7 Habits of Effective Test Takers
Get Ready Physically and Mentally
- Get plenty of rest the night before the test, “cramming” won’t help.
- Eat a good breakfast before the test.
- Be on time and alert.
- Put everything else out of your mind and think only of doing your best.
- Dress comfortably.
- If you wear glasses, be sure you have them and wear them.
Make the Best Use of Your Time
- If the test is timed, pace yourself appropriately.
- Answer the easy question first.
- If you’re stumped by a question, go on with the test:
- Come back to the questions you skipped later.
- Make a note on scratch paper of the questions you want to go back to so you can find them easily.
- After skipping a question, make sure you also skip that answer space or set of bubbles.
- Check that the question number in the test is the same as the number where you mark your answer on the answer sheet.
- If you finish early, check over your answers.
Make Fewer Mistakes
- Read all directions to be sure you understand what you are supposed to do.
- Ask the person giving the test for help if you don’t understand the directions.
- Read all questions carefully and all of the answer choices.
- Be sure the question number in the test is the same as where you mark your answer on the answer sheet.
Guessing
- If you don’t know the answer, try to eliminate some of the answer choices as wrong. This increases your chances of guessing the correct answer.
- Don’t make wild guesses. Make sure your choice of an answer is reasonable.
Miscellaneous Tips
- Don’t panic! Tackle each question one at a time rather than thinking about the whole test at once.
- Use relevant content information from other questions there possible.
- Don’t score yourself as you take the test.
- Trust your first answer but change an answer if you feel you must.
Remember, there will not be a pattern of correct answer choices. |
