TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

How should you attack the SOL test?

The Night & Hour Before the SOL

Read through any material your teacher gave you

Take a practice test online – SOL 101 website from the Freeman website

Go to bed at a reasonable hour (11pm) Eat breakfast in the morning Get to school on time so you don’t feel

rushed Go to the bathroom before you sit down

Look at the question first

Take your scratch paper and cover up the answer choices before you read the question.

Get an idea of what the answer is and then look at your answer choices to match it up.

Answer choices Look at the answer choices one at a

time Take your scratch paper and pull it

down one choice at a time Don’t confuse your brain by looking at

too many choices at one time Start with choice D. The most inviting

wrong answer falls to A some times.

Tools on Test

Did you know that the tools on the test are there to help you? Highlighter- use the highlighter to mark

up key concepts or to mark areas of the passage that pertains to a specific question.

X marks – mark out answers that you KNOW are not right so that your eye doesn’t constantly read over them.

TestNav Tools for Math

Chemistry

Element tableElement table

Calculator

Erase an answer mark or a mark where you eliminated a choice

Erase an answer mark or a mark where you eliminated a choice

English

Explains toolsExplains tools

Highlighter –Mark parts of questions or texts to remember

Highlighter –Mark parts of questions or texts to remember

Hit this buttonTo eliminate answer choices

Hit this buttonTo eliminate answer choices

Other Hints

Try to eliminate two of your answer choices

Use your scratch paper to make notes about reading passages as well as questions.

From Wise Cty strategies from BYU Read the test directions very carefully and

watch for details. You may find that more than one answer may seem

possible on multiple choice questions. Rely on your first impressions.

The answer which comes to mind first is often correct. Nervously reviewing questions and changing answers can do more harm than good.

Return to difficult questions you marked for review. Make sure you answered all questions.

Wise Cty from Austin Community College test-taking tips Keep a positive attitude. Decide to do your best and

focus on the material you know. Concentrate on the test. Don't worry about your

ability, the behavior of other people, the number of questions, or even short memory lapses.

Pay close attention to one question at a time. This kind of concentration reduces anxiety.

Relax as much as you can. If you're too nervous to think or read carefully, try to slow down physically. Take several slow, deep breaths. Then start to work.

Wise County continued Answer the easiest questions first. You'll feel more

confident, and you may also find some helpful ideas for the more difficult questions. 

Read each test question carefully. If you don't understand what is being asked, skip it and come back to it later.

Review the test questions and your answers to them. Make any changes you think are important, but don't change your answers unless you have a good reason to do so. 

Think if any of the later questions gave you information that might clear up things you weren't sure about.

Alleghany County schools test tips Read the entire direction line twice.  ·        It is important to read the entire direction line

carefully so you know exactly what to do. ·        Some questions will tell you to look for the

answer choice that is correct. ·        Some questions will tell you to look for the

answer choice that has a mistake. Look for CUE WORDS           A CUE WORD is a word in the test question that

tells you what to look for in the answer.           Sometimes cue words are written in all CAPITAL

LETTERS.  They may be printed in bold,  italics, or underlined.

Allegany County Cue Words Some cue words you may see on the SOL Test:--------------------------------------------------------------------- NOT           For both of these words, you are to find EXCEPT       the answer that is unlike the others-------------------------------------------------------------------- MOST         If you see one of these words, you are to BEST           find the answer that is the most logical

                   or makes the most sense.--------------------------------------------------------------------- LEAST        When you see this word, you are to find the                     answer that is the least logical or makes the                    least sense.  

BREATHE

All we ask is that you try to do your best.

Smile when it is over and believe in yourself and your abilities