Test Taking Strategies

1. La Mesa Jr. High School ELD Department Presents Test Taking Strategies STAR Standardized Testing and Reporting

2. Why Should Students Bother? • Test scores give you a fair measure of your achievement • Test taking is good practice for • PSAT – Preliminary SAT for scholarships • SAT – Used for college entrance • ACT – Used to screen college applicants • CAHSEE – Must be passed to graduate from high school

3. Why Do Schools Bother? • State of California requires schools to give their students these tests • Our school is evaluated based on the test results (School’s Report Card) • Test scores are used to compare schools • Good scores help to build the reputation of the school in the community

4. Pacing . . . . . • Pace - the constant speed traveled over a certain distance • Long Distance • Runner must understand pacing or will probably run out of energy before the distance is covered • Sprint • With a short amount of time to run, the runner must plan to run quickly before time runs out

5. example . . . • You have 30 minutes to do 30 questions. How long for each question? • You have 50 minutes to do 100 questions. How long for each question?

6. Following Directions . . . • Always listen to the directions given by the teacher • Read the directions written on the test • Ask the teacher if you do not understand the directions

7. When filling in the bubbles on the answer sheet: • Make sure you completely fill in the bubble • Fill in only one bubble for each question • When you change an answer, erase the “old bubble” completely • Do not make any extra marks on the answer sheet • As you answer a question, be sure the number on the answer sheet matches the number of the question in the test booklet

8. When you begin the test . . . • Do not spend too much time on hard questions • Try not to get upset when you cannot answer a hard question • Remember easy questions are not just at the beginning of the test • You are not expected to know all of the answers • It’s okay to make a light mark on your answer sheet next to the number of the question you are skipping and wish to come back to later (just remember to completely erase the mark)

9. Elimination Strategy • If you can’t figure out which answer is correct, try ruling out answers that you know are wrong (cross them out) • On Math tests, rule out answers that are too big or too small (cross them out in you test booklet) • On Vocabulary and Reading tests, rule out answers that seem too extreme (cross them out in your test booklet) • On all tests, rule out answers that just “sound wrong” (cross them out in your test booklet) • Once you’ve ruled out an answer, you never have to look back at it again – just focus on the choices that remain • Select the BEST answer • If you have some knowledge, but are not sure, take your best guess. THERE’S NO PENALTY FOR GUESSING.

10. example . . . • La Mesa Junior High School is dedicated to having the best staff and at this time has _______________ teachers. (a) 540 (b) 17 (c) 55 (d) 27

11. When to Skip Around . . . . • On some tests, questions are neatly ordered in terms of increasing level of difficulty • On others, the test makers alternate between easy and hard questions to motivate students to finish each question set • To skip around effectively, students must be able to diagnose when a question looks too hard or too time-consuming

12. Educated Guesses • Leaving an answer blank means you get NO chance of getting points • A random guess gives you a 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 chance of guessing the correct answer • An educated guess, ruling out one or more wrong answers, increases your chances of guessing correctly • Educated guessing means using everything you know to attempt to answer the questions

13. example . . . . . Mr. Malavé teaches two of the following subjects at La Mesa: a. Homemaking & Cooking b. Photography & Art c. English & Spanish d. Saturday School

14. Clue Words Key WordWhat to look for in the answer Who? Name a person What? Name a thing When? Name a time Where? Name a place Which? Name a choice Why? Give a reason How? The way something is done How Many? Give an amount or number

15. Clue Words Strategy • Use the clue words to eliminate incorrect answers and narrow down possible correct choices • First, skim the information and questions; then read carefully and examine all the answer choices • It is very rare to find the correct choice in exactly the same words that are presented in the question

16. Special words • Pay special attention to words in answer choices such as: All, None, Must, Always, Never, Each, Every • These words signal absoluteness and often imply wrong answer choices • Watch statements that include qualifying words such as: Some, Generally, Sometimes, Usually, Frequently • These words are often used to throw you off track

17. example . . . . Why is taking the STAR test important? • Because all students who don’t take the test will have to repeat the 8th grade • Because some students may receive special scholarships for doing well • Because most schools will close down if students perform terribly on the test • Because the CST/CAT6 always shows how smart you are

18. Estimation Strategy • Round off and make an educated guess Example: If oranges are 99 cents a pound, how much would you pay for 6 pounds? • Round the 99 cents to $1 and multiply by 6 • In Math, estimating is an approximate answer obtained by rounding the numbers BEFORE you add, subtract, multiply, or divide

19. example . . . . Can you estimate the following without writing the numbers in columns and adding them up? What is 325 + 917 +796?

20. Graph, Chart, & Table Strategy • Understand what information is given and what information is asked for • Read all the titles, labels, and any other given information • Check to make sure what units of measure are given • Check the scale and figure out what each division or increment means • Look for a pattern, trend, or comparison in the graph or table

21. example . . . . Snacks at La Mesa Jr. High School & Golden Valley High School Which school makes more money from the sale of Cookies?

22. example #2 . . . . Earnings of Best Buy - 2006 • What is the title of the graph? • Which quarter had the highest earnings? • Compare the shares sold in the 1st quarter and the 4th quarter

23. Marking Answers Strategy • Use a No. 2 pencil • Always mark answers neatly, within the designated areas • Erase mistakes completely • Avoid extra markings (If you marked a question to go back to, make sure you erase the mark) • Always double check to make sure the number of the question is the one you are answering • Only one answer for each question • When you know it’s almost time to finish, go back and answer the questions that you haven’t finished

24. Reducing Test Taking Fears • Gritting teeth, biting your nails, making fists or having sweaty palms are some indicators of anxiety • Practice relaxation techniques: take a deep breath and exhale quickly to allow your body to relax • Use the strategies we have discussed and you will feel more confident and less nervous

25. During the test, you should • Make sure you know what to do before the test begins • Ask questions • Think about one item at a time • Read every word carefully • Know that there are easier questions paced throughout the test (easy first) • Answer every question & make intelligent guesses • Do Your Best on the Test!