Ten Powerful Test-Taking Tips

(Thanks to France Grady of MCC’s PLAN Program for supplying this material,

and thanks to Mike McMahon and Chris Richard for their expert assistance.)

The best way to do well on a test is to start studying well in advance, use flashcards, and know the material COLD!

That’s before the test. But there are also things you can do when you are taking the test that will help you do your best. Try these ten tricks. We guarantee they’ll make you a better test taker!

1. Don’t psych yourself out. If you tell yourself, “I know I’m going to fail! I’m a terrible test taker! I’m going to screw up!” you are much more likely to do badly. Instead, use the power of “positive self-talk.” As your teacher is handing out the test, tell yourself, “I know this material! I’ve studied hard! I’m going to attack this test and nail all the points I can! I’m a mean, lean, test-taking machine!” Try humming the theme from Rocky. The point is to get yourself in a frame of mind that is ready to succeed. When you are nervous, your brain has a harder time retrieving information. So try to channel all that nervous energy into positive thinking.

2. Don’t start answering questions as soon as you get the test. It may seem like a good idea, since time is short, but trust us. Take the first four or five minutes to read over the entire test, including all the instructions. This will help you figure out the best way to attack the test, and you will avoid losing points and time by going too fast and misreading instructions.

3. Consider using the “block method” to alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed and it will allow you to focus on each question separately. Be sure you have mentioned the blank piece of paper to your instructor.

4. Divide up your time. Look at how many sections the test has and estimate how long each will take. In the margin, write down the number of minutes you are going to spend on each section, and move on when this time is up. This will prevent you from getting stuck on one section and losing easy points on the others

5. You want to get as many points in the bag as quickly as you can. So start with your strong areas and leave the hard stuff until later. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, “Gee, essays are hard for me, so I had better start them first.” Grab the questions you are confident on first. Some people find it helpful to write in the margin in order in which they will go about doing the different sections.

6. Read the entire question! This one may sound obvious, but students often lose points by reading only the first part of a question. Highlight or underline the key words! Rushing when reading the question can hurt you especially if the end contains special instructions, for example, it might say ‘choose one,’ and meanwhile you are busy answering all three. It is also particularly important to read the entire question in multiple-choice sections. Professors are crafty – they sometimes put attractive but incorrect choices first, knowing you will eagerly go for the bait rather than reading all the way to the correct choice.

7. If you don’t know the answer, MOVE ON! Put a question mark beside the one you don’t know. Don’t get bent out of shape about questions you can’t answer. Try another question right away and come back later to the ones you’ve left blank.

8. On true-false or multiple-choice sections, if you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to GUESS! As Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!” Here are some tips on how to make intelligent guesses:

a. Avoid choices that have “absolute” words in them like “No,” “All,” “Every.” Few things in life are so certain, so there’s probably something wrong with any choice that is so absolute. Instead, go for choices that hedge a bit with words like “Usually,” “Generally,” “Sometimes,” “Most,” “Some.”

b. If one choice is noticeably longer and more detailed than the others, go for it.

c. If two choices are basically the same thing but phrased differently, stay away. Most likely, neither one is the right answer.

d. If two choices are opposite in meaning, one of them is probably the correct answer.

Remember – these guessing tricks are only for questions you are totally clueless on. If you think you might know the right answer but aren’t completely sure, go with your first hunch rather than guessing.

9. On essay questions, read the question once and jot down any words, names, places, ideas, dates or phrases that immediately come to mind. Read the question a second time and do the same. Then read the words you have written and jot down any other ideas that they might trigger.

Try to organize your ideas in an informal/formal outline.

Once you are organized, write a clear opening statement using actual words in the question to get you started. Be sure you understand what you have written to be sure you’ve said what was needed Too much information is better than not enough information.

10. Go back and read over the test to make sure you have left nothing blank.

Check to be sure your name is on the exam.

GOOD LUCK!

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Absolute Words

Always	Everything	Completely
Never	Everyone	Exactly
Necessarily	Only	Exclusively
Definitely	No	Cannot
Must	Without Exception	No Matter What
All	Everybody	Nobody
None	No One
Impossible	Every

Qualifying Words

Generally	May	Sometimes
Usually	Maybe	Occasionally
Some	Most	Often
Frequently	On the Average	Perhaps
Seldom	Rarely	Probably

General Strategies for essay Exams

Direction Word	Required Format
Define	Explain the meaning and (often) provide an appropriate example or two
List/Enumerate/Identify/Outline	Write a list of the main points with a brief explanation
Trace	State the main points in chronological or logical order
Summarize	Briefly state the main ideas in an organized way
Describe/Illustrate	Present the main points with clear examples
Discuss/Explain	Present the main points, facts, and details of a topic/give reasons
Compare	Presents similarities and differences
Contrast	Present only the differences
Differentiate/Distinguish	Present the differences between two things
Criticize/Evaluate	Judge the strengths and weaknesses/pros and cons/advantage and disadvantages
Argue	Present your opinion and, through reasoning, defend it with examples
Interpret	Present your analysis of the topic using facts and reasoning
Justify/Prove	Present evidence and reasons supporting the topic