Test anxiety reduction findings are stronger with college students than with grade school students, but that may also be due to the fact that the college students are more ready to selfidentify and seek assistance. Make a plan for preparing for your next test by including what you learned about test taking from this experience. Be sure to monitorand evaluateyour testtaking performance as you go. I usually put them on a piece of paper and laminate them so that students can keep them. Strategies for taking every kind of test are dealt withobjective tests multiple choice, truefalse, matching, essay tests, and oral exams. After the test analyze what went well and what you could have done better. Success strategies part i on student success strategies. While this is true, it is also a very difficult and stressful thing for many students to face. Once you have a solid command of the subject matter and material that will be presented on your test, its time to put in play some basic test taking strategies that have proven effective for thousands of students. All of the testtaking strategies in the world will not help you whiz through a test if you havent prepared properly. Select the best version of the underlined part of the sentence. It is important to establish good study skills and habits. Taking lecture notes geared toward college students, this guide gives 5 essential steps for mastering note taking. Keeping a file of information related to the course increases your knowledge of the subject and provides.
Take your quizzes in the actual testing room, simulate the time constraints, and see if you can actually find old tests to study from. Remember, you must adapt testtaking strategies to the specific type of test youre taking. The types of tests covered are essay and objective. Write your answer legibly so that you do not have to waste time rewriting it. Test taking is a skill apart from learning course material, a skill every student must acquire in order to survive. Select the key words and then underline, circle, or highlight them. Many college students study at night because thats the. Pdf scale for test preparation and test taking strategies. Top 10 testtaking tips for students prepare your students for taking tests by helping them learn these strategies this resource will help students to perform at. Teaching the top terrific testtaking tips by kristy mall. In one study, less than 10% of student made changes that decreased their scores, while 74% made changes that increased their scores.
Multiple choice test taking strategies what to do if more than one answer seems correct 1. For best results, apply these strategies in the following order. If you are taking the test and feel totally lost, there are still some testtaking strategies you. Everything that helps you practice in the most realistic way possible will cut down on the anxiety you feel when youre taking the actual test. Good study habits require time and effort, and, if you follow the tips in this manual, you will work.
Test taking strategies esf home suny esf college of. Use these specific tips to prepare wisely for and ace all of your multiplechoice, math, and essay tests at school. I have trouble focusing while study for a test or during a test. Test taking strategies western michigan university. Test taking strategies charleston campus 6517367 cheyenne campus 6512626 henderson campus 65103 taking problemsolving tests. Lecture note taking perfect for new college students who are entering their first classroom lectures, these tips help.
Study strategies for success in college quinsigamond community. Pdf the purpose of the study was to develop a test preparation and test taking. Mastering skills in testtaking mayland community college soar program 2003. And, much as athletes will engage in exercises that develop specific muscle groups, students can take specific measures to strengthen their ability to. General strategies for test taking most of the time, your first answer is the correct one. The unconventional strategies real college students use to score high while studying less cal newport. Notetaking, studying, and testtaking arkansas state university. Test taking strategy, test preparation strategy, testwiseness, college entry exam.
Once you have the exam in your hands, on the actual test write down any formulas, equations, and rules that are. Room and board refunds for college students range from zero to a couple. Strategiestechniques for adhd disability resources. Testtaking strategies 1 this is a packet of testtaking strategies designed to be used with testtaking workshops or with your instructor. The test taking strategies escape room will take students on a secret mission around the classroom. Adult college students are uniquely placed to succeed. Testtaking strategies is the book for anyone who has ever dreaded an exam. The amount of reading in all of their courses was overwhelming, so i taught them to read differently. Understand information rather than just rote memorization. Test taking strategies these are only pointers that have worked for other students. Testtaking strategies in writing workshop scholastic. Ask yourself whether the answer youre considering completely addresses the question. See more ideas about study skills, test taking strategies and test taking. A students success in college is dependent on a number of important factors that must be learned and put into use on a routine basis.
Here are some tips that will help you do your best when responding to an essay test item. Repeat your coping strategies until you can go back to the exam. Just as athletes follow training plans that ready them for game day, motivated students adopt testtaking strategies that prepare them to do well on examinations and, ultimately, in the courses they take. Proven test taking tips for college students for midterms and final exams. Sit as close as possible to the area where you learned the information in class. The purpose o to prepare students for test taking o to develop skill in applying knowledge to practice relating to test taking o to help reduce test anxiety o to learn success tips from high performing students.
