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Before The Test
Time
Guessing
Do's and Don'ts
Three Reading Passage Myths
How to Read Reading Passages
Tips for Language Arts Questions
Tips for Math Questions
Tips for Science and Technology Questions
Test-Taking Tactics

 

 

 

 

BEFORE THE TEST
Get a good night's sleep for the the test. Eat a healthy breakfast, with protein if you can: milk and eggs have lots of protein. Wear comfortable clothes. And relax. It's just a test.

 

TIME<Top>
Make sure you know how much time you have to take the test. You want to pace yourself as you take the test, just as you would in a long race. Don't work so fast that you start making careless errors. At the same time, don't get bogged down on any one question.

One way to budget your time is to answer all the easy questions first. Then go back and answer the questions that were difficult for you.

 

GUESSING<Top>
* Random guessing is a waste of time.
* Get rid of at least one wrong choice in a multiple choice question before you guess.
* Eliminate as many choices as you can. Deciding between two choices is easier than deciding among four.
* Never pick a multiple question choice because of its letter.
* Make educated guesses, not random ones, Don't guess when you haven't even looked at the question.
* Watch out for eye-catchers. These are answer choices designed to tempt you into guessing wrong.

 

DOs AND DON'Ts<Top>
Do...
* Bring a pencil
* Use the process of elimination to make educated guesses
* Look at all the choices before selecting one as an answer
* Put a check next to a difficult problem and come back to it later

Don't...
* Stay up late the night before the test
* Worry about your neighbor's answers
* Feel you have to answer every question
* Get bogged down on difficult questions

 

THREE READING PASSAGE MYTHS<Top>
1. MYTH: READ THE QUESTIONS FIRST. REALITY: You can't concentrate on the passage while you try to remember the questions. Read the passage and concentrate on its meaning.
2. MYTH: READ ONLY THE FIRST AND LAST SENTENCE OF A PASSAGE. REALITY: Answers may appear anywhere in the passage. If you don't read the entire passage, you'll be making uneducated guesses.
3. MYTH: ALL THE ANSWER CHOICES MAKE SENSE. REALITY: Incorrect answers may sound reasonable, but they are wrong. Only the correct answer is supported by the passage. And there is only one correct answer.

 

HOW TO READ READING PASSAGES<Top>
FIND THE MAIN IDEA. Each passage has a main idea. Read for the main idea and skim the details.
READ QUICKLY, ANSWER SLOWLY. Most students do the opposite: read slowly and answer quickly. Read for the main idea and you'll read quickly.
MARK AS YOU READ. After reading each paragraph, make a brief note of two or three words in the margin. Indicate what went on in the paragraph. Circle important details.

 

TIPS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS QUESTIONS<Top>
* Read all the answer choices before you decide which is best.
* Think of a context for unfamiliar words.
* Break down unfamiliar words into recognizable parts.
* Use introductions to get familiar with the passage.
* First read the passage; then read the questions.
* Read as quickly as you can, looking for the main idea.
* Try to answer all the questions for a reading passage.

 

TIPS FOR MATHEMATICS QUESTIONS<Top>
* Look for shortcuts. For example, you know that an odd number multiplied by an odd number gives an odd number for an answer. If only one of the choices is an odd number, it has to be correct.
* Replace an unusual symbol with its definition.
* Work in consistent units. If one side of a rectangle is given in inches and another in feet, convert them both to feet or inches before you multiply or add.
* Don't do all the computations in your head.

 

TIPS FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS<Top>
* Read diagrams carefully; they are always important to finding the correct answer.
* Mark up any diagrams if it will help you answer a question.
* Don't do all the computations in your head.

 

TEST-TAKING TACTICS<Top>
1. Answer easy questions first, then the difficult ones
2. Don't get bogged down on any one question
3. Work quickly but don't rush
4. Eliminate as many wrong choices as you can
5. Change answers only if you have a good reason
6. Check frequently to make sure you are answering the questions in the right spot.
7. You don't have to answer every question to do well.

 

 

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