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Effective Test Taking Strategies
   

You are taking a test. You sit there and stare at the paper. The words have familiar letters, but you cannot make out the meaning of the words. They appear to be just a bunch of jumbled letters with little or no meaning. If you can understand the words, your heart skips several beats -- this topic is not at all the one for which you studied! These are just two variations of the nightmares many have had, usually during test taking time. It is a sad reality that taking tests is simply a part of life…it begins in Kindergarten, and it never stops. Nonetheless, while tests may be the bane of our existence, they do not have to leave us with clammy palms and a fluttering heartbeat. Similarly, they should not end in the frustrating outcry that you didn’t have time to finish. Three very simple strategies will allow you to not only take your tests with confidence, but to also finish them on time!

Begin preparation early

The night or week before the test is scheduled to be taken is too late to get started. Instead, you should begin preparing for the test from the very first day of class. While this may sound like a bit too much, it is a necessary reminder that early preparation will give you a confidence with the subject matter that no belated amount of studying can rival. Additionally, ongoing preparation will permit you to avoid the all-nighters that appear to have found favor with many test takers. These all night cramming sessions accomplish little in the ways of test preparation but instead will add to your confusion to such an extent that you are more likely to answer incorrectly the questions which you ordinarily would have aced.

By beginning your test preparation early, you will also run across any weak spots in your subject knowledge very early in the game, and you will be able to gain clarification and extra practice by dealing with these issues. Come test day, you should be able to simply zoom through the material without getting stumped or panicked over questions you did not anticipate.

Know what you are dealing with

The day of the test has arrived and you have filed into the test taking room. You are prepared with a bunch of sharpened pencils, and you feel adequately prepared. Nonetheless, when the test papers get handed out, your stomach seems to twist into knots. You begin to sweat and stare at the first question time and again to ensure that you understood it correctly. Relax! This test is no different than any of the reading you have done over the course of the class. Instead, first and foremost you should take in the test as a whole. Read it through in its entirety and see if there is an underlying theme (which in itself can give you clues about some of the answers). If any questions are unclear, now would be a good time to ask the person administering the test for clarification. Usually, these folks are much more likely to answer your questions during the initial test taking stage, than toward the end. Naturally, a thorough examination of the test will also give you an idea how to pace yourself time wise. For example, if the test contains several multiple choice questions, a few essay questions, and some compare/contrast questions, you will be able to determine which portion will take up the biggest chunk of your time, and then pace yourself accordingly.

Another item that falls under this heading is the challenge to read the questions slowly and in their entirety. As any teacher can tell you, it is often not the brightest kid in class who gets the best grade, but the one who can follow instructions to the “t.”

Reach for the low hanging fruit

Regardless of the composition of the test which you are scheduled to take, begin with the easiest portion first. Not only will this set you up with a positive feeling of completion, but it will also enhance your confidence in the subject matter, enabling you to tackle the harder questions with more security in your knowledge and studying.

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by SolveYourProblem.com : 2006

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