KNOW THE TEST

Students are ‘stressed’ about taking a test when they don’t know what the test will be like. If they know what to expect, how the questions will be formatted and, especially, know the material covered by the test, they will be more relaxed and confident about the test.

REVIEW

Students should attend class and be aware of all the material covered during every class. Instructors teach and prepare tests based on specific objectives or standards, so students can review the skills or facts based on those standards.

PRACTICE

Taking practice tests allows the students to be familiar with the content, formatting and timing of the real test. It also lets the students review the areas covered by the test, understand why they selected the wrong answer and to avoid wrong answers in the actual test situation.

Students should practice for all types of questions that will be used on the test – multiple choice, matching, short answer and essay. They also need to understand what guidelines will be used to evaluate essays or long answers. They cannot answer correctly if they don’t know what is expected.

There may be wording in a test that can confuse unprepared students. Practice testing and increased vocabulary related to the test will prevent confusion based on unfamiliar words.

TIMED TESTS

Students need to know how to pace themselves for the test, based on difficulty of questions and whether guessing is beneficial. Also, understanding the process of elimination for multiple choice answers can maximize correct guesses.

When the test is timed, the student should take care not to become stuck on difficult questions, but to work carefully. Practice will increase the number of questions completed within the time limit.

For tests that are not timed, students will work carefully and slowly and not hurry to be finished. If there is a question they have trouble with, they should mark it and return to it after they finish the rest of the test.

Because of No Child Left Behind there are tests for all students at all grade levels. These tests are used for many things, including grade and class placement, promotion to the next grade and evaluating the performance of teachers and their schools.