Test Taking

1. Test Taking Ch. 8 Strategies for Success in School

2. Preparation! • How can preparation improve Test Performance?

3. “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” • Woody Allen

4. “By failing to prepare, • you are preparing to fail.” • ~ Benjamin Franklin

5. Preparation • Attend class • Pay attention • Take good notes • Join a study group • 1:3 • Communicate with your instructor

6. Preparation • Test date • Study daily • Don’t procrastinate • Find all your stuff • Make it make sense

7. Preparation • What will be covered • Ask for help • A study place • Take responsibility • Be confident

8. Preparation • Identify test type and material covered • Topics that will be covered • Types of questions • Material you will be tested on

9. Preparation • Use SQ3R to identify “What’s Important” • Write your own test

10. Preparation • READ • WRITE • REVIEW • RECITE

11. Preparation • Talk to people who already took the course • Examine Old tests, IF the instructor makes them available • Create a study plan and schedule

12. Preparation • Prepare through careful review • Use SQ3R • Review your notes • Time your reviews carefully • Mark up • Organize • Summarize

13. Preparation • Take a pretest

14. 24 hours before the test • Eat • Exercise • Sleep

15. ‘Twas the Night Before Testing • Go to bed on time. • Pack your bag • Pencils • Eraser • Calculator • Scan tron • iClicker • Blue book • Watch • Sweater • Snack!

16. ‘Twas the Night Before Testing • Go to bed on time. • Pack your bag • Solve problems • Talk test concerns out

17. Preparation: Good morning! • Start your day as you always do. • Eat a good breakfast. • Think of what you will do to relax after you get home from school. • Think Positive!

18. Preparation • Make the most of last-minute studying • Review flash cards • Focus on crucial concepts • Create a last-minute study sheet • Arrive early

19. 10 minutes before lift off… • Go to the bathroom • Arrive • Choose your seat • Breath • Pep-talk

20. Test Anxiety • How can you work through Test Anxiety? • Test Anxiety: “A bad case of nerves that can make it hard to think or to remember.”

21. There is not substitute for the SELF CONFIDENCE that comes with being Well Prepared

22. Recognizing Stress & Anxiety: Symptoms • Pounding Heart • Shaking • Dizziness • Sweating Palms • Shortness of Breath • Headache • Irritability • Mental Blankness

23. Explaining Anxiety: Fight or Flight The Body’s Natural Response to a Threat to its Physical Wellbeing Intellectual Wellbeing Social Wellbeing is to Release Adrenalin and Cortisol to Fight the Threat or to Flee from the Threat

24. Test Anxiety • Attitude • See the test as an opportunity to learn

25. Test Anxiety • Attitude • Understand that tests measure performance, not personal value

26. Test Anxiety • Attitude • Appreciate your instructor’s purpose

27. Test Anxiety • Attitude • Seek study partners who challenge you

28. Test Anxiety • Attitude • Set yourself up for success

29. Test Anxiety • Attitude • Practice relaxation

30. Test Anxiety • Attitude • Practice positive self-talk

31. What is self-talk? A message we say about ourselves, either out loud to a friend or internally to ourselves.

32. We tend to believe our self-talk messages.

33. Negative Self-Talk About Test Taking • “I’m scared to death.” • “I don’t know this stuff.” • “I know I’m going to bomb.”

34. Learn to stop these negative messages. • Don’t say them!! • Don’t think them!!

35. Positive Self-Talk About Test Taking • “I did okay on my practice tests.” • “I know this stuff.” • “I got it right yesterday; I can get it right today.”

36. Positive self-talk doesn’t mean you are a “genius”, but that you have studied, you know the content, and you feel you can do well on the test.

37. Self-Talk Is TRUE!!

38. When it is time for testing, you may try to fool others, but you can’t fool yourself. Either you are ready, or you are not. No amount of self-talk will help ifyou are • unprepared.

39. Test Anxiety • DAY OF THE EXAM • Review your study guide. • Don’t cram • Study Deeply • Engage in a relaxed activity the last hour or two before the exam • Be prepared with necessary tools • Avoid peers that are anxiety generators

40. Breathing deeply allows you to take in more oxygen. • More oxygen renews all your systems, including your brain!

41. Deep breathing directly counters anxiety and tight muscles. • Deep breathing lowers tension and reminds you to relax.

42. Control the cortisol by fooling your Limbic Brain • Humor • Time Management • Posture Message • Breathing • Going to Your Fantasy Place • Healthy Lifestyle • Nourish your Brain • Exercise your Brain • Rest your brain

43. Happily Ever Laughter • Laughing releases the feel good hormone – endorphin- also a natural pain killer. • Laughing lowers your blood pressure and heart rate. • Laughing raises T-lymphocytes in your body. • Increases your immune system . • There is a 45 minutes residual chemical effect in your body after hearty laughter.

44. Posture Message: Tells your limbic system everything is fine. • Sit confidently • Hold your head up • Smile or Chuckle to yourself

45. Breathing: Don’t Forget! • Best exchange of Oxygen occurs in the bottom one third of your lungs. Slowly Breath in through the nose to count of 4 Breath Out through the mouth to count of 4

46. Test Taking Strategies • What General Strategies can help you succeed on tests?

47. Test Taking Strategies • Write down key facts • Mind Dump

48. Test Taking Strategies • Begin with an overview

49. LOOK OVER THE TEST AND PACE YOURSELF When you first get the test, don’t just plunge into answering test items.

50. Thumb through … • Get the lay of the land. • How many questions? • How many sections? • Are some questions worth more points than others?