From pop quizzes to national exams, tests are an important part of a student’s academic career. Good test-taking skills can help make the difference between a top grade and an average grade. Mastering these skills can reduce the common test-taking stress and improve academic performance.
Cramming
Many procrastinating students believe cramming is the best way for them to study. “Normally I try hard to get things done before it turns into procrastination, but sometimes procrastinating my homework can be tempting,” expressed junior Eliana Danielson.
However, students fail to realize cramming before tests is highly counterproductive.
Research shows it is better to skip studying than to cram. Not only are students less likely to retain information at night but cramming increases stress levels and reduces the amount of proper sleep.
Science teacher, Christopher Kohn disagrees with this method: “I think it’s a mechanism by which kids get a decent grade but they won’t remember anything after the test,” Kohn commented. “It gets bad when the information builds up and they are screwed before the next test.”
AP Human Geography teacher, Brent Keemle agrees with Kohn, “Cramming for a test may help a student score well, but learning doesn’t take root and students often forget everything shortly after the test,”wrote Keemle.
Brain Dumping
The brain dumping method includes writing down everything the student remembers on the test paper which they are given. With this method, students don’t have to actively recall their knowledge simply from memory. Students would be able to simply look back at their notes at the beginning of the test and use them.
Some teachers are on the fence about this method: “I don’t mind when kids do it, but when kids do it, they won’t remember the material and it’s necessarily good for the material to stay in kids’ long-term memory,” explained Kohn. (hopefully add Keemle)
Skipping questions
Students may also decide to skip questions that will take them more time to complete. With this method, students can continue with their tests without spending extra time and energy on harder questions. “I use this method because it helps me save time on tests, but sometimes I forget to go back to the questions I skipped and then I miss easy points,” stated Danielson.
Unsurprisingly, Danielson’s mistake is common for many students. Although Keemle supports this method, he recognizes the downsides to it: “I believe students leaving questions for the end of an assessment is actually a valuable test taking strategy, however I occasionally get a question unanswered from a student, which can bring down their grade” Keemle expressed.
While some students may experience test-taking anxiety, the aforementioned techniques are supposed to guide students through their academic careers, whether effective or ineffective. Tests are an inevitable part of a student’s life, and with proper preparation and confidence, students will be able to combat tests.