Testtaking strategies are cognitive abilities to deal with any testing situation well independently of the knowledge of the test content. Studying for a math test requires a different approach than studying for tests in many other subjects. Testtaking strategies for reading for students who have enrolled in this class shortly before taking the reading proficiency exam, here are some helpful testtaking strategies you can use. People are less likely to become anxious when doing something that is familiar. Use the following strategies to improve your test taking skills uccs. Thus, an outline is frequently the best format for taking notes.
There are two parts to test taking one is the actual taking of the test and the other is the preparation for the test. Many students tend to second guess or doubt themselves and this causes them to change their answers. Look to see if there is a direction word that tells you what you need to do to respond to the item. There are many factors that affect the success of the students in exams. Make use of tutoring services and student support centers of the college. The method described here allows students themselves to identify specific reasons as to why an incorrect answer on a multiple choice examination was selected. This will help you to focus your attention and direct you to. This escape room has students decode basic test taking strategiestest prep to help them succeed on a test and calm their test anxiety. Good study habits require time and effort, and, if you follow the tips in this manual, you will work hard. Some questions deal with the logic of the sentence, others with whether or not the answer is a complete sentence, and still others with the relationship. Review information frequentlythis is the only way information is stored in longterm memory. Pdf the purpose of the study was to develop a test preparation and test.
What is my personal test taking style are you a racer. Since you will no doubt encounter these types of questions on tests if you are preparing to enter college, learning some test taking strategies will be very beneficial. Learn about time management, test day preparation and relieving test anxiety as they related to improving performance on college midterms and finals. Research shows that students who leave early usually dont score as well as those who take more time. Make a decision to ignore students who finish the test before you. Scale for test preparation and test taking strategies eric. Sounds and noises bother me when i am taking a test.
For example, if you had a psy 120 question about a student having problems getting motivated, stick to the description of the problem. Thus, in most cases, it is to your advantage not to change your first answer. Answer the easy questions first, then the harder ones. Teaching the top terrific testtaking tips scholastic. Dont infer reasons go with what was stated in the question.
When taking notes in class, leave plenty of room so you can fill in details from the text later. Many students have difficulty listening to a lecture and taking notes at the same time. Teaching testtaking strategies david publishing company. Results indicated that students in the experimental group outperformed students in the control group.
Based on these insights, the student, with faculty assistance, can develop or modify current study habits andor testtaking strategies such that similar problems are avoided in the future. Importance and techniques 110 performance of these students was compared with that of a control group 29 students who received nothing by using a 48item test. Feedback from our own shasta college students reveals that they did not realize the program was so timeconsuming. People are less likely to become anxious when doing something that. Before beginning the test, write down easily forgotten information. An animation promoting student success for taking tests. The study skills introduced were time management, textbook format, listening. College student study skills guide tools, strategies. Testtaking strategies in writing workshop by rhonda stewart. Notetaking, study skills, time management skills, and testtaking. Testtaking and study strategies for all students, including those with add and ld paperback april 1, 2009. If the test answer is only partly true or is true only under certain narrow conditions, then its probably not the right answer.
Students incorporating these strategies will perform better on any test. College entrance exams, classroom tests, and most other examinations contain multiplechoice questions. This pin is perfect for students who struggle with listening comprehension. Testtaking strategies taking tests is an integral part of any college experience. Key thing is to read the question carefullydo not skim, read it before reading answers. Ideas for students jim wright 4 to the test will improve the odds of doing his or her best on an examination and avoiding the testing jitters. My rationale is to have the students come up with strategies that they will own to help them be successful during the stressful period of testing. Examples are managing time effectively, surveying all questions before responding, dealing with difficult questions, dealing with multiplechoice questions, and underlying keywords questions. Unfortunately, many students are not proficient at taking good notes.
Testtaking strategies 1 this is a packet of testtaking strategies designed to be used with test taking workshops or with your instructor. Keep track of the coping strategies that worked well, and continue to practice them. Time management, good study habits, note taking, and the ability to properly prepare for and take tests are crucial to the learning process and are often the key for even the most successful of students. Students with adhd tend to crumble under the pressure and information overload of bigs exams.
General test taking strategies for college students. This is the only manner in which many instructors are able to evaluate what students have learned. The maturity, focus and experience that typically comes with age are qualities that younger students. Teaching students test taking strategies is a great way to relieve anxiety and having a sign of them is a great reminder and visual.