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Practice Taking Tests
by Ron Kurtus (revised 14 October 2011)
If you want to be good at playing a musical instrument, you must practice playing that instrument. The same holds true for being able to do well in tests.
Practicing taking tests will improve your ability to work under the pressure of answering questions without your book and under strict time constraints. Sometimes doing homework as if it was a test, competing with friends, or taking sample tests are ways to practice.
Questions you may have include:
- Why should you have to practice?
- How can you practice tests with your homework?
- What are the other methods?
This lesson will answer those questions.
Why practice?
One big difference between taking a test and doing homework is that you are working under the pressure of finishing the test in within a certain time limit. The other difference is that you usually cannot look in your textbook or notes for information or an answer.
Since the whole idea is to be good at taking tests, the more you practice taking tests, the better you get doing them. You can practice by making believe your homework is a test, or you can take tests in study aids.
There are also some students that know the material but freeze up when working under pressure, so they often don't do well in tests. These methods will also help them gain the confidence they need.
Practice with homework
You might try practicing doing homework exercises, as if it was a test. In other words, set a time limit for doing certain homework exercises—perhaps using an alarm clock to provide some pressure—and you don’t use notes or your textbook to help you. When time is up, you can give yourself a grade and go back and finish the problems you couldn't do.
This also could be a good way to learn more and get through your homework more rapidly. If you have to solve a number of math problems, or you have to write an essay, doing it under time constraints will help you "zip through your homework."
Obviously, there are many homework assignments where this may not work. In some cases, you really need to refer to the book or your notes to get your homework done.
Other ways to practice
There are some other ways to practice taking tests.
Competing
Competing with a friend to see who finishes the homework first can be a way to practice performing under pressure. Obviously, you have to get the answers right or do a good job in the homework, besides being able to finish first.
Also, remember to follow the School for Champions philosophy of congratulating the winner—whether it is yourself or the other person. The idea isn't to win, but instead to improve the skills of both of you.
Sample tests
For students trying to get into college, there are books that help you prepare for the SAT and similar exams. They have sample tests to take as practice. This is another possibility to hone your test-taking skill.
Summary
Being good at tests is important in getting good grades. You can improve your test-taking abilities by practicing taking tests when doing your homework, competing with friends or using practice tests.
Practice makes perfect
Resources and references
The following resources provide information on this subject:
Websites
Books
Top-rated
books on Taking Tests
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