Tests are a fact of life for kids in school.  Tests help teachers monitor progress and measure skills. You can help your child learn test-taking strategies she'll use throughout her entire education.

Before the Test

Preparation is the key to success.

• Avoid cramming. Instead, study a little every day.
• Review the material more than one time!
• Answer practice questions in textbooks.
• Have your child teach the subject to you or a study partner.
• Ensure she gets a good night's sleep and has a healthy breakfast before the test.

On the Day of the Test

• Listen closely to verbal directions and read carefully any instructions on the test itself.
• Ask the teacher to explain any instructions she doesn't understand.
• Scan the entire test for the types of questions and use this information to pace herself.
• Jot down memory aids, formulas, or important facts in the margins.
• Answer the questions you know first.

Types of Test Questions

True-False

• Circle key words in the question.
• Remember: If any part of the answer is false, the whole thing is false.
• Watch for words like "never," "always," "every," "all," "none," and "only"; they generally indicate a false answer.
• Rarely leave a blank - a guess has a 50-50 chance of being right!

Multiple Choice

• Read the whole question carefully and try to decide what the answer is before reading any of the options.
• Read all of the answer options, then choose the one that most closely matches her answer.
• When unsure, eliminate answers that are clearly incorrect.
• If forced to guess, choose the longest, most detailed answer.

Fill-in-the-Blank

• Read the sentence carefully for clues about the type of information needed - a person's name, a number, a fact.
• Watch for grammar clues. For example, the word "an" before the blank indicates that the answer starts with a vowel.
• Notice the type of blanks in the sentence. One short blank calls for a single word answer. A longer blank indicates a longer answer, such as a phrase.

Matching

• Scan the whole column of possible matches rather than stopping at the first likely answer.
• Answer the questions she's sure of first.
• Cross out choices as she uses them.
• Keep going through the columns to make more matches.
• Avoid guessing until you're absolutely stumped.

Essay Questions

• Before writing, make an outline to organize main ideas and facts to include in the answer.
• Focus on only one idea per paragraph.
• State the main point in the first sentence of each paragraph.
• Avoid unsupported statements - include relevant details and examples.
• If time is running out, write at least an outline of the whole answer.