Advanced preparation is the key to doing well on tests. Use the skills discussed here to prepare, gain a better understanding of your subject material, lower your anxiety and help you obtain better test scores. By understanding test-taking techniques and common problems and solutions, it can help you reach your full potential.
- Have a positive attitude: this can go a long way toward success and help decrease stress and fear
- Plan: make a plan to study daily, and then stick with it. This will help you to be prepared and reduce stress and fear
- The night before: it is better to do a quick review and go to bed as early as possible. Your body and brain need sleep to function at their best. On the other hand, cramming is usually ineffective and stressful
- The day of the test: eat a good meal before the test as you can think better on a full stomach
- Manage your time: do not rush through the test and make needless mistakes. There is no prize for finishing first. Figure out how many minutes you can spend on each question and monitor your time accordingly. If there is a question that is stumping you, skip it and come back to it after you finish all of the other questions
- Read carefully: carefully read the entire question and all possible answers, and then select the most correct answer. Do not select the first answer that looks correct as many of the answers may be close and you may pass over the most correct answer
- Process of elimination: use this process to eliminate answers that cannot be correct
- Difficult questions: do not let them get you worried or frustrated. Reread the question and choose the best answer and come back to these questions after you finish the rest of the test
- Do not change your answers: once you mark an answer, you are better off leaving it alone. Do not change it unless you are absolutely positive another answer is correct. Experience shows that your first impression is usually correct
- Review your answers: after you finish the test, use the remaining time to double-check all of your answers; check for careless errors such as skipping a question (not marking an answer) or marking the wrong answer
Test Taking Problems and Solutions
Fear
Solution: Keep a positive attitude, prepare properly and perform breathing exercises to help combat fear.
- If you tell yourself you will do well, it will help you do just that; however, if you tell yourself the test will be difficult and that you are likely to fail, it can cause you to do just that
- Make a study plan to complete daily and stick to it
- Perform the deep breathing exercise: take a deep breath in, hold it for 10 seconds and slowly exhale. Repeat this exercise several times to calm yourself down
Mental Block
Solution: If you are unable to concentrate or have a temporary memory block, DO NOT PANIC OR GIVE UP. Know that these temporary lapses of memory are normal. Simply, take a few moments to perform the deep breathing exercise, and then get back to the test.
Overconfidence
Prevent overconfidence by listening to and following all directions and reading each question and all answers completely before selecting your answer.
Irritation
Keep a positive attitude as becoming irritated can cause you to stress out, lose your concentration and to miss more questions. Take a few moments to perform the deep breathing exercise, and then get back to the test.
Not Enough Time
To prevent not having enough time to finish the test, plan your time before you start the test. Figure out how many minutes you can spend on each question and monitor your time accordingly. If there is a question that is stumping you, skip it and come back to it after you finish all of the other questions. DO NOT PANIC!
Mechanical Errors
Mechanical errors, such as mismarking an answer, are common and can occur when you rush or are careless. Prevent these types of errors by slowing down, paying attention to detail and marking answers carefully.