Test Taking

• Throughout your time in high school and college you will take many different tests

• Classroom quizzes and tests

• Semester finals

• End of Course (EOC) Exams

• RIA (English and Math Interim Assessments)

• PARCC/SBA (State Based Testing)

• AP Exams (Optional exam to try to earn college credit for taking an AP course)

• ACT/SAT (College entrance exams)

Knowing how to take a test can help you accurately

demonstrate your knowledge and improve your scores

Before the Test

Before the Test

• One of the biggest reasons students do not do well on tests is lack of preparation

• Preparation can come in many forms:

• Attend class regularly

• Participate in discussions

• Ask questions to clarify information that you don’t understand

• Take notes

• Do the homework

• Re-read your notes

• Read the textbook

• Study the material

• Use online resources like Quizlet.com or StudyBlue.com to help you study

Before the Test• Get a good night’s sleep• Sleep helps us think more clearly and creatively

• Strengthens memory

• Produces a more positive mood and better performance throughout the day

• Eat a healthy breakfast• Breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients that lead to increased

concentration

• Wear a watch to help you with timing• Taking a timed test and not knowing what time it is can cause test anxiety

• Wear a watch and keep your own time to help stay on track

• Get to the classroom/testing room early• Take a minute to relax and reduce your anxiety

• Maintain a positive attitude (You can do this!)

During the Test

During the Test

•Use the DETER Method

•D - Directions

•E - Examine

•T - Time

•E - Easiest

•R - Reviewhttp://www.slideshare.net/Bearkits/test-taking-strategies-16610886?qid=a0b0c412-f1ad-4b58-8e13-2c89f0a99947&v=qf1&b=&from_search=6

D - Directions

• Listen to any instructions your teacher provides as he/she is handing out the test

• Read the written test directions very carefully

• Ask your teacher to explain the directions you do not understand

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

Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/Bearkits/test-taking-strategies-16610886?qid=a0b0c412-f1ad-4b58-8e13-2c89f0a99947&v=qf1&b=&from_search=6

E - Examine• Examine the entire test to see how much you

have to do

• If there are essays, look at how many are required

• Look for point values of questions

• Check to see if there are questions on the back of the page

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

Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/Bearkits/test-taking-strategies-16610886?qid=a0b0c412-f1ad-4b58-8e13-2c89f0a99947&v=qf1&b=&from_search=6

T - Time

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

• Know your strengths and weaknesses• If there are reading passages and you struggle with reading

comprehension, make sure you allot enough time for that portion of the test

• Planning your time will help you avoid spending so much time on one item that you have little time left for other test items

http://www.slideshare.net/Bearkits/test-taking-strategies-16610886?qid=a0b0c412-f1ad-4b58-8e13-2c89f0a99947&v=qf1&b=&from_search=6

E - Easiest•Answer the items you find easiest first

• If you don’t know the answer, put a ✓ next to it so you can easily go back to it later

• If you are taking a test with a scantron, make sure to skip and that you are marking your answer on the correct line

•Once you have made it through the test once, go back and answer all the ones you skipped

Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/Bearkits/test-taking-strategies-16610886?qid=a0b0c412-f1ad-4b58-8e13-2c89f0a99947&v=qf1&b=&from_search=6

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

• Make sure to review the test directions to be certain you have answered all of the required questions

• Use all of the time given, it is not a race to finish

• Telling yourself you are going to use all of the time given can also help reduce anxiety

• Just because other students are turning their tests in doesn’t mean you should rush

Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/Bearkits/test-taking-strategies-16610886?qid=a0b0c412-f1ad-4b58-8e13-2c89f0a99947&v=qf1&b=&from_search=6

Types of Tests

Multiple Choice

•One strategy you should use when taking a multiple choice test is to

• Cover the answers

• Read the question and try to think of the correct answer

• Then uncover the answers and see if you were right

• If not, use the process of elimination to narrow down the options

What is the capitol of Russia?

