test taking strategies aims & benchmark test prep cholla 2013 - 2014

Test Taking Strategies

AIMS & Benchmark Test Prep

Cholla 2013 - 2014

Initial Brainstorm – on your lined paper2 min

Brainstorm a list of the test taking strategies that you already know. (Limit yourself to multiple choice type of standardized tests.)

Which strategies do you prefer to use? star them

Are these strategies good to use when taking the AIMS/Benchmark test?

Our Brainstorm Results

Previous Survey Responses To:“What test taking strategies do I know?”

I always pick letter (C, B, G, etc)

Elimination (take away an answer if it doesn’t make sense)

Read the question first, then the answers

Read the answers first, then the questions

I make a zigzag pattern on my answer sheet

Reread the questions to make sure I understand

Look closely at the questions

Double check my work Cover up the answers

with my hand Work out the problems,

don’t just guess I just guess

Read the directions and each test question carefully– Pay attention to BOLD, italics, and underlined

words or phrases.

Don't change your answer, usually your first choice is the right one!– Unless you misread the question. – Only change it if you KNOW you did something

wrong the first time.

Test Taking StrategiesGeneral Good Practices

Test Taking StrategiesReview, Review, Review!!!

Review the Test– Review both questions and answers.– It is possible you misread questions the first time.

Make sure you didn’t leave any blanks– Unless you get points deducted for wrong answers,

ALWAYS ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS!

Be Familiar With The AIMS Reference Sheet

There is super useful info on

this sheet! Don’t wait until the test day to figure it out. Know how to

use it BEFORE taking the test!

Test Taking Strategies - MATH

Making Smart GuessesCovering the AnswersReverse EngineerEliminationEstimationSimplify the Problem

– Draw a Picture or Diagram– Make up your own numbers

Pay attention to “Look alike options”– probably one is correct.

When you have NO IDEA about which answer is correct…– Toss out the high and low and consider the middle

range numbers.

Example #1

Test Taking StrategiesMaking Smart Guesses

Example #2

Test Taking StrategiesCovering The Answers - Math Portion

This is good for both math and language type questions.

Cover the answers and come up with your own answer before looking at the choices.

Especially helpful on math questions containing graphs.

Math Example #1 Math Example #2

Test Taking StrategiesReverse Engineer

Work Backwards! Meaning you start with the answers and work backwards.

This works very well for many types of math problems.

Algebra Example Geometry Example

Eliminate options you know to be incorrect.

– Then make your guess among the remaining options. Example

Test Taking StrategiesElimination

Use estimation techniques.– Especially when the four answers are very different

numbers.– Remember you aren’t being tested on HOW you are

getting the answer, just that you are able to get the right one!

Example

Test Taking StrategiesEstimation

Draw a picture to better represent the situation. Make up numbers and see what works.

– Especially helpful on abstract problems.– CAUTION…pick good numbers! Be careful when

picking 0, 1, & 2 because they sometimes behave in unexpected ways.

– Remember you aren’t being tested on HOW you are getting the answer, just that you are able to get the right one!

Test Taking StrategiesSimplify The Problem

Make Up Numbers Example

Which shows the following function in equation notation?

What strategy will you use?


What would be a reasonable approximation for the given square root?

Fred borrowed $575 from his mom to help buy a truck. He paid her $25 every week until the debt was paid.



What is the value of x?

Strategy Review

Stay Confident and Relaxed! Do the Easy questions FIRST! Use Strategies to Guess:

– Eliminate known wrong answers– “Look- Alikes” - be aware of similar numbers– Work backwards – try substituting in the answers to solve it.

CHECK your work, make sure your answers are reasonable!

Make sure you are putting your answer in the correct bubble on the answer sheet! DON’T LEAVE ANY BLANKS!

RELAX, YOU WILL DO GREAT!

☺

Understanding Test Anxiety

AIMS & Benchmark Test Prep

Cholla 2013 - 2014

Initial Brainstorm – on your lined paper2 min

Imagine yourself waking up and getting ready for school on AIMS testing day.– How do you feel?

Imagine yourself sitting in school taking the AIMS test.– Write a minimum of three things that you are

thinking about while taking this test.

Survey Responses To:“How do I feel on test day?” (write down on white board)

Scared! Stupid, I want to ditch

school. I feel tired and slow. Feel like I’m lazy Hungry, can’t focus Nervous I’m going to Fail; I don’t

know half of this stuff!

Everyone is going to do better than me!

I want to tear it up! I want to go home; I

don’t want to be there. I feel prepared and

focused but also nervous I want to take my time

and try my hardest.

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Do You Get Test Anxiety?

