Test-Taking Tips

Hello once again! It’s finals week at the college as the semester comes to a close. My week mainly consists of finishing up a few final projects, studying my brains out, and packing up the ‘ole dorm room. It seems fitting that I continue my testing theme from a previous post and dedicate a blog post to testing tips…

Surfing the internet, looking for test-taking information, I found an entire website dedicated to test-taking, note-taking, and study tips and tricks called TestTakingTips.com (http://www.testtakingtips.com/) … Creative title, right? I figured that I’d sum up some of the best information I found there!

Before the Test:

· DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!! – Homework is like practice for the “big game.” It familiarizes you with whatever information may be presented on the day of the test.
· Take notes- Take lots of notes! I’ve found that reading over my notes is the best way to recap all that I’ve learned in a shorter amount of time. If a teacher/professor speaks a little too quickly for you to write something down, there’s no shame in asking them to repeat their last statement! · Ask your instructor what areas will most likely be on the test – If you know what is most likely going to be on a given test, you’ll know how to focus your studying!
· Eat a good meal – Food will give you energy and promote your focus!
· Get enough sleep- According to TeensHealth.org (http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/take_care/how_much_sleep.html), sleep has a huge impact on mood and focus.

At the Test:

· Be prepared!- Bring pencils, erasers, a calculator or whatever else you may need to complete the test to the best of your ability.
· Read the instructions! – Make sure that you know exactly what to do and how to display your answer for each question.
· Ask for clarification- If you don’t understand a question or an instruction, ask your instructor for a different explanation. There’s no such thing as a stupid question...
· Relax! – Stressing yourself out only leads to stupid mistakes. Take a few deep breaths to calm your nerves, stay focused, and stay positive.
· Pace yourself – Don’t spend time on a question you may not know the answer to. Instead, skip ahead to what you do know and come back to try and figure out the problem with whatever time you have left. Also, don’t go too fast that you make silly mistakes!
· Look over your test – If you have time before turning it in, look over your answers. Make sure that everything is filled-in properly and that your name is somewhere on your test. Who wants to receive no credit for their work? Nobody…

After the Test:

· Double-Check - Look over your graded test and make sure that there are no grading errors. Teachers can make mistakes too! If there are any mistakes, kindly point them out and ask your instructor to adjust your grade accordingly.
· Ask for extra-credit – Did you get a bad grade? See if there are opportunities to raise that grade. Some teachers may provide a re-test or a way to earn a bit of extra credit.
· Keep your test – It may come in handy as study material down the road. You will know your mistakes and know where to make improvements.


Hopefully these tips will prove to be useful during your next test. I may have to implement some of these techniques into taking my own finals! Wish me luck!

♥

Be a test-taking pro! Please visit TestTakingTips.com (http://www.testtakingtips.com/) for many more test-taking tips and tricks!