15 Test Taking Strategies Every Test Taker Should Know   •Get plenty of rest the night before each testing day You need 8-10 hours of sleep, so go to bed by 10pm •Avoid the morning rush Set out clothes the night before Get to school a few minutes earlier than you usually •Eat a good nutritious breakfast the morning of each testing day (Milk w/cereal, eggs, fruits; no Hot Cheetos and candy.) Can You Follow Directions? Get Out a Sheet of Paper and Take This Test N YU FLL DRTN? •T his is a t im ed t estou hav e  m inut es onl! • R ead ev ert hin g car efull befor e in g ant hin g • ut our n am e in t he upp er r ight han d corn er o f t his ppr • Loul ll out our rst nm •  ir cl e our n am e •  f ou hav e follow ed dir ect ions car efull to t his po int ca ll out " v e” • Dr aw fiv e sm all squ ar es in t he upp er l eft han d ornr • ut an "X" in each squ ar e • n our norm al sp eai  gn i vo ce  count from t en to on e wrs • Now t hat ou hav e fin is hed r eadin g ev ert hin g rull o onl sntns on n two   Always listen to the LISTEN directions given by teacher • Read the directions written on the test READ • Read the question and ALL answer ASK choices before marking anything It is important Don’t spend too much time on any one question Answer the easiest questions first, but be sure to go back to those questions you skipped to answer every question even if you are not sure of the answer Save time at the end to review your test and make sure you haven't left out any answers Use all your time! There are no extra points for finishing early PACE YOURSELF T sp ir e  th an d  t R eadi n g  Qu est ions   inut es = n v er age o f L ess T n   inut es  Qu est ion T spr  t  at h  Qu est ions   inut es= n v er age o f  bout   inut e an d   ec on ds  er Qu est ion T spr  t  at h  Qu est ions   inut es= n v er age o out  nut n  ons r Quston RR T D T H T RL FRT N TN  UR N  K! If you can’t figure out which answer is correct, try to eliminate (get rid of) the answers that you know are wrong Eliminate obviously wrong answer Eliminate choices choices that are partly correct Eliminate items that are correct but don’t answer the question A random guess gives you a 25% chance of getting the right answer An educated guess gives you chance of answering correctly up to 75% Educated guessing means using everything you know to attempt to answer the question ANSWERS WITH THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE USUALLY WRONG/FALSE ALL MUST ALWAYS NONE NEVER EVERY ENTIRELY BEST WORST ONLY EVERYONE Other Math Tips • Us e  cr at ch ap er • Dou bl e  hec To  ae  e ur e Youv cop ied t he pro bl em corr ectl • Ln Up l Vlus (t hous an ds hun dr ed s t ens on es N ea tl To vo id ar el ess sts •  ace Yours el f V N ND H K! •Answers about where and when the story takes place are found at the beginning •Answers about a problem of the story are usually found in the middle •Answers about how the problem was resolved are usually found at the end When Reading a Passage Remember To:  R D T H QUTN FRT to de t erm in e w t ou ar e loo in g for as ou r ead t hes el ec t ion What’s the Big Idea? •Events and characters that make up the story •The purpose of the story •The point the author is trying to make Tip: Look for the Big idea in the first two paragraphs of the story! Example R ead t hi s outl in e o f t heart ic l e  ntro du ct ion t heia n n De mo cr ac  R prsnttv mor V on clus ion  hichai m n idea be lon gs fi rst un de r s ec t ion ? a v er ci t izei n s a m em be r o f a gov ernm ent b  pr es ide nt ia l el ec t ion is l ie  a e town m et in g c l Hor e got ab out  mor e vot es t n Heor ge us h did d  w lt ols rprsnt  vr lr populton Use all the strategies you have learned KNOW THE MEANING *Trace outl in e  l ist in st eps or follow t he12 POWER WORDS OF THESE pt *n al ze  br ea  into p arts t ell ab out t prts *n fer r ead be tw ee n t hel in es w t is t he hidden m ean in g *v alu at eu dge it t ell t hegoo d an d t   *KNOW FormulTHE at e cr ea t e put to ge t he r MEANING *OF De s cr ibe tll out pnt  THESE 12 POWER WORDS ptur wt Continued wor ds *upport bac  it up or prov e it wt tls *xpl ait n m or sow m t stps  *umm ar ize tll t mn  tll KNOW THE MEANING t OF THESE 12 POWER WORDS nnn ml n n Continued *omp ar et ell t heall t hew as t r t sm *ontrsttll ll t ws tt t r differ ent *r edict  hat w ill happ en nxt?  Don’t misbubble If you reach a hard question and can’t make your educated guess, an easier one is just around the corner Write a light ? next to the question you are skipping and move on to the next question How Do You Prevent Misbubbling? At the end of the test, go back to the questions with ? next to them and see if you can try to answer it Please be sure to answer every question Final Tip Reminders   f t het est r equ ir es ou to r ead p ass agea s n d t he n answ er qu est ions ab out w t ou r ead  R ead t hequ est ions fi rst  L in e up pl ace v alu e orrtl on our srt ppr (tousns unrs tns on es  Rmmr Nvr lv n qu est ion on a t est bl an When You Are Done …  Fill in bubbles fully, write neatly, and erase stray marks  If you finish early, check to make sure you have answered all questions  Once you have finished, please remain quiet as others will still be working on the test I am scared of the test monster!!!! Remember the strategies! They will help you to feel confident •Think positively about doing your best! •Take a deep breath to relax •Answer EVERY question •Make intelligent educated guesses •Think about one item at a time •DO YOUR BEST! Reduce Your Test Anxiety With Practice •Confidence comes from practice and becoming familiar with the format •USATestprep will give you the practice you need to help you stay calm and your best By Using The Test Taking Strategies You Have Learned Today, and With Practice, You Can Improve Your Test Taking Skills and Test Scores YOU CAN DO THIS! Sources: “Preparing Middle School Students for High Stakes Tests,” Tara Musslewhite, Atascocita Middle School, Humble, Texas “15 Strategies Every Test Taker Should Have,” Vista Middle School, Van Nuys, CA ... means using everything you know to attempt to answer the question ANSWERS WITH THE FOLLOWING WORDS ARE USUALLY WRONG/FALSE ALL MUST ALWAYS NONE NEVER EVERY ENTIRELY BEST WORST ONLY EVERYONE SOME... to go back to those questions you skipped to answer every question even if you are not sure of the answer Save time at the end to review your test and make sure you haven't left out any answers... breakfast the morning of each testing day (Milk w/cereal, eggs, fruits; no Hot Cheetos and candy.) Can You Follow Directions? Get Out a Sheet of Paper and Take This Test N YU FLL DRTN?