Taking The Taking The TestTest

Tips on Taking Tips on Taking Multiple-Choice Multiple-Choice

TestsTests

LOOK OVER THE LOOK OVER THE TEST AND PACE TEST AND PACE YOURSELFYOURSELF

When you first get the When you first get the test,test,

don’t just plunge into don’t just plunge into answering test items.answering test items.

Thumb through the pagesThumb through the pages and get the lay of the land.and get the lay of the land. How many questions areHow many questions are there?there? How many different How many different sections?sections? Are some questions worthAre some questions worth more points than others?more points than others?

Once you have looked over Once you have looked over the entire test, try to the entire test, try to estimate what pace you estimate what pace you should maintain in order to should maintain in order to finish approximately 10 finish approximately 10 minutes before the testing minutes before the testing period is over. period is over.

This will allow you some time This will allow you some time at the end to check for at the end to check for careless mistakes like careless mistakes like skipped questions and skipped questions and misread items.misread items.

Some of the worst Some of the worst problems occur when:problems occur when: Students enter a Students enter a timetime warp and forget to warp and forget to checkcheck the clock.the clock.

Students spend too Students spend too much time on one much time on one or two or two difficult items.difficult items.

Test Activity TimerTest Activity Timer Will help you keep up with time during

the testing session.

Ask your teachers:Ask your teachers:

1. What is it?1. What is it? 2.2. Can we use it in your classroom?Can we use it in your classroom?

* * All teachers have access to one.All teachers have access to one.

Take Short Take Short BreaksBreaks

Stop for a momentStop for a moment Shut your eyesShut your eyes Take some deep Take some deep breathsbreaths

Periodically clearing your Periodically clearing your head in this way can help you head in this way can help you stay fresh during the testing stay fresh during the testing session.session.

““Remember”Remember” You receive You receive

NO POINTSNO POINTS for being thefor being the

FIRST ONEFIRST ONE to complete the test!!to complete the test!!

Don’t Skip Don’t Skip AroundAround

There is a difference There is a difference in skipping around in skipping around and going on to the and going on to the next item on a test next item on a test when you are unsure when you are unsure of the answer for the of the answer for the current item.current item.

If you skip from If you skip from one one question/section question/section to another, you to another, you may not may not remember to remember to return to those return to those items you items you skipped.skipped.

You should You should always try to always try to

answer answer questions in questions in

order, as they order, as they appear on the appear on the

test.test.

If you are truly If you are truly baffled baffled (can not recall (can not recall the content) by a the content) by a question, make a question, make a mental or written mental or written note, and continue on note, and continue on with the test with the test returning to that returning to that question later. question later.

First Answers First Answers AreAre

Usually CorrectUsually Correct

• Don’t speed through Don’t speed through itemsitems with the idea of going with the idea of going backback later to change later to change answers answers you are unsure of.you are unsure of.

•Taking time to think Taking time to think through each question through each question usually means that your usually means that your initial answer will be initial answer will be correct.correct.

•There are always exceptions There are always exceptions to the rule, but best case to the rule, but best case practices show that the first practices show that the first time through the test is time through the test is when you are more likely to when you are more likely to answer correctly.answer correctly.

What To Do If What To Do If More More Than One Than One Answer Answer Seems Seems CorrectCorrect

If you are utterly stumped If you are utterly stumped by a question, the following by a question, the following

strategies will help you strategies will help you narrow the field and select narrow the field and select

the correct answer:the correct answer:

1.1. Ask yourself Ask yourself

whether the answerwhether the answer

your are your are considering considering

completely completely addressesaddresses

the question.the question.

• If the answer is partly If the answer is partly true,true, it is probably not the it is probably not the rightright answer.answer.

• If the answer is only If the answer is only true true under narrow under narrow conditions,conditions, it is probably not the it is probably not the rightright answer.answer.

• If you have to make a If you have to make a significant assumption insignificant assumption in order for the answer to be order for the answer to be true, and you teachers have true, and you teachers have not given you similar not given you similar questions, expecting you to questions, expecting you to make similar assumptions, make similar assumptions, don’t use that answer.don’t use that answer.