A. RomeB. BerlinC. OttowaD. Moscow

Multiple Choice (continued)

• If you do not know the answer, cross out the ones you know are wrong

• This gives you better odds at getting the question correct if you have to guess

• After you narrow it down, if you still don’t know, continue taking the test and come back to this question later

• Sometimes another question on the test will provide you information or will jog your memory to help you answer a previous question

Beamed is another way of saying –A screamedB listenedC smiledD laughed

True/False•Look for any factor that will make a statement false

For Example:

•Water boils at 212 degrees in Denver

• This statement is false, water does boil at 212 degrees but not at Denver’s altitude

• Also, look for extreme modifiers that tend to make the question FalseFor Example:

• It always rains in Seattle

• It often rains in Seattlehttps://casc.byu.edu/testtaking-strategies

FALSETRUE

True/False (continued)Extreme Modifiers

• It is rare that something would always happen so recognizing the word always will help you realize it is not the correct answer. Other words to watch for would be:

All Always OnlyNoneNever Nobody No oneBestWorst Everybody EveryoneAbsolutely Absolutely notCertainly Certainly not

Qualifying Words

•Look for qualifying words that tend to make a question true such asUsually Frequently Often SometimesSome Seldom Many MuchProbably A majority Most MightA few

https://casc.byu.edu/testtaking-strategies

Essay

• Before you start writing your answer, think through what elements of the course might be relevant for your answer – lecture, reading, discussion

• Don’t waste time doing an elaborate outline – jot down a few notes but spend most of your time writing the answer not preparing for it

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/11/18/top-10-tips-for-taking-essay-tests

Essay (continued)• Form a clear thesis statement (statement of

purpose) and place it as near to the beginning as possible

• Provide clear explanations to back up your main concept

• Remember a complete answer usually has a main idea, supporting detail and illustrative examples

• Remember to save some space for a brief but adequate summary

https://casc.byu.edu/testtaking-strategies

Essay (continued)• If you are asked a specific question…ANSWER IT

• Don’t compare when you are supposed to contrast

• Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding

• Yes the instructor knows everything about the topic but they are trying to see how much you know

• Remember, don’t list reasons without assessing them

• The more detail the better

• Answer in simple, clear language

• Make sure you write legibly

• If the teacher struggles to figure out what you wrote, they are going to get frustrated and your grade may suffer

Adapted from: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/11/18/top-10-tips-for-taking-essay-tests

Essay (continued)

•When you are done with the test you may feel like you want to add more to your essay

• It is ok to go back and fill in more important details, just draw an arrow to the margin and add it in

• But, if you are still writing your essay and find that you are running out of time, at least sketch out how you would have answered so the teacher can at least see your thought process

Adapted from: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2009/11/18/top-10-tips-for-taking-essay-tests

Other Important Tests

As mentioned earlier, you will not only have classroom tests but you will have tests that you must pass for graduation and college entrance

Current graduation requirements

• All students must take and pass the Reading, Math and Science PARCC and/or SBA as well as pass EOC’s in Writing and Social Studies

• These requirements are subject to change

• Visit http://www.aps.edu/schools/graduation-requirements for up to date information

ACT/SAT• In addition to classroom and graduation

exams, you will need to take the ACT or SAT for college admissions

• These exams allow colleges and universities to compare your academic preparation to other students across the nation and determine your eligibility for admission, scholarships and placement into courses

• All schools in the nation accept the ACT and all but 7 accept the SAT so it is your choice which exam you want to take

•Some students take both to see which one better reflects their knowledge

• The LCHS Counseling Department recommends taking these exams for the first time at the end of your Junior year (March/April), then again in June if you want to try to increase your score

•This will allow you to have your scores ready so you can start applying to college in the fall of your senior year

ACT/SAT

• So how do you prepare to take these exams?

•Two of the best ways to prepare for the test is to take challenging classes and become familiar with the exams

• The LCHS PTA offers practice ACT’s every fall and spring to help students prepare

• You can also take practice tests on the ACT and SAT websites and sign up to receive the Question of the Day

• Visit www.actstudent.org and/or www.collegeboard.org for more information

ACT/SAT

Take out a piece of paper and pencil• At the top of the page write

• Test Taking Skills

• Your Name

• Today’s Date

•Write a paragraph on the information you learned today. What two things can you do to improve your test taking ability?

•When you are done, please place this paper in your Advisory Folder. It will be used for your Student Led Conference in the Spring.