Standardized Testing is Around the Corner – Here are 6 Tips for Success!

Tip 1: Prepare yourself; not only academically (there is a reason that ‘practice makes perfect’ is a saying!) but also by ensuring that you get plenty of sleep the night before and eat a healthy breakfast, such as one high in protein and low in sugar, the morning of the test. It might sound obvious, but it’s also a good idea to use the restroom before the test begins so that you’re not distracted.   Tip 2: Pace yourself. Identify how many questions there are total in the exam and estimate how much time you will have available per question. Older students may find that bringing a watch (if allowed) may help for tracking time.   Tip 3: Answer the easiest questions first. Not only does this help you accumulate the most points in the shortest amount of time, but it also gives you a confidence boost before heading into more difficult questions. Although some tests lump easy questions at the beginning, it’s a good idea to scan through the entire test first to figure out where your easiest points can be earned. If you get stumped on a question, it is also a good idea to move on quickly so you don’t waste valuable time before answering all of the questions you know. Just be sure to track the appropriate answer spot on the answer bubble sheet if you skip around so you don’t accidentally mark a correct answer in an incorrect spot!   Tip 4: If you have time left over, review your answers for accuracy. Don’t fall into the temptation to simply rest your head on your arm and get a little shut eye before the teacher calls “time.” Instead, take this opportunity to double check math work, make sure answers on your test match the answers bubbled in on the answer sheet, and that no questions or answers were inadvertently overlooked.   Tip 5: Read the question fully and read all possible answers before choosing the one you believe to be correct. Oftentimes there are specific details in the question prompt that make a question true or false, or one multiple choice answer more correct than another. If you fail to read all the way through the question, or each of the available answers, you have a higher chance of entering an incorrect answer, even when you knew the correct choice.   Tip 6: Know what type of question it is and how best to tackle it.

• For example, one surefire tactic for handling a multiple choice question is to get rid of the obviously wrong answers first. This process of elimination helps you narrow down your choices and increases your chance of selecting the correct answer, even if you’re unsure. It’s pure statistics!
• With true/false questions, be on the lookout for extreme modifiers such as always, all, never, only and everyone. These tend to indicate that the question is false. Conversely, qualifiers such as seldom, often, many and much often tend to indicate that the question is true.

  Although all of these are proven tips for success, the only surefire way to prepare is to study hard and practice often. Most standardized tests (even state standardized tests administered in the classroom) offer ample practice tests and problems online for free so be sure to seek those out in advance of the test. Club Z! also offers test prep services for those wanting an extra edge. Call 800-434-2582 to find the location nearest you.