10 Helpful Steps for Test-Taking Success

Whether it's a unit test, mid-term or final exam that's looming, we know you'll experience much more success if you plan for it. Here are ten of the most helpful steps to improve your test-taking success (presented in a bulleted format for your convenience and ease of use):

1. Think Positively AND Prepare for Success!
Consider the coming test or examination as an opportunity, a chance to demonstrate what you have learned and what your now know. The test may be a challenging opportunity, but you CAN do this.

2. Create a Plan for Success
a. The week before the test, ask your teacher about the following:
1.) Will the material for the test be from the textbook only? From class notes? Other?
2.) If a math test is planned, will it be possible to use a calculator?
b. If you've been absent, ask friends about material you may have missed.
c. Make a list of the most important topics to be covered.
1.) Use this as a guide when you study.
2.) Highlight the topics you know will require extra time for you to study.
3.) Allow for extra time to study those most challenging topics.

3. What to Do the Night Before the Test
a. Remember that cramming for a test or exam really doesn't work, no matter what other students may say.
b. If you've followed a study plan, the night before the test should be a time when you do a quick review and get to bed early.
c. Your brain and body require sleep to function well, so avoid staying up late or “pulling an all-nighter.”

4. What to Do the Morning of the Test
a. You will actually think better and more productively when you have a full stomach, so plan to eat a nutritious breakfast the morning of the test.
b. Arrange to arrive at school early.
c. Make sure you have everything you'll need for the test:
1.) Scratch paper
2.) Extra pencils and/or pens
3.) Erasers
4.) A calculator, ruler, reading tools, apps and other aids or accommodations (if permitted).
d. Do a ten-minute power study or quick review of important points right before the test, so your brain will be “in gear” from the beginning of the testing session.

5. What to Do at Test Time
a. Quickly scan through the test before starting.
b. Read all the test instructions CAREFULLY!
c. Understand how the test is scored:
1.) Do you lose points for incorrect answers?
2.) Or is it better to make guesses when you're not sure of the answer?
d. Make sure you are marking answers correctly.

6. Manage Your Time Well
a. Answer the easy questions first. This can be a time saver AND build your self-confidence.
b. Allow for more time near the end of the testing period for focusing on the most challenging part of the test.

7. What to Do with a “Mental Block”
Tricky problems or test questions can knock you off balance. Don't get worried or frustrated. Here are some practical things to do when you “get stuck” during the test:
a. Reread the question to make sure you understand it, and then try to solve it the best way you know how.
b. If you're still stuck, circle it and move on. You can come back to it later.
c. 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.

8. What to Do with Multiple-Choice Questions
The process of elimination can help you choose the correct answer in a multiple-choice question.
a. Start by crossing off the answers that couldn't be right.
b. Then spend your time focusing on the POSSIBLE correct choices before selecting your answer.

9. Neatness Does Count!
Look over your test to ensure that your work is neat and answers are clearly written. If your 4s look like 9s, that could be a real problem on a math test. Be sure that your writing is legible and that you erase your mistakes. For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces carefully and in the appropriate places.

10. Am I Finished Yet?
When you complete the last item on the test, remember that you should then:
a. First, check the clock and go back to review your answers.
b. Make sure that you didn't make any careless mistakes (like putting the right answer in the wrong place or skipping a question).
c. Then, spend the remaining minutes going over the most difficult problems before you turn in your test.

Follow these practical test tips, and you'll know you did your best! Then celebrate your success!

Sources & Related Resources:

1. Top Ten Test-Taking Tips for Students---from TeacherVision
https://www.teachervision.com/study-skills/teaching-methods/6390.html

2. Top 10 Study Tips---by Maximillian Hart, Test Taking Tips
http://test-taking-tips.net/top-ten-study-tips/

3. Top 10 Test-Taking Strategies---from CollegeTips.com
http://www.collegetips.com/college-classes/test-taking-strategies.php

4. Reading Focus Cards Desktop App (Patent 8,360,779)
CUSTOMIZABLE app (for Macs & PCs) that helps challenged readers and learners of ALL ages & abilities (especially helpful for persons with ADHD, dyslexia, low vision, autism & other issues that can affect reading success). This desktop app promotes more FOCUSED reading and studying whether ONLINE or OFFLINE.
Macs: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-and-focus/id920617853?mt=12
Windows PCs: https://gumroad.com/l/ReadingFocusCards

5. The Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759)
Sensory-appealing and customizable reading tools and solutions that help challenged readers of all ages with printed media (physical books, worksheets & documents.)
www.FocusandRead.com/products

For information on customizable low-tech & digital reading tools for all kinds of challenged readers, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info and support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Images courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

Test-Taking Tips for Students with Dyslexia & Other Reading Challenges

We've turned a new calendar page and are suddenly finding ourselves already in the chilly month of October here in the Midwest! Where does the time go? Leaves have turned russet and crimson as the fall season surrounds us, and for many students, the mid-term exam season is also quickly approaching.

