Test-taking tips

[easyguy]

These are mainly for school tests, but I suppose they can apply to most tests that can be taken.

 

Here are a few tips that I have for those who struggle with tests (such as I used to do):

 

(1) Don't always go in numerical order. Jump around the page or pages and get the easy ones out of the way first; the ones that do not require much thinking. Then gradually go back to the ones that require some thinking or just time in general. And hey, sometimes certain questions provides hints or clues for other ones.

 

(2) When you are doing matching problems (match word with A. [word] B. [word], etc.), put a check next to each letter/word when you have it. That way you will remember what you have left and what you have already used out of your choices.

 

(3) Read what the question is stating you to answer. It's not uncommon to misinterpret the question (and thus the answer) because you didn't read it carefully to understand what they are asking. If it is a multilpe choice question, cross out each answer that does not seem feasible. It does not guarantee a right answer, but if you know for certain that one or more of them are not right, eliminate them so you can focus on fewer choices.

 

(4) Double-check your answers once you are finished with the quiz/test. What you thought about your answer to a question 10 minutes ago may change after you have gone through all of the questions.

[charley]

That stuff applies to school tests and life. Life is full of challenges and tests. Every life challenge is a test. Your advice applies there as well. Part of what you are teaching is technique, and part of it is attitude. The attitude to keep your head under pressure and think and act in the most effective manner possible given your resources. That applies to tests and to life. Your advice is universal and applies to life's tests, which include school test. It's good life advice. School tests do serve one excellent purpose that study and practice cannot. Tests put you under pressure and force you to think while under pressure. Tests are thereforeeee training for life just as much or more than study is.

 

Your number 1 advice item also applies to restoring and building credit (and anything else in life too, I think). Take care of the easy things first. For example, imagine you have 3 small debts, a medium size debt, and a large debt all overdue and on your credit history as unpaid overdue, which would you pay off first?

 

If you had enough money, you'd pay them all off. If you don't, then pay off the small ones first since it doesn't require much money to get those monkeys off your back. Then go after the medium size debt. Then the larger one. Of course, you'd also want to take into consideration the other priorties stuff I mentioned in the credit thread. However, on a basic level, it's as simple as in this paragraph, which comes straight from your advice item number 1.

 

"Test Taking 101" applies to real life situations too. Good post EasyGuy.

 

You might want to add a number 5: "Keep your cool and stay calm because you'll think better that way. You're going to do the best you can (hopefully you've studied) and whatever happens happens."

 

As a friend says, "Do the best you can and let God take care of the rest." Same idea. Do what you can and don't sweat the rest. If you've studied ahead, you'll probably do fine. If not, then worrying still won't help. So don't bother to worry because it's wasted energy. The time to worry was back when you should have been studying. Test time is not time to worry. This whether an academic test or a life test.

 

I was accustomed to getting "As", but if I got a "B", that's fine to as long as I gave my best effort. A "C" would not be to my satisfaction, but once again, if I gave my best effort, then I wouldn't let it get me down. If you can have this type attitude, it really promotes calm, which tends to improve performance. In any case, it reduces stress and that's an end in itself.