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 PREPARING FOR TESTS
The most important test-taking strategy is to prepare ahead of time. Here's a
checklist to guide you:
- Decide what you need to study.
- Make a study plan for major tests.
- Find out as much as you can about the test.
- Organize and assemble the materials you'll need.
- Predict and practice answering test questions.
- Participate in study groups or tutoring.
- Use your study system and study aids.
- Deal with sources of test anxiety before the test.
TAKING TESTS
Here are some general test-taking strategies:
- Arrive on time and take a few moments to relax and focus.
- Jot down memory clues of things you might be likely to forget.
- Survey the test.
- Budget your time.
- Read all directions carefully.
- Decide on a starting point; you may not have to start at the beginning.
- You may want to do easy questions first and return to more difficult
ones.
- Guess or jot down partial answers rather than leaving items blank
(if there is no penalty).
- Ignore other students.
- Monitor and deal with your anxiety.
- Check your work.
- Learn from your mistakes.
COMMON TYPES OF TEST-TAKING ERRORS IN MATH
Math tests pose special problems for many students. Here are some common errors
to help you evaluate what you need to work on:
- Misread directions - not reading directions carefully.
- Careless errors - can catch with reviewing your answers.
- Concept errors - don't understand the principles required for the
problem.
- Application errors - know the concept, but can't apply it.
- Test-taking errors - missing items, spending too much time
on one problem, solving only part of the problem, miscopying an answer,
leaving too early without checking work.
RESOURCES TO HELP WITH TEST-TAKING SKILLS
Different kinds of tests call for different approaches and strategies. Recognition
tests include true-false, matching, and multiple-choice formats. Recall tests
include fill-in-the-blanks and essay questions.
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