2. If you think 2. If you think an an

item is a item is a tricktrick

question, question, thinkthink

again.again.

• There are very few There are very few instances that a test item instances that a test item would be written with thewould be written with the intent to deceive.intent to deceive.

• If you suspect that a If you suspect that a question is a trick item, question is a trick item, you may be reading too you may be reading too much into the question.much into the question.

• Try to avoid Try to avoid imagining imagining detailed scenarios in detailed scenarios in which the answer which the answer couldcould be true.be true.

• “ “Trick questions”, in Trick questions”, in most cases, are only most cases, are only tricky because they tricky because they are are not taken at face not taken at face value.value.

3. If, after your very 3. If, after your very bestbest

effort, you cannot effort, you cannot choose between two choose between two alternatives, try alternatives, try vividly imaginingvividly imagining each one as the each one as the correct answer.correct answer.

• Most people often Most people often “feel” “feel” that one of the that one of the answers answers is wrong.is wrong.

• Trust this feeling – Trust this feeling – research suggests research suggests that that feelings can be feelings can be correct,correct, even when recall is even when recall is poor.poor. Go with that “gut Go with that “gut feeling”.feeling”.

• Although this tip is Although this tip is not infallible, many not infallible, many students find it useful students find it useful and come up with the and come up with the correct answer.correct answer.

Two BasicTwo Basic

Test TakingTest Taking

StrategiesStrategies

Strategy Strategy OneOne

BREATHE!BREATHE!

The night before the The night before the testtest

when you can’t get when you can’t get to to

sleep – sleep –

Breathe!Breathe!

On the morning of On the morning of the the

test when you are test when you are

feeling nervous –feeling nervous –

Breathe!Breathe!

As you open the test As you open the test

booklet – booklet –

Breathe!Breathe!

When you read a When you read a certain question – certain question –

Breathe!Breathe!

When you get a When you get a knot knot of anxiety in your of anxiety in your stomach – stomach –

Breathe!Breathe!

Take the time to Take the time to give yourself three give yourself three

deep breaths.deep breaths.

Why?Why?

Breathing deeply Breathing deeply allows you to allows you to take intake in more oxygen.more oxygen. More oxygen More oxygen renews all your renews all your systems, systems, including including your your brainbrain!!

Deep breathing directlyDeep breathing directly counters anxiety andcounters anxiety and tight muscles.tight muscles.

Deep breathing lowersDeep breathing lowers tension and reminds tension and reminds you to relax.you to relax.

Strategy Strategy TwoTwo

PracticePractice

PositivePositive

Self-Talk!Self-Talk!

What is self-talk?What is self-talk? A message we say A message we say about ourselves, about ourselves, either out loud to a either out loud to a friend or internally friend or internally to ourselves.to ourselves.

We tend to We tend to believe our believe our

self-talk self-talk messages.messages.

Negative Self-TalkNegative Self-TalkAbout Test TakingAbout Test Taking

“ “I’m scared to death.”I’m scared to death.” “ “I don’t know this I don’t know this stuff.”stuff.”

“ “I know I’m going to I know I’m going to bomb.”bomb.”

Learn to stop Learn to stop these these negativenegative

messages.messages.

Don’t say Don’t say them!!them!!

Don’t think Don’t think them!!them!!

Positive Self-Positive Self-TalkTalk

About Test About Test TakingTaking• ““I did okay on my practiceI did okay on my practice

tests.”tests.”• ““I know this stuff.”I know this stuff.”• “ “I got it right yesterday; I I got it right yesterday; I can get it right today.”can get it right today.”

Positive self-talkPositive self-talk doesn’t mean you doesn’t mean you

are a are a “genius”,“genius”, but but that you have that you have

studied, you know studied, you know the content, and the content, and

you feel you can do you feel you can do well on the test.well on the test.

Self-TalkSelf-Talk

IsIs

TRUE!!TRUE!!

