Transcript AVID Benefits to AP Students

Standardized
Test-taking
Tips
Pre-Test Day
• Know where your test is being given
• NO REVIEW the night before
• De-stress exercises
Test Day
• Eat a good Breakfast - you need the
glucose to feed your brain
–MINIMUM - eat a piece of fruit
• No further study! You are as prepared
as you’ll ever be - RELAX!!!!!
Scrap Paper
• Request official scrap paper for
use during the exam to write notes
or do calculations.
–What you write on this
scrap paper won't
affect your score.
Multiple Choice Tips
• Answering about 1/2 the questions
correctly will get an average score
• Questions go from easy to hard, with
questions on graphics, charts & data
tables at the end
• Skip questions you don’t
understand and come
back to if there is time
Multiple Choice Tips
• Read test directions carefully before
you begin to mark any answers.
– If directions are not clear,
ask for clarification
before you begin
• Keep track of the time
–Budget your time accordingly.
Multiple Choice Tips
• All questions are worth 1 point,
regardless of difficulty
• If you can eliminate one or two wrong
answers to a questions,
it is best to guess
at the answer
Pace Yourself
• Make sure that you're not working too
slowly.
• You should have answered at least half
the questions in a section
when half the time for
that section has passed.
Reading Tips
• Read the entire question including
all the answer choices before
answering a question.
–Don't think that because the first or
second answer choice looks good to
you, it isn't necessary to read the
remaining options.
Key Words
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
all
always
but
except
every
generally
however
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
may
•
must
necessary •
•
never
•
none
•
not
often
only
perhaps
rarely
seldom
sometimes
usually
Reading Tips
• When a question or answer option
contains words such as "always,"
"every," "only," "never," and "none,"
there can be no exceptions to the
answer you choose.
• Use of words such as "often," "rarely,"
"sometimes," and "generally" indicates
that there may be some exceptions to
the answer.
“Conceptual" Questions
• Begin by:
– Covering the alternatives with a ruler or
piece of paper.
– Carefully read and understand the stem of
the question before looking at the
alternatives.
– Circle or underline key words in the stem,
paying special attention to qualifying
words such as "always," "major,"
"increase," etc.
“Conceptual" Questions
• Predict an answer, if possible.
• Uncover all of the alternatives and check the
format of the question.
– Is only one of the
alternatives correct,
or can several or
all of the
alternatives be
correct?
“Conceptual" Questions
• Narrow your choices, by eliminating any
alternative that you know is incorrect.
• If two options still look equally appealing,
compare each to the stem of the question,
making sure that the one you eventually
choose answers what is asked.
• If necessary, when looking over the
questions again, change an answer ONLY
if you can logically justify the change.
Calculations
•
•
•
•
•
Think about the procedure.
Make a rough estimate of the scale.
Solve the problem. Write legibly.
Compare your answer to the options given.
If the answer that you have calculated, is not
one of the given options, check your
procedure again, and recalculate.
• If your calculation is STILL wrong, put a big
question mark by that question, and go on
to the next. Go back to it at the end.
Don'ts
• Don't select an alternative just because you
remember learning the information in the
course
• Don't pick an answer just because it seems
to make sense.
– You are answering from your content
knowledge, not just from your general
logic.
• Don't dismiss an alternative because it
seems too obvious and simple an answer.
Don'ts
• Don't be wowed by fancy terms: don't say to
yourself, "That sounds impressive, so it
must be the right answer!"
• Don't pick "c" every time you are unsure of
the answer. You could end up picking "c" far
too many times.
• Don't pick your answer based on a pattern
of responses, i.e., don't say to yourself,
"This can't be another "b" answer as we
have just had three in a row."
Caution !!!
• MAKE SURE TO ERASE ALL STRAY
MARKS ON THE SIDE OF A SCANTRON BEFORE YOU TURN IN THE
TEST!!!!
–(the machine will count
a stray mark as an
“answer” and mark
the question incorrect.)
Congratulate
yourself on a job
well done!!!
Developed by
Anne F. Maben
Science Coach
UCLA Science Project
© 2005 UCLA
All rights reserved