Some Tips to Help You In Any Test

1. Read the directions twice. Then set up a mental schedule for working through the test. So when you’re about halfway done with the test, check to make sure that you have about half the time left.
2. Don’t waste time thinking too much about really hard questions. If you have no idea at all, just guess and go on. If you need more time to work it out, skip it and come back at the end if you have enough time.
3. Don’t make the test harder than it is. Sometimes, simple, easy questions are just that. If you think a question is too easy, your answer is probably just right.
4. Ask your teacher questions if you are confused about the directions. He or she can’t give you answers but may be able to give you information that can help you.
5. Focus on the content of the test. Not about how you feel.
6. Check your work at the end.

Special Tips for Multiple Choice Exams

1. As you read the question, try to guess the answer, if you can, before looking at the choices. If the answer you guessed is one of the choices, it’s probably correct.
2. Always read each question and all the answers completely, even if you guessed at the answer. There may be a better answer further down the list.
3. Quickly leave out any choices that could not possibly be right. Many questions have only two choices that make sense, along with a few that couldn't be right. You should work at spotting poor choices so that you can quickly get rid of them.
4. Know that sometimes information important to one question given away in another part of the test.
5. On questions that have “all of the above” as a choice, if you just know that two of the choices are right, you should choose “all of the above.” If you are pretty sure that one of the choices is wrong, you should pick just one of the other answers, not “all of the above.”
6. Look out for words such as “always,” “never,” “necessarily,” “only,” “must,” “completely,” “totally” and others like that. If they are so overreaching, the answer is probably wrong. Look for a more specific choice. But you should also know that words like “often,” “sometimes,” “perhaps,” “may” and “generally” often show up in correct answers.

Tips for Essay Exams

1. Time is usually important, so start by looking over the questions and planning to use your time based on:
   • your knowledge,
   • the time needed to answer each question and
   • the points you might get for answering each question. Usually, it’s a good idea to start by answering the questions that are worth the most and that you know best.
2. Spend a minute getting organized before you start the exam. Sometime students are in such a hurry to write their answers that their paragraphs are not well organized. Make sure your writing makes good sense and is in good order. Take a moment to outline what you will write.
3. In writing essays, the trick is to write less and say more. Try to get right to the point, say what you mean as clearly as you can, and stop. Teachers do not like it when you try to cover up your lack of knowledge by just writing a lot.
4. Use any vocabulary words you’ve learned about the topic. Teachers like to see that you can use those words and that you show what you know.