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Test Taking Skills and Techniques
Test Taking Skills and Techniques
Test taking can be a daunting prospect, but it does not have to be.
Preparing for a test by consciously focusing on your reactions and managing them goes a long way to supporting your success as a test taker.
Test Taking Skills and Techniques
Nugent and Vitale, in Test Success, outline some general test taking techniques that would benefit you immensely as adults participating in an accelerated program:
Follow your regular routine the night before a test –don’t further unsettle yourself by changing your routines.
Arrive on time for the test. Who hasn’t had the nightmare where you show up late for a test? Lateness will increase anxiety and perhaps cause you to lose the opportunity to take the test at all.
Bring the appropriate tools. This is the “be prepared” reminder. Take what you need or are allowed to bring so you will have the tool handy if you actually need it.
Test Taking Skills and Techniques
Understand all the directions for the test before starting. Read the instructions for the test before beginning. They provide valuable information and may save you time and/or prevent you from over-thinking or burning up time on things you don’t have to do.
Manage your time when taking a test. Determine how much time you have for each question and for reviewing your answers. Budgeting your time helps you create a sense of structure and allows you to have short and long term goals: complete this question in 1 minute, complete the test in 45 minutes with 15 minutes left for review.
Concentrate on the simple before the complex. Take your easy wins. It feels good and leaves you the time and energy to tackle the harder questions.
Test Taking Skills and Techniques
Avoid reading into the question. Don’t make the questions harder than they need to be. Sometimes, they ARE that simple.
Make educated guesses if you must guess. Trust your instincts. Reduce the options for the answer and then guess if need be among the remaining options.
Maintain a positive mental attitude. Relax as best you can and do not distract yourself with negative thoughts and fears.
Check your answers and answer sheet. If you have time, review your work. Make sure you’ve answered in the correct areas if you have computer scan sheets for recording answers. Many a mistake has been made by putting the answers in the wrong columns!
