Online Reference For Test Preparation
Unprepared students cringe at the thought of having to take a test. In fact, the majority of students end up cramming their study time the night before taking the test, if they prepare at all. Properly prepared students realize that a little time and dedication will reward them with lesser stress, higher grades, and great financial rewards for persistent excellence. They generally follow a common list of tips, including keeping up-to-date with assignments, taking adequate notes, using active-learning strategies, adapting to their learning style, finding a place without distractions, and creating study tools to help understand the course material. In addition, prepared students utilize their time wisely by making summary sheets, flash cards, and practice tests to use during down time. Smart students also ask for help when they do not understand the course material by staying after class, getting a private tutor, and finding a study partner who can help reinforce the information obtained during class.
Test Taking Tips- Test Taking Strategies: Greece Central School District offers a series of documents that help students maximize their test taking performance, such as how to answer multiple choice questions, free-answers, avoiding test anxiety, and understanding common test phrases.
- Study Skills for High School Students (PDF): A document that shares tips for high school students who wish to excel on their tests, including time management skills, organizational skills, note taking strategies, compositional skills, reading comprehension strategies, and test preparation skills.
- How to Make the “A” on Your Tests: Maryville High School offers effective test-taking strategies to help students ace their tests, including the triage method, how to answer true/false questions, multiple choice questions, short-answer questions, and essay-based topics.
- Test Stress: Ten Terrific Test-Taking Tips: PBS Kids offers ten test-taking tips to help students ease their worries about passing the test while sitting in front of the exam.
- Test-Taking Resources: The National Center for Learning Disabilities offers several articles intended help students with learning disabilities pass their tests.
- Effective Test-Taking Methods to Pass with Flying Colors: Penn High School effective test-taking strategies for students to pass all test formats, including multiple choice questions, true/false questions, essay topics, and open book tests.
- Checklist: Test-Taking Strategies For Middle and High School Students (PDF): A document that instructs students on imparting sound test-taking strategies when it comes to sit down for the exam, including how to read directions, tackling multiple choice questions, reading comprehension, approaching essay topics, and understanding basic mathematical concepts.
- Methods Of Note Taking: An authoritative webpage that describes the Cornell, mapping, and outlining note-taking methods.
- Cornell Note Taking Method: The University of Maine-Fort Kent summarizes the five “R”s of the Cornell note-taking method, including record, reduce, recite, reflect, and review.
- 10 Steps to Better Notes: Florida Atlantic University offers ten pertinent steps to better note-taking, including using one side of the notepad to generate questions, dating and titling each lecture, generating a glossary of terms, writing down relevant keywords, utilizing the question mark for future intensive studying, writing a one sentence summary of each class session, using questions to generate charts and quizzes, using notes to create mock exams, and using notes to clarify daily assignments.
- Lectures and Taking Notes: An extensive resource that explains how to take effective notes during classroom lectures.
- A Guide to Taking Lecture Notes: A six-step guideline for taking effective lecture notes.
- Note-taking Resources: How to Study offers an extensive series of note-taking resources for the dedicated student.
- Reducing Test Anxiety: A special guide that help students recognize test anxiety, coping strategies, and needed methods to succeed.
- Teen Health: Test Anxiety: A three-page article that helps teens deal with test anxiety.
- Managing Test Anxiety: Ideas for Students (PDF): An extensive list of references that help students manage their test anxiety.
- Reducing Test Anxiety: A short article that offers fifteen tips for reducing test anxiety, an overwhelming worrisome feeling that a student experiences before taking an exam.
- American Test Anxiety Association: An association dedicated to helping students overcome their test anxiety.
- Reducing Test Anxiety for Standardized Tests: An archived letter from Norman Prince, an instructor, on reducing test anxiety for standardized tests, including how to perform deep breathing exercises, how to relax mentally and physically, how to visualize, and how to incorporate positive affirmations for effective change.
- How to Stop Procrastinating and Other Exam Survival Tips: Studies have shown that cramming produces high levels of anxiety that can interfere with test performance. This webpage offers alternative methods for cramming as a preparation for taking exams.
- Cramming: A Note of Caution: A webpage that covers the detrimental effects of students who choose to cram the night before an exam, instead of implementing progressive study habits.
- Cramming Techniques for Exams (PDF): A document that does not advocate cramming before an exam; however, it does offer some helpful tips to minimize the pitfalls that come with this popular study habit.
- Study Skills Tips: Exam Preparation (PDF): A short document that offers selective points and a summary background on preparing for an exam.
- Cramming and Test Performance (PDF): An abstract paper that explores the efficacy of a common college practice of cramming before an exam.
- Cramming for Finals: A great article that gives some hints and tips for cramming for finals.
- End-of-Course (EOC) Exam Study Guides: Marion County Public School offers a comprehensive list of study guides for students to pass End-of-Course exams.
- Effective Study Skills for High School Students: An extensive list of effective study skills for high school students who wish to improve their test performance.
- How to Study: A Brief Guide: A resourceful guide for studying quizzes, tests, and exams.
- Learning Disabilities: 10 Success Tips for High School Students (PDF): An important document that offers ten successful tips for high school students who wish to succeed on their exams.
- Developing Effective Study Effects (PDF): An extensive document that teaches students efficient methods for developing effective study habits relevant to high school curriculum.
