By: Callie Grubb, Holly McClure and Sandra
Peterson

The following exercise tests how well you
follow directions. Wrong answers will count
against you. Do not begin answering any
questions until you have read all the
questions. You have two minutes to
complete all your answers.
A. Write your name, last name first
B. Count the letters in your name and write the number
C. In what year did Columbus arrive on the American continent?
D. Divide answer b into answer c.
E. What year did you begin high school?
F. Multiply answer d by answer e.
G. Write down the number of the one correct statement
1. The Union Army lost the battle of Gettysburg.
2. The Apollo Twelve landed on the moon in 1969.
3. Ronald Reagan was the fifty-first President of the United
States
4. There are fifteen planets in our solar system.
H. Square the number you answered on question g.
I. How many days are there in a leap year?
J. Multiply answer i by answer h and then multiply that answer
by answer f.
K. If you understand this instruction write yes. Answer only
every other question in this test beginning with A.
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Are more likely to use appropriate strategies when
taking tests; and are more "test-wise" than their peers.
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Have positive self-esteem
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Have greater self-confidence in their abilities

Do not feel intimidated by tests

Feel well prepared for tests

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Are persistent with regard to their school work and
doing well on tests
Have been exposed to a variety of testing situations
The research also suggests students who are testwise are more successful in testing situations
because they:
 are able to follow instructions and directions;
 are familiar with item formats;
 know how to avoid common mistakes;
 know how to use their time effectively and
efficiently;
 can maximize their scores by informed and
educated guessing;
 have been exposed to a variety of testing
situations;
 and can apply test-taking strategies to solve
different kinds of problems.
What
can teachers do
to help students
experience success in
any testing situation?
 Test
preparation needs to
be an on-going activity and
part of regular classroom
instruction integrated into all
subjects.

“Teachers must go beyond “telling”
students what to do. Students should be
provided with ample classroom
opportunities to experience using
strategies required to be successful in any
testing situation.”
Dr. Lourdes Ferrer
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1. Following direction closely
2. Budget time appropriately
3. Check work carefully
4. Reading the entire stem and ALL answer
choices
5. Answer easier questions first and
persist to the end
6. Make educated guesses
 7. Using “real test-liked” item formats for
practice
 8. Review the practice items and answer
choices with the teacher or other
students
 9. Practice using answer sheets

 Read
the test items carefully and completely.
 Strike out wrong answers.
 Mark answers clearly and consistently.
 Change your answers cautiously.
 Guess
 Look for cues.
 Do not spend time thinking about how the
question could have been written better.
 Check for clues in other questions.
 Every
part of a true sentence must be "true"
If any one part of the sentence is false,
the whole sentence is false despite many other
true statements.
 Notice ABSOLUTES such as

all, none, not, always, never, no, equal,
 Notice QUALIFIERS such as
 most, some, usually, sometimes, great,
much, little more, less
Read carefully.
 Analyze the question.
 Map your ideas.
 Create an outline.
 Reflect the question in opening sentence.
 Write like a reporter.
 Write legibly.
 Proofread

STUDENT
FRIENDLY
TEST TIPS

Highlight, underline, or
circle the key details in the
questions. This helps you
focus on exactly what the
question is asking you to do.
 Predict
what the answer
is BEFORE you read the
choices.

Read ALL of the answer
choices! Eliminate any
choice(s) that you know
are not the correct answer.
The choice is obviously “trash!”
 Once
you have chosen your
answer, plug it in and make
sure that it makes sense!
(this works really well with
vocabulary questions).

Charts and Maps provide
information that you can
use to answer questions!
Analyze ALL information
provided before answering
the questions!

Don’t leave a question
unanswered. You will
not have ANY chance
of getting it right.

When you have completed
the test, go back and check
your work!
Trace – Indicate how something developed
 Summarize - Provide the principal (main)
points
 Relate - Show links between/among topics
 Prove - Confirm a point with facts/details
 Justify - Give the reason or purpose of a
statement
 Interpret - Show that you understand the
meaning

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Illustrate - Indicate some examples
Describe and Explain – Clarify the subject with
major details and evidence
Criticize, discuss, evaluate – Give positive and
negative elements
of subject and draw conclusion
Contrast - Finding differences
Compare - Usually means looking for
similarities
Analyze - Break subject into sections and deal
with each one
Don’t :
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Over-study
Study up to the
last minute
Wait until the day
before the test to
seek help
Do:
Get enough sleep
Do practice tests
beforehand
Get there on time
Take a deep breath
Positive Self-talk
Pace yourself
Answer each question
Visualize yourself
being successful on
the test.

Limiting content instruction to a particular item
format
 Limiting instruction to the actual test questions
 Practicing on a published parallel form of the
same test
 Using an instructional guide that reviews
questions from the latest issue of the test
 Teaching objectives/tips the morning of the test
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Cohen, A. D. (2006). The coming of age of research on test-taking strategies. Language
Assessment Quarterly, 3(4), 307-331.
Frederiksen, J. R. & Collins, A. (1989). A systems approach to educational testing. Educational
Researcher, 18(9), 27-32.
Gulek, C. (2003). Preparing for high-stakes testing. Theory into Practice, 42(1), 42-50.
Kilian, L. J. (1992). A school district perspective on appropriate test-preparation practices: A
reaction to Popham's proposals. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 11(4), 13-26.
Ritter, S. & Idol-Maestas, L. (1986). Teaching middle school students to use a test-taking strategy.
Journal of Educational Research, 79(6), 350-357
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http://chesterfield.k12.va.us/Schools/Chalkley_ES/SOL/test_taking_strategies.htm

www.uwp.edu/departments/learning.assistance/documents/testanxiety

www.uc.edu/learningassistance/documents/Test_Taking_Strategies
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Zatz, S. & Chassin, L. (1985). Cognitions of test-anxious children under naturalistic test-taking
conditions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53(3), 393-401.