Not everyone is equally suited to excel at standardized testing, but until that staple of our education system changes, it’s best to approach tests in an organized way. Find strategies that work for you when you’re sitting in a testing center or classroom, panicking and questioning your life choices. Give these tried-and-true tips a chance:
- Try to Relax. Wear clothes you are comfortable in, breathe deeply, and focus on the test instead of worrying about your score. Some students think dressing up to boost their confidence before a test also helps, so prep for comfort or confidence depending on whichever will get you relaxed and in the zone most effectively.
- Review the trickiest material right beforehand. That way, it’s fresh in your mind. Right where you want it.
- Read the test all the way through once. (This comes in handy for the next tip.)
- Answer the easiest questions first. I almost always use this method, as do my friends. It maximizes your time by allowing you to focus on answering problems you don’t immediately understand after quickly dispatching the ones that you do. It helps me feel less anxious knowing the difficulty of the questions I’m solving toward the end, rather than going in order.
- Look for cues from other questions if you’re stuck. Sometimes professors hint at the info you’re forgetting in another question.
- Double-check your answers. Especially if you’re using a bubble sheet. As an English major, I tend to fix a lot of spelling errors at this point, but I can’t count the times I’ve filled in the wrong bubble for a question in the adjacent line and been lucky enough to catch it on my second run-through.
- Answer every question, even if you think your answer is wrong. This maximizes your chances. Plus, sometimes professors let you argue for points on tricky questions if enough students get them wrong.
Remember that test scores aren’t the way to judge our value. They’re not necessarily indications of intelligence, and not all are created equal. Do your best. Then try to let go.