1. A Student Development Seminar
Developed and Last Updated
by Dr. Tim Dosemagen, Dean – 5/2013
With grateful acknowledgement to
TestTakingTips.com,
and TeacherVision.com.
Test Taking Tips
Tools For Student Success

2. The Million Dollar Tip!!
• Throughout your
classes and your
program,
remember this
most important tip:
• If you do not
understand a concept
or some information,
ask for assistance!!

3. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 1. Have a Positive Attitude
• Approach the big test as you'd approach a
giant jigsaw puzzle. It might be tough, but
you can do it! A positive attitude goes a
long way toward success.

4. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 2. Make a Plan
• The week before the test, ask your teacher what the test
is going to cover. Is it from the textbook only? Class
notes? Can you use your calculator? If you've been
absent, talk to friends about material you may have
missed. Make a list of the most important topics to be
covered and use that as a guide when you study. Circle
items that you know will require extra time. Be sure to
plan extra time to study the most challenging topics.

5. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 3. The Night Before
• Cramming doesn't work. If you've followed
a study plan, the night before the test you
should do a quick review and get to bed
early. Remember, your brain and body
need sleep to function well, so don't stay
up late!

6. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 4. The Morning of the Test
• Did you know that you think better when you
have a full stomach? So don't skip breakfast the
morning of the test. Get to school early and do a
ten-minute power study right before the test, so
your brain is turned on and tuned up.

7. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 5. Test Time
• Before the test begins, make sure you have
everything you'll need - scratch paper, extra
pencils, your calculator (if you're allowed to use
it). Understand how the test is scored: Do you
lose points for incorrect answers? Or is it better
to make guesses when you're not sure of the
answer? Read the instructions! You want to
make sure you are marking answers correctly.

8. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 6. Manage Your Time
• Scan through the test quickly before
starting. Answering the easy questions
first can be a time saver and a confidence
builder. Plus, it saves more time in the
end for you to focus on the hard stuff.

9. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 7. I'm Stuck!
• Those tricky problems can knock you off
balance. Don't get worried or frustrated. Reread
the question to make sure you understand it,
and then try to solve it the best way you know
how. If you're still stuck, circle it and move on.
You can come back to it later. What if you have
no idea about the answer? Review your options
and make the best guess you can, but only if
you don't lose points for wrong answers.

10. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 8. Multiple-Choice Questions
• The process of elimination can help you choose
the correct answer in a multiple-choice question.
Start by crossing off the answers that couldn't
be right. Then spend your time focusing on the
possible correct choices before selecting your
answer.

11. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 9. Neatness Counts
• If your 4s look like 9s, it could be a
problem. Be sure that your writing is
legible and that you erase your mistakes.
For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces
carefully.

12. Top Ten
Test-Taking Tips for Students
• 10. I'm Done!
• Not so fast - when you complete the last item on
the test, remember that you're not done yet.
First, check the clock and go back to review your
answers, making sure that you didn't make any
careless mistakes (such as putting the right
answer in the wrong place or skipping a
question). Spend the last remaining minutes
going over the hardest problems before you turn
in your test.

13. Test Taking Tips:
Multiple Choice Tests
• Read the question before you look at the
answer.
• Come up with the answer in your head before
looking at the possible answers, this way the
choices given on the test won't throw you off or
trick you.
• Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
• Read all the choices before choosing your
answer.

14. Test Taking Tips:
Multiple Choice Tests
• Choose the most general answer when
other choices are specific.
• Choose the longest answer when others
are much shorter.
• Choose the answer with a middle value
when other answers are higher or lower.
• Choose neither of the similar answers.
• Choose one of two opposite answers.

15. Test Taking Tips:
Multiple Choice Tests
• If there is no guessing penalty, always take an
educated guess and select an answer.
• Don't keep on changing your answer, usually
your first choice is the right one, unless you
misread the question.
• In "All of the above" and "None of the above"
choices, if you are certain one of the statements
is true, don't choose "None of the above“, or if
one of the statements are false, don't choose
"All of the above".

16. Test Taking Tips:
Multiple Choice Tests
• Choose the answer that agrees grammatically. For ex: a,
and an = singular, are = plural.
• Choose the answer most synonymous with key words in
the question or statement.
• Count the number of blanks in fill-in questions or
statements.
• Choose from among familiar answers. Avoid unknown
options.
• Choose the most logical answer to you.
• Avoid answers with absolutes in them. Examples are
always, never, every, none, all, only.)

17. Test Taking Tips:
Multiple Choice Tests
• In a question with an "All of the above"
choice, if you see that there are at least
two correct statements, then "All of the
above" is probably the answer.
• A positive choice is more likely to be true
than a negative one.
• Usually the correct answer is the choice
with the most information.

18. Overcoming Test Taking Anxiety
• Being well prepared for the test is the best way
to reduce test taking anxiety.
• Space out your studying over a few days or
weeks, and continually review class material.
Don't try to learn everything the night before.
• Try to maintain a positive attitude while
preparing for the test and during the test.
• Exercising for a few days before the test will
help reduce stress.

19. Overcoming Test Taking Anxiety
• Get a good night's sleep before the test.
• Show up to test early so you won't have
to worry about being late.
• Stay relaxed, if you begin to get nervous
take a few deep breaths, slowly, to relax
yourself - and then get back to work.
• Read the directions slowly and carefully.

20. Overcoming Test Taking Anxiety
• If you don't understand the directions on the
test, ask the teacher to explain them to you.
• Skim through the test so that you have a good
idea how to pace yourself.
• Write down important formulas, facts, definitions
and/or keywords in the margin first, so you
won't worry about forgetting them.
• Do the simple questions first to help build up
your confidence for the harder questions.

21. Overcoming Test Taking Anxiety
• Don't worry about how fast other people finish their test;
just concentrate on your own test.
• If you don't know a question skip it for the time being,
and come back to it later if you have time.
• You don't have to always get every question right to do
well on the test.
• Focus on the question at hand. Don't let your mind
wander on to other things.
• If you're still experiencing extreme test anxiety after
following these tips, seek help from your school
counselor.

22. Studying Before Testing
• Cramming for exams
should be avoided at
all costs. You should
only cram for an
exam as a last resort.
• It's hard to take in
and retain a large
amount of
information in a short
period of time.

23. Studying Before Testing
• Eat some food to give you energy to study, but avoid
consuming excess sugar which will make you hyper and
will make it more difficult to study.
• An apple does a better job at keeping you focused and
awake than does caffeine.
• Find a well lit place with no distractions around to study,
but don't get too comfortable or you may fall a sleep.
• Keep a positive attitude, it is easier to study when you
are relaxed than when you are stressed out.

24. Studying Before Testing
• Since your time is limited you have to choose what you
study. Don't attempt to learn everything, focus on things
that will get you the most points on the exam.
• Focus on the main ideas and learn key formulas. Skip
the details for now, and only come back to them if you
see that you have time after you have learned the key
points.
• Write down the key ideas/formulas on a sheet of paper
and keep on studying from that sheet, repetition is
important.
• Highlight the important points in your notes and text,
and focus on these.

25. Studying Before Testing
• Read the chapter summaries (they usually do a good job
at summarizing the important points). If there are no
chapter summaries then, skim through the text and write
down key ideas.
• Study from past tests, review questions, lecture notes,
homework & review sheets.
• Take at least one five minute break an hour so that you
can gather your thoughts and let your brain relax.
• If cramming, try to get at least 3 hours of sleep (one
sleep cycle) before the exam so that you don't fall asleep
when taking your exam.
• Don't forget to set your alarm!

26. Questions / Comments