Mr.
Reimer's Test Taking Tips
General Tips:
- Don't wait until the day before a test to study or look for help. Be Prepared!
- Get a good night's sleep the night before a test.
- Relax. You will think more clearly and do better.
- If you are nervous, stop and take 3 deep breaths. Think of something funny or something you really enjoy. Clear your mind with these or other relaxation techniques.
- Eat a good breakfast. Food is fuel for your body. You wouldn't take a long car trip without filling the gas tank would you?
- Bring the appropriate materials to the test (pencils and a calculator if allowed). Make sure you know how to use that calculator.
- Think positively. Tell yourself, "I studied, I am prepared, I know this, I will do well."
- Many standardized tests (e.g. NJASK) are READING tests. Read everything carefully. If you do not understand perfectly, read it again.
- Watch out for extraneous information, and numbers spelled out.
- Answer ALL question(s) that are asked. Follow directions. Know what is being asked.
- Underline important phrases, key works, and numbers. Circle ALL questions asked.
- Budget your time.
- There is no prize for finishing early. Just because you are working fast does not mean you are getting anything correct.
- Do the easy questions first. For some teachers they are the ones that are in the beginning of the test (true for high school SAT and PSAT tests). (This is not the case on the NJASK or the high school HSPA tests.)
- Do not stop to work on problems you find difficult. Mark them, skip them and go back to them later if you have time.
- For my tests, attempt all questions. You can get partial credit for showing what you know. This may not be true for other tests. Know the rules.
- Budget your time.
- Write freely on the test.
- If you have a formula sheet, make use of it. Don't guess at a formula. If you have the formula sheet before the test, review it to know where each type of formula is written.
- Carefully use any diagram or table given. Look at all titles, subtitles and keys to really understand it.
- Make sure your answer is reasonable.
- If you are using a calculator, estimate the answer to make sure what is displayed is reasonable. (Did you hit the wrong key; forget to change the mode....)
- Write out what calculations you do, so you can review these and fix sloppy mistakes.
- Definitely check and double check your answers.
- Change an answer ONLY when you're SURE that your first answer is wrong. Trust me; I have seen many correct answers erased.
True/False & Multiple Choice Problems:
- Read the problem carefully. Well written T/F questions can actually be very difficult.
- Read ALL choices, there might be two good answers, but only one best (correct) answer.
- Eliminate choices you know cannot be correct. This improves your odds in getting it right. (If you get it down to 2 choices, you have a 50% chance of guessing correctly.
- Estimating answers may help eliminate some responses.
- Try working out the problem, and compare your answer to the choices.
- If your answer is not a choice, check your work. You may have made a simple error.
- Use Problem Solving
Techniques such as
* Logical reasoning
* Patterns
* Tables
* Working backwards
* Solving a simpler problem
* Write an equation
* Assess validity of each answer - Check every 5 or 10 problems to see you are bubbling in the right problem.
- Bubble answers quickly and carefully. No need for perfection.
- If you make a bubbling error; erase thoroughly.
Open Ended / Calculation Problems:
- Re-label bullets as 1, 2, 3, ... or a, b, c, ... to help make sure you answer all questions.
- Usually there is adequate room for your work on the test. If you must use scrap paper, highlight that the problem is done on an attached page. Keep it neat and organized and staple it to your test. (This is NOT ALLOWED on NJASK).
- Write clearly & legibly! Print if necessary. You will receive NO CREDIT it the grader cannot read your your work.
- Organize your solutions clearly. Remember FNSAL (Formula written, Number substitution, Show work & Solve, Answer is boxed, Label with units). You must show all work to earn credit.
- Reread your work to make sure it makes sense and that the grader will understand your thinking.
- Use the format "First, Next, Then, Finally" to help explain.
- Write the formula (e.g. A = 3.14 * r2). Don't use words like multiply, divide, squared.
- Use math vocabulary.
- Some questions have multiple parts. You must answer each part completely. Identify each part.
- Label all measurements (e.g. feet, inches, cubic meters...)
- When done, ask yourself, "How can I make this response clearer?"
Post Mortem:
- If you did not finish, you were not sufficiently prepared. It was not that the test was too long. You just didn't know the concepts well enough. Learn from your mistake and prepare better for the next test.
- Review every test problem when it is returned. Learn from your mistakes. Make sure you understand what you did wrong and how to do it. Actually redo the problems, even if that doesn't earn you "extra credit".
Revised 8/8/11