Sharing our favorite test taking tips
Maybe you're new to online school, or maybe it's been awhile since you’ve taken any kind of test. Either way, we're here to help you succeed. Review our test-taking tips and find out what works best for you and your own learning style.
How to Prepare Before a Test
The average person forgets approximately 90% of new material just 24 hours after reading it. Don't be average!
- Study and review your notes regularly.
- Create flashcards, charts, or other visual study systems to help you quiz yourself.
- "Overlearn" the material to increase your comprehension and recall.
What to Do During the Test
- Keep a positive mindset coming into the assessment. Your frame of mind is important. Even questions that may at first seem confusing can often be reasoned through with a positive attitude and open mind.
- Preview the exam before you begin.
- Answer the questions that you know first. Your confidence will build, and you might find clues within the test that will help you answer the questions you don't know.
- Check your answers.
What to Do After the Test
- Review your exam to give you a general idea of how you are learning the information and skills in a course. If you are having problems, this can prompt you to seek help, such as a tutor or study group.
- Review a test to see where you may have misunderstood or misinterpreted a question. This will help you become a better test-taker in all of your courses.
- Stay calm and focus on the test feedback so that you can benefit from it. Getting anxious, angry, or frustrated will not help.
Make a Test Plan
A test plan is simply an outline of how you are going to use your time and resources to prepare for a test. Your test-preparation plan should address:
- When you will study
- Where you will study
- What your goals for each study session will be
- How you will judge if you reached your goals for each study session
- What to do if you need extra time
- How you will test your knowledge. Some examples include:
- Practice answering test questions
- Work with a study buddy
- How you will use the feedback from a test to help you improve your test preparation for the next test