test taking techniques

Have you ever heard the phrase “if you highlight everything, you have highlighted nothing?” Take this to heart. Really listen vs writing. Yes, take a few notes, but listen more. Listen for key works and clue phrases like “you should know…,” “the steps are…,” etc.

Do not wait until the night before to study all this material. It is too much! Each evening, read the material, review your notes, compose any questions that you need to ask the instructor during the question- and- answer period.

Read the section a couple of times, then watch the video for that section, and then take the test for the section. Do not memorize the test answers. The questions will be different on your state test. Understand why the answer is correct, and why the other choices are incorrect.

Test questions are great to practice so you won’t freak out with a multiple-choice test, but do not just memorize the answers and just do test questions. Understanding the concepts is so important. Be sure to read the study guide. There are a lot of “golden nuggets” in the material.

Every state has an outline on important topics and the number of questions for each license that you need to study. Know all the topics on the outline for that test. It is a multiple-choice test and most test are 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete.

You were not born knowing this stuff, and it can seem like a foreign language. REPETITION will PREPARE you for the exam and give you CONFIDENCE.

Plan on arriving 45 minutes to 1 hour early. This will give you time for traffic and other factors that can make you feel rush.

Carefully read the instructions before starting. Make sure you understand how the computer works, how to go back and forth with each test question.

If a question is time-consuming or difficult, don't get stuck. Flag it and come back to it later.

If you are unsure about an answer, try to eliminate obviously wrong options. This increases your chances of guessing correctly. Go with what you know!

What is the question asking? Look for action words, such as compare, all the following except, define, etc. Be sure to answer the question that is being asked.

Do not rush, but pace yourself so that you do not run out of time. Most people rush through the test. In all my years of teaching 1000’s of students, I have had maybe 2 people tell me they did not have enough time. So take your time.

I get it! I get so nervous for a test; I literally must remind myself to breath! Try to relax. You have studied…Repetition prepares you. Have the confidence that you will pass this exam