10 Test Taking Tips

Cajun — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:46:00 GMT

Most people when faced with taking a test will face some level of anxiety, this is to be expected. Often one of the major contributors to anxiety is a fear of test taking, a fear of failure, a lack of preparation, a fear of being judged, etc. No matter how you cut it there is something deeply psychological about test taking that impacts even the best of us. So here are some tips on how to approach taking a test to cut down on that anxiety and put your best foot foreword.

1.) Prepare — it may sound obvious but one of the best ways to fight off testing anxiety is to know the material backwards and forewords. The best way for me to study for a test is to study as if I were going to have to teach the material to a group of strangers. If I can do that, an impersonal test is nothing.

2.) Put the test in perspective — if the test is 30 percent of your final grade for a course then it is somewhat reasonable to have an amount of anxiety, after all it is a make or break kind of deal. Even still if you know your stuff you have a better than average chance of doing okay. If the test is 5 percent of your grade, it is still important, but nothing you should be losing sleep over. Keep tests in perspective.

3.) Don't sweat people being judgmental — a pass/fail grade on a test is not a testament as to who you are as a person or a measure of if you are a successful person or not. It simply gauges your knowledge over a very specific and limited amount of information at that point in time, that's all. Don't create monsters that do not exist, tests are not supposed to expose your weaknesses but instead gauge your level of strength in an area you are trying to grow.

4.) Get sleep the night before a test — try to avoid last minute cramming as much as possible.

5.) Leave yourself a lot of time getting to the testing site — running late only increases anxiety, try to get there a half hour ahead of time so that you can orient yourself, relax for a bit and collect your thoughts. Rushing through the door with only two minutes to spare is likely to prove distracting.

6.) Be focused on your objective — you are not going there to meet new people. You are not there to make friends or chat up the cute girl (or guy) at the reception desk. Stay on task, don't get distracted.

7.) Try not to cram — cramming the night before a test can actually be counterproductive if you already know the material and may indeed reduce your sleep, raise your stress level and have the opposite of the desired effect. Of course if you have not studied at all or are inadequately prepared, cram as much as you can because something is better than nothing. But realize that cramming is NOT a strategy. It is one of those “break glass in case of emergency” moments and should rarely be used.

8.) Eat a nice, healthy meal before the test — avoid sugary or heavy foods which may lead to feelings of sleepiness.

9.) Know what materials you are allowed to have and which materials are prohibited in the testing center. Don't short yourself of any potential tools by misunderstanding the rules. For example, when taking certain exams a regular function calculator is permissible whereas a scientific calculator is prohibited. How annoying would it be to show up with a scientific calculator only to have it taken from you prior to the test leaving you with no calculator at all?

10.) Bring extra pens, pencils, paper, etc.— breaking a pencil or a pen running out of ink in the middle of a critical essay or word problem can be immensely distracting and could prove to eat up time as you search for a replacement. Always bring a backup and try to bring a backup for that backup.

The list isn't comprehensive but hopefully gets you thinking along the right track prior to test day. Good luck!

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My Ashford University Experience : cramming for test

10 Test Taking Tips