On or about mid-October, many high school and college students will be taking their mid-term tests. Now is the time to prepare WELL for them. We have a few tips to share with you this week that could make the mid-term season much more successful (AND even less stressful!), especially if you are a student with dyslexia or other reading challenge. We hope you will read and review these tips, making plans to follow through on their use. If so, you will be well-prepared for the mid-term season, even if essay questions are included in the exams.

How to Do Your Very BEST When Taking Tests or Exams

1. Ensure that you are provided the appropriate accommodations you are entitled to receive. These accommodations might include extra time given for taking the test. You might also be permitted the use of a low or high-tech device, a scribe, a larger font format or colored paper for reading. Perhaps there is a provision that no points can be deducted a test or exam for poor spelling. However, be aware that there may be a time requirement or deadline in your state or country by which such exam accommodations must be in place, Get everything organized well ahead of such a deadline.

2. Be clear about you what you will be trying to achieve before entering the exam room. Motivation, defined goals, review of practice exams and asking many questions prior to the test session will help you know exactly what the instructor's expectations will be.

3. Just prior to the exam, listen to audios of the text you are studying. You can do this on an e-reader or any computing device with text-to-speech capability. Go for a long walk or exercise while you are listening to make the learning multi-sensory. The extra oxygen provided to the brain and body as a result of this activity will be a positive, too.

4. Practice developing your expressive writing skills to prepare for the test. Review and re-read past essay questions, discussion papers and study notes. Use speech-to-text software and begin speaking with your computing device the way you would do so to answer a question about this topic on your exam. Flesh out your ideas, find quotes to support your arguments and use examples from the text or story to further enhance your writing. Consider saving and emailing these docs. or notes to your teacher to confirm if you are on the right track. If possible, obtain the teacher's feedback and then re-write accordingly. You will improve as you progress. All this practice and preparation will most definitely help on the day you actually begin taking your exam and reading the essay question for the first time.

5. If you are a literal person or a student whose strength is not in creative writing, devise a plan as to how you might answer an essay question. First, prepare and memorize a set of 5-10 useful quotes you could use to make your point in this essay question. This approach will help to demonstrate that you have read the text and can relate to what the author or character meant by what was said or written in the book.

When beginning to write an introductory paragraph to an essay, you might want to have an opening sentence followed by three general comments that relate to the exam topic or question. In the second paragraph, a plan to expand on one of the general comments with an example of how this is demonstrated in the text might be a good plan. Then consider using a quote to emphasize your point. A concluding paragraph should reiterate the main points you wish to convey to the reader.

6. If you are really creative and a divergent thinker, you will also need a plan to ensure you get your message across in a succinct and effective manner. During the testing session, consider drawing a quick mind map on a piece of note paper just before you begin writing. This will help keep you on track and increase the possibility of writing an essay of much better quality.

7. If time permits, carefully re-read your essay, checking for appropriate punctuation, grammar and spelling to the best of your ability.

8. For last-minute crammers, consider using Wikipedia (make sure content is accurate, however) and Sparknotes. There are other helpful resources such as these, too.

9. Remain calm and practice some good breathing exercises to help with relaxation prior to and during a test or exam. However, remember that an exam is just an exam. Pass or fail, it is not the end of the world. Life is a journey. There may be some speed bumps in life that slow us down no matter who we are or what our strengths or weaknesses are. Just prepare WELL and DO your best. That is all anyone could ask.

We wish you ALL much test-taking SUCCESS this mid-term season!

Sources and Resources for Test-Taking Tips

The Ten Minute Tutor
Liz and Andrew Dunoon are the husband and wife team who have designed and created The Ten Minute Tutor. Together they have set forth to make learning to read and spell, faster, easier and more enjoyable for everybody. They claim that The Ten Minute Tutor program turns sad and frustrated children into happy, enthusiastic children… and takes the worry and stress away from you, the parent.
by Liz Dunoon
http://thetenminutetutor.com/

SparkNotes
When your books and teachers don't make sense, we do. Study guides and discussion forums offered on various academic subjects. Literature section includes brief analyses of characters, themes and plots.
http://www.sparknotes.com/

For more information on customizable reading tools to improve focus and attention, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com