Physical Symptoms: headache, upset stomach, rapid heart beat, can’t get enough air, shaking, etc.

Emotional Symptoms: feeling jittery, angry about the test, unreasonably afraid, overall lack of energy, etc.

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Is Pressure Good for Test Taking?

Some pressure is GOOD

Too much pressure is BAD

Image borrowed from MindTools.com

Test Anxiety

Unreasoned Fear

(like a phobia)

Ways to combat:

1. Systematic Desensitization

2. Self Talk

Reasoned Fear

(areas of weakness)

Ways to combat:

1. Study Skills/Preparation

2. Test Taking Strategies

3. Mini-Rituals

What is Systematic Desensitization?

Repeated, frequent exposure to the stimulus.

How do we do this in sports?

How do we do this for AIMS?– ATI (Benchmark) Tests

Test Anxiety

Unreasoned Fear

(like a phobia)

Ways to combat:


2. Self Talk

Reasoned Fear

(areas of weakness)

Ways to combat:



3. Mini-Rituals

What is Self-Talk?

Thoughts are powerful and your own mental chatter can help you or harm you.

Give yourself a pep talk the way you would to your best friend.– “I can do this.”– “I’ve practiced this; I’ve got this!”– “I’m well prepared for this test.”– Write on your lined paper a minimum of two phrases

that you will practice for positive self-talk both before and during the test.

Don’t Make Your Test Anxiety Worse!

Are there things that you do that contribute to your test anxiety?

-Stimulants?

-Sleep Needs?

-Hydration?

-Plenty of Nutritious Foods?

Caffeine and Test Anxiety

Physical Symptoms: headache, upset stomach, rapid heart beat, can’t get enough air, shaking, etc.

Emotional Symptoms: feeling jittery, angry about the test, unreasonably afraid, overall lack of energy, etc.

On test day, avoid caffeine if you are feeling jittery, light headed, or anxious.

–Remember caffeine is in coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks.

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Caffeine will improve your performance on dull or boring tasks.

Caffeine will hurt your performance on tasks that are unfamiliar or stressful.

Caffeine and Performance

Be Good To Yourself!

Get AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep! Stay away from junk food. Eat a large, nutritious breakfast! Drink plenty of water. Stay away from excessive amounts of

caffeine. (energy drinks, lots of soda)

Test Anxiety

Unreasoned Fear

(like a phobia)

Ways to combat:


2. Self Talk

Reasoned Fear

(areas of weakness)

Ways to combat:



3. Mini-Rituals

Mini-Rituals

What is a Mini-Ritual? A quick, personal routine that is designed to

improve mental focus and generate a high level of performance.

Does anyone already have one they use when playing sports?

Key Components of the Mini-Ritual

Needs to be subtle (so you are comfortable doing it in a room full of strangers)

Needs to be quiet (so you don’t disrupt others)

Needs to be easy Needs to work for you! (not all rituals will work for all

people)

Shield Recite Find Your Happy Place Three-Part Breathing

Posture Flex and Relax Wristband Combination

Some Ideas For Your Mini-Ritual

Mini-Rituals - Examples

1. Shield: Imagine you are sitting in a protected bubble, like a force field. Visualize distractions bouncing off without affecting you. Or imagine you are wearing a thick raincoat and let distractions roll off your shoulders, like water.

2. Recite: Repeat a poem, prayer, or song you know well.

3. Find Your Happy Place: Think of a place where you feel relaxed and well rested. Imagine yourself there, completely content. What do you see, smell, and hear?


4. Three-Part Breathing: First, sit up straight and concentrate on bringing the new air all the way into your abdomen. Bring the second breath into your rib cage and feel your ribs move outward. Bring the third breath into the tip of your chest. With each exhale, flex your stomach muscles and expel all of the old stale air. There is more air left in your lungs than you think.

5. Posture: Add a specific posture to your mini-ritual, such as confidently throwing your shoulder back, stretching your arms over your head, or placing your hands in a certain gesture.


6. Flex and Relax: Tense your shoulder and face. Flex your fingers into fists. Hold your breath and count to five, then exhale and relax. Repeat three times.

7. Wristband: Wear a flexible bracelet or a rubber band on your wrist. Each time you catch your mind wandering, gently snap the band. It’s a gentle way to say, “No, that’s not where I’m supposed to be right now.” The wristband becomes a symbol of concentration.

8. Combination: Many rituals work best in combinations. For example, try “flex and relax” with “three-part breathing”, or breathe deeply while visualizing your happy place.

Practice – Practice – Practice!

With time and practice, your mini-ritual immediately brings you into a powerful mental state of relaxed concentration.

