Throughout your educational life, and probably at various points throughout your life, you will be asked to take tests. Taking tests can cause anxiety and distress. Therefore, it is important for you to learn the techniques that can help you prepare, master and take tests better.

Reasons for Taking Exams:
1. To determine your mastery of a particular subject or specific material.
2. To determine the standing of one person in relationship to another.
Determining What Is Going To Be On An Exam:
1. Is it a quiz over one chapter?
2. Is the test a final exam over the entire course?
3. Is it a standardized exam for college admission?

The structure of the exam, and information you are required to know determines the study structure you must formulate!
 
 

Hints For Taking Essay Exams:
1. Write down all the facts you know about the question.
2. Organize them in the order they should appear.
3. Compose the first paragraph, including the major points.
4. Write the essay.
5. Reread. Check for grammar and content.

Hints For Standardized Tests:
Standardized exams are not specific to any course, but they attempt to assess individual learning ability. You can increase your score through practice. Such practice can be obtained through test-prep agencies, software, or practice manuals.

Hints For Multiple-Choice Exams:
1. Start with the first question and continue to answerer every question until finished.
2. Answer every question you know first, and then go back and do the harder ones.
3. Answer the hardest questions first, and then return to the easy ones.
4. Leave time to recheck test answers.

Hints About Guessing:
If there is no penalty for wrong answers, you should guess.  You can increase your chances for guessing correctly if you are able to eliminate answers that are obviously incorrect.

Testing is a skill that can be learned! You must learn to take the time to master the above suggestions in order to become proficient in this area.
 
 

Positive Thinking
 Utilize the concept of "positive thinking!" Thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Convince yourself that you are prepared and ready to do your best. Keep the whole test taking experience in the proper perspective. Prepare yourself, and you are bound to do well.

 Relax and Focus
 Relax and focus your thoughts on the task-at-hand. Avoid letting your mind "wander" to places that will not enhance your test score.

Avoid Cramming:
Schedule and create periodic review sessions to learn information. The more often you review, the less you will have to pull "all-nighters" the week of the test. It is important that you develop the habit of staying on top of the material.  Take notes from the textbook and ask questions in class on material you don't understand.

Test Yourself
Create practice tests from class materials. Create test questions from information that your teacher has emphasized in class.

 Study Groups
Find a small group of like-minded students to share notes, question each other, and prepare for tests together.  Search out students who are smarter than you, and enhance your learning. The point is to study with students who will challenge your mind.