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Test Taking Techniques
Tests are a part of school life much too the dismay
of most students. Many of these children can handle the time management
needed and the overall pressure of taking tests. Some students are
mentally and sometimes physically “overloaded” at just
the thought of a test-taking situation. In many cases, like this,
tests do not accurately measure your child’s true knowledge
of the subject and his ability to learn, process and remember information.
There are many ways to help your young ones work smarter and not
harder and to “ace” any test taking situation. Reduce
the worry about tests and improve test performance and outcomes.
Here are some practical ways that you can take the fear and anxiety
out of test taking situations:
Before the Test
- Use a Study Guide.
If your child’s teacher does not usually provide a
study guide, ask her if she would consider doing so. If the response
is not positive, you can design your own for your child by following
these various tips.
- Write down main ideas of a science or
social studies chapter on a 3 x 5 index card. Memorize them!
- Jot down incomplete sentences. Instruct
your child to fill in the blanks. Write in the answers. Memorize
main ideas!
- Define key vocabulary words from the
lesson or story. Write down, short, concise word meanings.
Memorize each one!
It is more important that your
young one concentrate on major, focal ideas than spending time on
details that may be irrelevant. Reading, studying and memorizing
the major items of a selected lesson will always produce a better
grade when taking a test. Don’t cram. In the week before the
test, schedule shorter study sessions. Your child will feel less
pressure and he’ll remember more.
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Be A Good Listener.
Remind your child to be a good listener and follow test directions.
In the primary grades test directions are both, given orally
and in writing. Stress to your child that if he doesn’t
understand the directions the first time, ask the teacher for
clearer directions. It’s better to be safe than sorry
later. Tests in elementary school are usually not timed and
even if they do have a time limit it is advisable for your child
to take the extra minutes needed to be sure that he is on the
right track for a successful test taking situation by understanding
the directions.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep.
Your child should get plenty of sleep the night before a test
is the second best preparation for test taking other than lots
of study, study and more study!
Eat a Good Breakfast.
Don’t underestimate the power of a good breakfast. Some
children don’t want to eat so early in the morning and
that’s o.k. In that case, send a snack with him to be
eaten on the bus or in the homeroom before the test or at recess.
If he really doesn’t want the snack before the test, surely
he’ll enjoy it after the fact – when most of the
test anxiety is over.
“Always Do Your Best”.
Emphasize to your young one to do his best on the test. It is
a mistake to put qualifiers on your expectations. Say: “Always
do your best.” instead of “Bring me an A+ or “I
know you’ll get a 100%.” You lessen the pressure
for your children if you follow this simple rule.
During the Test
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Read the directions.
Usually the teacher will read and explain the test directions
with the class. If she doesn’t, remind your child to read
the directions and remember to ask for clarification if he doesn’t
understand them.
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Skim the test quickly.
This test taking strategy is much overlooked by students. Many
times when the student completes the short, easier sections
of the test he gains more confidence. He then can continue the
test with less pressure. By skimming over the test your child
will know what to expect and can pace himself a little better
for a longer or written essay section of the test.
-
Skip Hard Questions.
Tell you youngster not to be afraid to skip a question on the
test. It is better for your young one to skip a question that
he’s unfamiliar with or one that is too hard than wasting
time on it. His score will be better if he completes accurately
the items that he’s most familiar within the time limit
of the test. If there’s time the student can always come
back to try the harder questions towards the end of the test.
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Check over work.
Remind your child to make sure that he didn’t skip any
part of the test. This happens often. When the test is turned
in to the teacher it’s a little too late to make corrections
or complete missed sections. If there’s time, check over
for correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar.
In a math test, always check the signs (operation of the problem)
and note careless mistakes such as adding instead of subtracting
can lower the test grade substantially.
After the Test
No test can measure a child’s worth!
Here are some things to tell your child to put taking tests into
perspective:
“One test is only part of your grade.
What is most important is that you have an understanding of the
subject. One poor test score will not equal to a failure grade
of your report card. Your attendance, attitude daily work and
of course homework make up your final or report card grade.”
“You’ll do better next time. The subject
and interest level will be different.”
“Tests are stressful situations. Let’s
talk about how you can better control the circumstances and your
feelings. Above all, inject humor into your conversation with
your child. Increase family laughter. Show that life can be joyful
and fun – even, after a test that didn’t go so well!
A Note About Standardized Tests
Standardized tests help measure your children’s
progress. Their results are compared with those kids at the same
grade level nationwide. Schools also use the scores to see what
areas of the curriculum may need to be strengthened. These tests
usually cover many different subject areas and are often impossible
to study for. Doing homework regularly is one of the best ways your
children can prepare. Also, you can share these test-taking tips:
- Pay careful attention to the directions.
- Spend about the same amount of time on each question.
- Check your answer and make sure the answers match
the right question.
A good night’s sleep the night before and a
healthy breakfast on test day can help too! Don’t Miss
the Bus in recognizing and practicing Strategies for Motivation.
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