SCLibrary Blog

Test Taking Tips & Strategies

Taking a test can be a very daunting situation. Whether you’re thinking you’re prepared and didn’t need to study or thinking you’re underprepared and don’t know where to start, don’t worry. Listed below are various test taking tips and strategies that you can start implementing to become a better test taker and lower testing anxiety.

1. Study – While this may seem like an obvious tip, it’s important enough to make the list. Studying is not one-size-fits-all, and what works for one person might not work for another. Always set aside some time to study throughout the quarter. Being in an accelerated program means classes move quickly and you’ll be done with your program before you know it. Setting up positive study habits from the beginning will help keep you on track and keep you from cramming. Figure out which time management strategy works for you and use that throughout your time in school.
2. Review notes – Reviewing your notes throughout the quarter can help you feel more prepared when it comes time to take a test. You can review your notes for completeness as well as organization. Sometimes, rewriting your notes will help your brain retain the information rather than forgetting it the second you put your notes away. Try graphically organizing the information in your notes and connect ideas and topics by drawing concept maps. Relate new information in your notes to information you already know.
3. Don’t cram – Cramming can increase test anxiety and might even cause you to forget the information altogether. Reviewing throughout the quarter and developing better study habits will help you retain the information and reduce test-taking anxiety. Review the night before but don’t cram right before the test. Trust that you know the information.
4. Don’t panic when you’re stuck – Taking too much time on a question you’re stuck on will increase your anxiety and make you feel rushed to answer other questions. Instead, have a strategy when facing tough questions. If you are taking an in-person paper exam, mark tough questions (with an asterisk or symbol of your choice) and come back to it when you’ve answered everything else that you can. In this simple way, you can decrease your anxiety. If you are taking an online exam, stay cognizant of the time. Know before you take the test how long you have to complete it. Knowing your time constraint and question count can help you allot a certain amount of time per question. With multiple choice, use the process of elimination to find the best answer if you are unsure and move on to the next question.
5. Don’t wait until the last minute – Prior to the test, make sure your laptop or device is working properly and you are not having Wi-Fi connectivity issues. If you have a certain date and time you need to do your test by, don’t procrastinate. This will increase testing anxiety and make you feel rushed. Try to take the test before the last date possible or, if you do take it the last day, try to take it well before the time the exam closes. You don’t want to be in the middle of taking your test and the time closes, causing your test to close out and you are unable to finish.

Along with these tips, please refer to the library’s How to Study guide, which contains links to various resources that you can use to improve your study habits.