Tell yourself, "I'm a little worried, but that's okay. I'm going to do well on this test because I'm prepared."
  
• ♦  Distractions! Don't get distracted. Keep your eyes on your paper, unless it's to occasionally glance at the clock. Don't look at the students around you. If they are nervous, it could make you nervous, and if they're confident-looking, it could make you wonder why it's so easy for them (like, what do they know that you don't?). If the kid sitting next to you is doing something that is funny, it could take your mind off the test. Another good reason to stay focused on your own test is that if you start looking around the room, a teacher might think you're trying to cheat.