Test-Taking Tips

Before the Day of the Test

• Be sure you know exactly when and where the test will be given. Make arrangements for getting to the test site.
• Become familiar with the standard directions for the test.
• Practice answering test questions by filling in the appropriate spaces on a separate answer sheet.
• Check the dress code for the test, and plan what you will wear.
• Get plenty of sleep the night before the test.

On the Day of the Test

• Dress in appropriate attire.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Before you leave home, be sure you have everything you need. This should include at least three sharpened #2 pencils, a reliable watch, and a cordless calculator if you choose to use one.
• Leave at home any materials you will not be permitted to take into the testing room, such as books, notes, and a radio.
• Arrive early at the test site.
• Choose a quiet, comfortable seat in the testing room. Find a place away from the door to minimize distractions. Consider sitting in the front row, where you can concentrate on the test completely without being distracted by students in front of you.
• Remain as relaxed as possible. Remember that you have taken the time to review and prepare for the test. Now is the time to be confident in your ability to do well.

During the Test

• Listen attentively to any instructions, and read the test directions carefully. Be sure you understand exactly what to do.
• Use your watch to keep track of time and to pace your progress during the exam.
• Read each question carefully. Be sure you know what information is required before you read the possible responses.
• Keep track of the number of each question you are answering. Be certain you are marking your answers in the correct row on your answer sheet.
• Feel free to mark and write in your test booklet. However, carefully avoid making any extra marks on your answer sheet.
• Skip any question that you cannot answer immediately. Mark that question in your test booklet, and go on to the next question. Be sure you skip that number on your answer sheet, too. When you have finished, go back and answer the questions you skipped.
• Work as quickly and accurately as possible. Remember that the contest examinations are scored for accuracy and ties are broken based on the order in which the tests were turned in.

Answering True/False Questions

• Read the directions carefully so that you know how to mark your answers.
• Read each test statement slowly and carefully. If any part of the statement is not accurate, then the entire statement is false. Do not mark a statement true unless every part of the statement is true.
• Look for "clue" words that may make a statement false. Some of these words are always, all, only, none, and very. Words such as usually and generally are often used with true statements.
• Be especially careful in reading negative statements. Take the time to be sure you understand the statement before marking it true or false.
• Remember that, with True/False questions, your first hunch is usually correct.
• Do not look for a pattern in the answers. There usually isn't any.

• Read the directions carefully, and be sure you understand them. Usually, only one answer is required. In some tests, more than one answer is offered as an option, or a "none of the above" option may be offered.
• For each test item, read the statement thoroughly. Try to choose an answer before you read the choices. If your response is among the choices, mark that choice on your answer sheet.
• If your response is not among the choices, eliminate the obviously incorrect answers. Eliminate any choices that do not fit grammatically with the test statement. Also eliminate any choices that seem too vague or general to be meaningful.
• From the choices you have not eliminated, select the one that you feel is best. Test that answer by including it in the test statement and reading it to yourself. Does the statement make sense? If so, mark that choice on your answer sheet.

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