When it is time for When it is time for testing, you may try to testing, you may try to fool others, but you fool others, but you can’t fool yourself. can’t fool yourself. Either you are ready, Either you are ready, or you are not. No or you are not. No amount of amount of self-talkself-talk will help ifwill help if you areyou are

unprepared.unprepared.

Points To Look Points To Look For Or For Or

Remember When Remember When Taking A Test!Taking A Test!

If you see a response thatIf you see a response that

you anticipated, circle it andyou anticipated, circle it and

then check to be sure that then check to be sure that

none of the other responses none of the other responses

is better. (If you are not is better. (If you are not

allowed to write on the test allowed to write on the test

booklet, use the same booklet, use the same

process on scratch paper.)process on scratch paper.)

“ “Funny” responses are Funny” responses are usually wrong.usually wrong. “ “All of the above” is All of the above” is oftenoften a correct response. Ifa correct response. If you can verify that you can verify that moremore than one of the otherthan one of the other responses is responses is probably probably correct, then choose correct, then choose “all “all of the above.”of the above.”

“ “None of the above” is None of the above” is usually an incorrect usually an incorrect response, but this is response, but this is less reliable than the less reliable than the “ “all of the above” all of the above” rule. rule.

Be very careful not toBe very careful not to be trapped by doublebe trapped by double negatives.negatives.

Look for verbal Look for verbal associations. associations. A response that repeats A response that repeats key key words that are in the words that are in the stem is stem is likely to be correct.likely to be correct.

Do not hesitate to ask for Do not hesitate to ask for clarification during a test clarification during a test in in the classroom if you feel the classroom if you feel thatthat a question could be a question could be interpretedinterpreted in more than one way.in more than one way.

Read very slowly, Read very slowly, running running a pencil under the wordsa pencil under the words as you read to avoid as you read to avoid mistakes.mistakes. Re-read the stem when Re-read the stem when necessary.necessary.

Look for key words in the Look for key words in the stem which you can stem which you can relate to relate to key words in the choice.key words in the choice.

Watch for absolutes such Watch for absolutes such asas all, none, always, never, all, none, always, never, only. only. Circle these words (if Circle these words (if allowed allowed to write on testing to write on testing material) material) and realize that they and realize that they usually usually indicate a false choice, indicate a false choice, unless unless you recall the teacher you recall the teacher emphasizing an absoluteemphasizing an absolute statement during class statement during class (e.g., all cells are ___).(e.g., all cells are ___).

Change an answer only Change an answer only whenwhen you have a concrete reason.you have a concrete reason. Never change an answer Never change an answer becausebecause of a of a “feeling”.“feeling”. This feeling This feeling is oftenis often simply nervousness. Your simply nervousness. Your “gut “gut feeling”feeling” should have led you should have led you to pick the new answer the to pick the new answer the first time around. first time around. DO NOT DO NOT confuse the two confuse the two “different “different feelings.”feelings.”

Survey the test completelySurvey the test completely

and read directions carefully.and read directions carefully.

Always read all the choices, Always read all the choices,

even when the first and even when the first and secondsecond

choice looks correct.choice looks correct.

Think of multiple choice as a Think of multiple choice as a

series of true/false series of true/false statements.statements.

Paraphrase the stem Paraphrase the stem byby saying to yourself, saying to yourself, “ “I see, I’m looking I see, I’m looking for …”for …”

You may want to You may want to anticipate the anticipate the answer answer and then look for it.and then look for it.

Re-read stems containing Re-read stems containing negative words (not, negative words (not, except,except, etc.). To avoid careless etc.). To avoid careless errorserrors with these confusing with these confusing questions,questions, mark each option with a mark each option with a TT or or F F and remind yourself that and remind yourself that you you are looking for a false are looking for a false statement statement (usually you are looking for (usually you are looking for a a true statement).true statement).

ONLY WRITE ON TEST ONLY WRITE ON TEST BOOKLETSBOOKLETS

WHEN IT SAYS THAT YOU CAN.WHEN IT SAYS THAT YOU CAN.

The EndThe End