Test-taking Strategies

Ready, set, read.

Test-taking Tips that Keep Students on Target

Even good readers often forget to use strategies that help them analyze and correctly answer test questions, particularly those containing multiple choice items.  Teach students to use the following steps to "stay on target" and choose the best answer.

First, think about what the question is asking. In other words, what type of question is it? What reading skills and strategies will you use to answer the question? Look for clue words to help you.

Next, be sure to read all of the answer choices. It is a mistake to mark an answer without doing this because at first glance, an incorrect choice may seem correct. Usually the correct answer is a paraphrased, or reworded, form of the passage.

After you have read all the choices, eliminate, or mark off, those you know are incorrect. Don’t select an answer as correct unless you can go back to the passage and find the supporting evidence. Remember, every correct answer is supported by information that is stated or suggested in the passage.

Finally, learn to recognize why an answer choice is wrong. Some of the more common reasons are listed below.

• The answer choice may be too broad and general. This means it has too much information to be the correct answer.
• The choice can also be too narrow and limited. When this happens, it doesn’t have enough information to be the correct answer.
• An answer may be only partly correct.
• A choice may seem correct, but it is not included in or supported by the passage.

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"Ready, Set, Read. Test-Taking Tips that Keep Students on Target"

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