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Strategies for Taking Standardized Tests. ‘Twas the Night Before Testing. Make sure you get enough sleep. Review the CST prep materials in a timely manner. The Morning of Testing. Eat a good breakfast. Get to your testing site early. Listen to all testing directions carefully.
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‘Twas the Night Before Testing • Make sure you get enough sleep. • Review the CST prep materials in a timely manner.
The Morning of Testing • Eat a good breakfast. • Get to your testing site early. • Listen to all testing directions carefully. • Think Positive!
The Sleeping Cure! • If you find yourself getting sleepy or distracted take a deep breath- hold the breath in for a count of four, then breath out for a count of eight. • This will renew your supply of oxygen allowing you to think and remember better. • Repeat this breathing exercise as many times as needed to remain wide awake and mentally fresh.
Pace Yourself • Don’t spend too much time on any one question. Do your best, then move on. • Answer all of the easiest questions first, then make sure to go back to the beginning and answer all of your skipped questions.
Multiple Choice Questions • If you do not understand any of the directions, ask for immediate clarification. • Read the question and apply a strategy that was reviewed the previous week. • Do not change your first answer unless you are very certain about your new answer choice. • Don’t leave any answer choices blank.
I know C isn’t the answer! I am the Eliminator! The Process of Elimination • After you have read through the question, look through the answer choices and eliminate the answers that are far-fetched or obviously wrong. • You have now increased your chances to find the correct answer.
Choose Wisely!The Art of Elimination! The more answers you eliminate, the better your chances!
Identify Key Words • Use the key words or phrases of the question to help you choose the correct answer. • Circle the key words and numbers in a difficult question. • This helps you stay focused on the central question.
Are we communicating? • Make sure you understand what the question is asking. • Be sure you are answering the question that is being asked.
More Tools- Predicting • With a reading passage, try to formulate an answer before you read the choices. • This helps avoid choosing appealing answers that only look right. • Cover the answers with your hand. • Read the question and predict the answer. • Find the choice that most closely matches your prediction.
Reading Passages • When there are several questions from a reading passage or chart, look for clues in the other questions that will help you answer the questions you are unsure about.
The Death Grip • If your arm tires during testing it is probably due to the grip that you have on your pencil. • Relax the grip and give those muscles a break.
Return and Check • If you finish early, check to make sure you have answered all questions correctly and to the best of your ability.
Thank you, Mr. Know-it-all! • Remember it's okay not to know everything — unlike class tests, these tests will have some questions designed to challenge the limits of your grade level knowledge.
Final Tips • Fill in bubbles fully, write neatly, and erase stray marks. • Relax • Read carefully • Respond with confidence