A well established mini-ritual is a great advantage for long contests or high-pressure situations like the AIMS, SAT, etc.

Following Slides Haven’t Been Edited for AIMS

These are from SAT test prep presentations that I’ve done.

I have NOT edited or adapted for AIMS/Benchmark

Test Taking Strategy 1: Timing & Pacing

Do all question encoding in the test booklet! – NO STRAY MARKS ON BUBBLE SHEET!

Lightly versus Darkly filling in a bubble How do you encode a question?

– See Handout on Pink Paper

Test Taking Strategy 1: Timing & PacingSample Encoding Symbols

My Encoding Symbol: What it means to me:

O This is the answer I chose

~ This is a possible answer

→ I like this answer

/ This is not an answer

{ } These are hard questions

√ Double check this answer

Skip and come back if I have time

X Not a chance, crazy hard

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Test Taking Strategy 4: The Mind Game Understanding Test Anxiety

Use a Bridge Technique– This links the information you study with certain objects.– Your bridge object can be a lucky token like a wristband, lucky

token, small stone, eraser, etc.– Make sure it is an object that will not raise objections in the

SAT testing room.– Hold this object in your palm while you are studying.– Concentrate on this object if you are feeling anxious during the

test.

Test Taking Strategy 4: The Mind Game Building Mental Stamina

How can I lengthen my attention span? Build Mental Stamina

1. Train endurance – push yourself by studying for longer and longer periods of time without a break. Work up to being able to concentrate for 4 hours.


2. Prepare to focus – pay attention to what wakes you up and what calms you down.

• Before starting an SAT study session, set aside a few minutes for an activity that will help you feel focused and refreshed.

• Perhaps exercise or a creative activity works for you. (Quick Run, Play Guitar or Video Game)

• On test day, wake up early and practice your activity before going to the test center.

3. Avoid the crash – notice how different foods affect your ability to concentrate.

• Many find it difficult to concentrate when they are hungry.

• Lots of caffeine and sugar will work in the short term but lead to a energy crash.

• Since the SAT is 4 hours long, you don’t want to be hungry or fighting a caffeine headache .



4. Track your progress with a log – if you are serious about improving your attention span, keep a concentration log as you study. Experiment with different mini-rituals, snacks, and activities to see which works best for you.

DateStart Time

Stop Time

Total Time

Prepare/Activity

Mini-Ritual

Food/Drink Comments

1-Mar 7:05 7:35 30 min. short run shield nonehard to focus in the last

15min.

2-Mar 7:10 7:40 30 min. guitarblank

screen sandwich felt better

3-Mar 7:30 8:15 45 min. guitarblank

screen soda got a headache

Test Taking Strategy 4: The Mind Game Understanding Test Anxiety

Memory is location specific– Your brain links information to the place where you

learned it.– This can contribute to test anxiety.– Combat this by studying for the SAT in several

different places, both inside your house and in public locations.

The Following Slides ARE LINKED

To the test taking strategies portion of the presentation.

Example #1 - Covering the Answers

Back To Previous Slide

The Theater Club is selling snack boxes. The graph shows how much money the Club fund will raise based on the number of boxes sold. Based on the graph, about how much money will the Club fund receive if 90 boxes of snacks are sold?

Example #2 - Covering the Answers


Which answer represents the phrase below?

twice the difference of two numbers

Example #1 of ‘Look Alike Options’


Using Elimination


Which is the y-intercept of the line represented by the equation?

4x – 8y = 64

Remember you aren’t being tested on HOW you are getting the answer, just that you are able to get the right one!

Example of using Estimation


Example of ‘Reverse Engineering’ for an Algebra problem


Which equation represents a line with a slope of -2 that goes through the point (-2, 6)?

Example of ‘Reverse Engineering’for a Geometry problem


Given the sum of the interior angles of a regular polygon is 720°, how many sides does the polygon have?

Use your AIMS reference sheet!

Test Taking StrategiesMake a Picture

This is helpful on math problems. Especially on those that may be overly tricky.

Half of a Half of a Half

What would you get if you divided a half of a half of a half by a half of a fourth of a half?

What to do about an overly confusing problem.

Half of a Half of a Half

What would you get if you divided a half of a half of a half by a half of a fourth of a half?

Make a picture

÷


Example #2 of ‘Look Alike Options’


Which answer represents the sentence below?

The product of two numbers (x and y) is two more than their sum.

Making Up Your Own Numbers


5 + 10 = 15 and 15 = 15

test taking strategies aims & benchmark test prep cholla 2013 - 2014

Documents

example test

test review

strategies math

test question

strategies elimination

strategies estimation

test day

aimsbenchmark test