While studying and reviewing information is the best way to do well on all tests, there are techniques students can use to help them tailor their test-taking approach to different types of tests. These test taking strategies can help any student succeed!
On Standardized Tests:
The easiest questions are at the beginning, the middle more difficult and the end, the most difficult. If a question at the end seems too easy, it’s probably the wrong answer.
On Essay Tests:
- Make notes on back of exam sheet, eg., ACRONYMS, Visual Cues, etc.
- Read directions carefully
- Underline key question words.
- Number all parts of the question.
- Jot notes along side each question as you read it for the first time.
- Pretend the reader is totally ignorant of the topic!
How to Handle Reading Passages on Tests:
- Find the main idea: Each passage has a main idea. Read for the main idea and skim the details.
- Read quickly, answer slowly: Most students do the opposite: read slowly and answer quickly. Read for the main idea and you’ll read quickly.
- Mark as you read: After reading each paragraph, make a brief note of two or three words in the margin. Indicate what went on in the paragraph. Circle important details.
How to Handle Math Questions on Tests:
- Look for shortcuts: For example, you know that an odd number multiplied by an odd number gives an odd number for an answer. If only one of the choices is an odd number, it has to be correct.
- Work in consistent units:
- If one side of a rectangle is given in inches and another in feet, convert them both to feet or inches before you multiply or add.
- Don’t do all the computations in your head.
Excerpted from Memorization and Test-Taking Strategies by Susan Gingras Fitzell.