Test Taking Strategies

1. Why, What, How Test Taking Strategies Nancy BlairMMGW Consultantnancy.blair@sreb.org

2. Objectives • Why – the impact of teaching test taking strategies to students • What -- effective test taking strategies • How – ways to teach strategies to students Test-Taking Strategies

3. “Improving test taking skills and knowledge of students is one of the quickest ways to improve test scores.” (Weller & Weller, 1998) Test-Taking Strategies

4. Create Relationships Study, Manage Time, and Get Organized Improve Reading and Writing Improve Mathematics Skills Set Goals and Plan for the Future Access Resources Habits of Success What are the HABITS that help students . . . Test-Taking Strategies

5. For BEST Test Preparation • Provide quality instruction throughout the year • Teach Test Taking Strategies and monitor use by students • Practice Ethics in Test Preparation • Teach HOW to test, not specific test items Test-Taking Strategies

6. All Students Benefit • Test strategies benefit all students but especially: • 20% who are high test anxious • Helps low achieving students from low socio-economic backgrounds: • Minorities • ESL students • Learning disabled students Test-Taking Strategies

7. Testing 1. Achievement tests evaluate 2 kinds of knowledge: subject matter and how to take a test. 2. Students may know the material evaluated by the test, but if they do not know how to take the test they may perform poorly. 3. Problem solving approach to learning test taking skills and strategies in a workshop format is best way. 4. When we teach specific test strategies, the likelihood that tests will act as barriers to students’ academic opportunities will decrease as ease with testing familiarity improves. Test-Taking Strategies

8. High Stakes Tests • Explain the importance of doing your best on the test: • Student placement decisions • Access to some courses • Reputation of school • Community property values • School funding decisions • Balance the emphasis on the importance of the test by frequently reassuring the students of they will be well prepared through quality classroom instruction. Test-Taking Strategies

9. Three ways to overcome test anxiety: • Teach students test strategies • Use cooperative groups at learning and practice time • Create a positive environment Test-Taking Strategies

10. Relieving Anxiety • Relaxation techniques: deep breathing and tensing and relaxing muscles • Visualization • Positive affirmations (self-talk) Test-Taking Strategies

11. Test Taking Strategies • How to understand test directions and test format • How to deal with unnecessary information • Comprehension strategies for reading • Multiple choice questions • Budget time wisely • Educated guesses • Check the test Test-Taking Strategies

12. Test Taking Vocabulary • Teach the “power verbs” often seen on tests. • Review released test items and compile a list of confusing terms students might encounter. Test-Taking Strategies

13. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • P. Prepare to succeed (P.A.S.S.) • I. Inspect the instructions (R.U.N.) • R. Read, remember, reduce • A. Answer or abandon • T. Turn back • E. Estimate or guess (A.C.E.) • S. Survey or look back Test-Taking Strategies

14. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • P. Prepare to succeed (P.A.S.S.) P – Put your name and PIRATES on the test A – Allot time and order to the test S – Say your affirmations S – Start the test within 2 minutes Test-Taking Strategies

15. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • A – Allot time and order to the test On classroom tests that have different types of questions with different point values in different sections, this is especially important. Test-Taking Strategies

16. Affirmations • Teach students about “self-talk” • “I will stay calm.” • “I will pass this test.” • “I will be positive about this test.” • Don’t forget to give affirmations often • “I know you can do this; you are well prepared.” • “We have worked very hard this year and you really know this material.” Test-Taking Strategies

17. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • I. Inspect the instructions (R.U.N.) R – Read the instructions carefully U – Underline what to do and where to respond N – Notice special requirements Test-Taking Strategies

18. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • I. R.U.N. Example • Circle the letter next to the most appropriate choice. • Write “T” in front of statements that are true. Write “F” in front of statements that are false. Test-Taking Strategies

19. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • R. Read, remember, reduce • Read the whole questions • Circle or underline important information; cross out unnecessary information • Remember what you studied • Make notes in the margins • Reduce the choices • Cross obviously wrong answers Test-Taking Strategies

20. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • R. Read, remember, reduce example: • Cars, buses, and trainsa) are all green in color • b) are built of wood c) are forms of land transportation • d) are slow Test-Taking Strategies

21. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • A. Answer or abandon • Answer the question or abandon for the moment If you abandon a question, lightly mark the item left of the number on the answer document so you remember to come back to it. Test-Taking Strategies

22. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • A. Answer or abandon example: • Working conditions during the early paleonic period werea) always fair • b) never fair c) usually fair • d) never dangerous Abandon! Test-Taking Strategies

23. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • T. Turn back • After you finish the test, go back and answer the abandoned items • Sometimes you may find additional helpful information in other test items Test-Taking Strategies

24. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • E. Estimate or guess (A.C.E.) A – Avoid absolutes C – Choose the longest or most detailed choice. E – Eliminate similar choices* *This is tricky! A) 12 inches B) one foot C) 18 inches A) numbers B) even numbers C) fractions Test-Taking Strategies

25. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • Absolutes • All • Always • Every • No • None • Never • Only • Non-Absolutes • Few • Some • Seldom • Sometimes • Most • Many • Often • Usually Test-Taking Strategies

26. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • E.Estimate or guess (A.C.E.) • Working conditions during the early paleonic period werea) always fair • b) never fair c) usually fair • d) never dangerous Test-Taking Strategies

27. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • The average length of the four-toed cremuth isa) one foot • b) twelve inches c) three feet • d) eighteen inches Test-Taking Strategies

28. P.I.R.A.T.E.S. • S. Survey or look back • Survey to ensure ALL questions are answered. • Switch an answer only if you’re sure. Test-Taking Strategies

29. Teaching Your Students • In some state, students can write on the test booklets; teach them to take advantage of the opportunity. • Decide as a team who will teach which strategies. • Routinely apply practice strategies to practice materials and on classroom assessments. • Decide which strategies ALL teachers will expect students to use on classroom assessments or CRT practice items. Test-Taking Strategies

30. Teaching Your Students • Give bonus points for use of thePIRATES strategy • If using workbooks that can’t be written in, run off some questions for practice OR have students copy a question on to paper then use the strategy. • Practice, practice, practice analyzing the logic of test items – • What are the key words in the item? • Why are some answers NOT correct? • How could you eliminate some choices? Test-Taking Strategies

31. Packets of Information • Guidelines for various types of test items • Tip sheet – “Eight Ways to Prepare Students for High-Stakes Tests” • PIRATES Test Taking Strategy and bookmark template • Twelve Words chart • Test of Franzipanics Test-Taking Strategies

32. Test of Franzipanics • With a partner, apply the strategies we have discussed and try to figure out the correct answer for each item. • Let’s use the A.C.E. strategies A – Avoid absolutes C – Choose the longest or most detailed choice. E – Eliminate similar choices Test-Taking Strategies

33. Test of Franzipanics • 1. The purpose of the cluss in furmpaling is to remove a. cluss-prags c. cloughs b. tremalis d. plumots No No No A. C. E. No clues using A.C.E., so look for information in the stem to appear in the answer choices. Test-Taking Strategies

34. Test of Franzipanics • 2. Trassig is true when a. lusp trasses the vom b. the viskal flans, if the viskal is donwil or zortil c. the belgo frulls d. dissles lisk easily A. C. E. No Yes No Some people pick a. because of the appearance of the root “trass.” Test-Taking Strategies

35. Test of Franzipanics • 3. The sigla frequently overfesks the trelsum because a. all siglas are mellious b. siglas are always votial c. the trelsum is usually tarious d. no trelsa are feskable A. C. E. Yes ----- ----- Test-Taking Strategies

36. Test of Franzipanics • 4. The fribbled breg will minter best with an a. derst c. sorter b. morst d. ignu No No No A. C. E. Look for other clues – the answer has to start with a vowel. Test-Taking Strategies

37. Test of Franzipanics • 5. Among the reasons for tristal doss are a. the sabs foped and the foths tinzed b. the kredges roted with the orots c. few rakobs were accepted in sluth d. most of the polats were thonced No No No A. C. E. Look for other clues – the answer should be plural. Test-Taking Strategies

38. Test of Franzipanics • 6. Which of the following (is, are) always present when trossels are being gruven? a. rint and vost c. shum and vost b. sot and plone d. vost No No Yes A. C. E. Test-Taking Strategies

39. Test of Franzipanics • 7. The mintering function of the ignu is most effectively carried out in connection with a. a raxma tol b. the groshing stantol c. the fribbled breg d. a frally sush No No No A. C. E. Look for other clues – refers back to #4 Test-Taking Strategies

40. Test of Franzipanics • 8. a. c. b. d. Huh?When all else fails, look at the pattern of the answers: 1-A; 2-B; 3-C; 4-D;5-A; 6-B; 7-C; 8-? Test-Taking Strategies

41. In Closing “It becomes apparent that to even up the score, we should teach all students how to take tests. That’s right; test-taking skills can be learned—if you make it your business to teach them.” Campanile, 1981 Test-Taking Strategies