OVERALL SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDENTS:
Student Refocusing techniques…
(Should last no more than 5 to 10 seconds):
 For when you are tired, stressed or sleepy:
a. Set pencil down, close eyes and silently count to 5
b. Breathe silently and deeply through the nose. Exhale through the
mouth.
c. Roll shoulders and head to relax.
d. Set pencil down and flex your fingers
e. Stretch arms quietly in your seat
f. Watch the clock for 5 seconds and then return to work
 Have a good breakfast on each test day. Get here in plenty of time so you don’t feel
rushed.
MATH
 Look for words such as estimate, about, except, best, most and least in the test
questions. They will help point you to what your answer needs to be.
 Mark through answer choices that are “way off base”. (Reading and Math)
 Estimate what you think the answer will be before you work the problem.
 Work out every problem on the test.
 Draw pictures, diagrams or charts to represent the problem.
 In algebra or missing number questions: if you do not immediately see the pattern,
substitute for the right answer.
 Math keywords:
o Addition: all together, total, sum, how many in all
o Subtraction: fewer than, less than, difference, how many or much more
o Multiplication: product, answer will get bigger
o Division: Quotient, putting items into GPOUPS, answer should get smaller
READING
 Read the italics and TITLE for each selection. They will help tell you the main idea
for that particular passage. There are “main idea” questions on the test…usually at
least one for each passage!
The best title for this passage is…
 The main idea of this selection is…
 The theme of this story is best phrased as…
 The main purpose of the story is…
 The author would like for you to understand…
Main idea question choices often have one answer that is too broad- a larger subject,
one too narrow-a detail, one that is clearly unreasonable and the RIGHT ONE
 Words in BOLD, ITALICS, (PARENTHESES) and TITLES of books are often answers
to questions.
 Read every word in the selection FIRST and then scan for your answer using
keywords from the question. Many answers are combinations of information from
several paragraphs.
 If other students finish before you do, ignore them. Actually students who finish first
DO NOT tend to get the best scores. (This goes for reading and math)
 Don’t give up on test day. Keep going to the end of the test. Questions at the
beginning of the test count the same as questions at the end of a test. ONE question
can make a difference between passing and not passing. DO NOT LEAVE ANY
QUESTION BLANK. (Reading and math)
 Fact and detail questions appear in the passage. Common question stems could be:
The author states:
According to the passage, which of the following is true:
In the selection, the character says which of the following statements:
 When answering vocabulary questions, do the following:
a. Re-read the sentences around where the word is used,
b. Eliminate answers that don’t make sense in the passage,
c. Look for word parts in the word that you already know to form a meaning,
d. Substitute answer choices until one makes sense.
 If you are stuck between 2 answers, do the following:
a. Re-read the question to make sure you haven’t missed an important clue word.
b. Re- read the sections of the passage where your answer comes from
c. Choose the answer that makes the most sense with the main idea of the
passage