Test Taking Study Skills: Studying for Exams and Strategies for Taking Tests
It is important for you or your student to understand that you need to take different types of tests and different subjects differently. Go over each type of test either as they are assigned or ahead of time. Studying for exams can be challenging but half of the battle is figuring out what to study and the best strategies for taking tests.
Test Taking Study Skills and Tips
-Always circle or underline important directions or question words like not/except.
-As soon as you get the exam, use the back of the question sheet (or a sheet of scratch paper) to write down facts and details that you have memorized, but are afraid you might forget. Only spend a minute or two on this.
-Always ask for clarification if you are unsure about a question on a test or quiz.
Test Taking Strategies for Essay Exams (English or History)
When Studying for Essay Exams:
-Make sure you know the main ideas of what you are reading before going into the exam.
-Group like key terms together and memorize the grouping so if you have a question on one area, you will remember the terms associated with it.
-Memorize a few important points for every section of subject matter you may be tested on.
-Always know a summary of stories or chronological events that will be on the test.
When Taking Essay Exams:
1. Read all of the questions and make sure to answer to ones you think you can do best first (build confidence). Before answering any questions, read the directions thoroughly and carefully to be sure you understand exactly what is being asked. If the directions are not clear, ask the instructor or test proctor for clarification.
- Underline or circle important directions or words in the question.
2. Allot certain time to each question and stick to it! Do not spend too much time on any one question. If you find you do not have enough time to write a full essay, at least write an outline of your main points to show what you did know.
3. Always make a basic outline or ‘plan of attack’ on a separate sheet of paper before writing. Always include evidence.
4. Double space if the teacher allows it (this allows you to add in changes later). Also leave space in the margin for teachers comments and lots of space in between questions in case you want to go back and add something.
5. Answer the essay question directly in your first sentence. You can help yourself stay focused by using a partial repeat of the question (e.g., if asked “What was the significance of the Gulf War,” you might write “The significance of the Gulf War was…..”). Begin each answer with one or two sentence thesis which summarizes your answer. If possible, phrase the statement so that it rephrases the question’s essential terms into a statement (which therefore directly answers the essay question).
-Go back and underline your topic sentences, thesis questions and key terms you use. This will help the grader see you are well organized, easily find your main points and know to use key terms (sometimes they skim and miss them!).
6. Conclusions should summarize answer and answer the question “so what” or “why is this important”
7. Go back and make sure you answered the question.
8. Proof if you have time!
Study Skills for Tests in Multiple Choice Exams (English, History, Science, Math, Language, SAT)
When Studying for Multiple Choice Exams
-Focus on details while studying for these tips of tests.
-Memorize vocabulary words and definitions. (Multiple choice exams test your knowledge of concepts by structuring questions around vocabulary words.)
-Understand multi-step processes and event sequences. (Multiple choice exams almost always include questions about groupings and similarities.)
When Taking Multiple Choice Exams
-Always circle not/except in questions.
-Skip hard questions to get all of the easy ones done.
-Always go back and check if you have extra time.
P.S- Never taken a study skills course before? These tips are free, but you might want to consider signing up for our free email mini-course where we give you tons of study skills tips. Or just get our Study Skills Bootcamp Webinar that has instructional study skills videos, handouts and templates for students to save you time and improve your grades.
