Do You Have Test-Taking Smarts?

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Conquer College with LD/ADD Presents
Special Education Students Test Your
Test-smarts!
2008 Joan M. Azarva, Ms.ED, Transition Success,
LLC
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Pause the video.

• Go get a pen and paper.
• Number your paper 1 25.
• Now, you may begin.

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1. What is a DATA DUMP?

• Throwing away your test
• paper if youre frustrated
• Writing everything you know in the margins of the
  test
• Writing possible answers in the corner of the
  test
• Writing down something youre afraid youll
  forget as soon you get your test.

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2. Why should you preview a test?

1. To get an idea of whats on it
2. To make sure you have all the pages
3. So you can plan out your time for each section
4. Because your instructor told you to.

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3. Should you wear a watch when taking a test?

1. You shouldnt wear a watch if it makes you
   nervous.
2. If you wear a watch, youll be distracted by
   checking it too often.
3. A watch is necessary to plan out your time.
4. A watch isnt necessary just take things at your
   own pace.

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4. Why should you do the EASY questions first on
a test?

1. Easy questions will give you confidence.
2. They will build up your score
3. They will make you more relaxed about the rest of
   the test.
4. None of the above
5. All of the above

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5. What should you do about questions you cant
answer?

1. Leave them blank.
2. Put a ? next to them, so youll remember to go
   back to them.
3. Take a guess
4. Ask the instructor to help you.

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6. Which part of a multiple choice question is
called the stem ?

1. The part that precedes the choices
2. The correct answer
3. All the choices
4. The part that looks like a plant

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7. True or false

• For an answer to be true on a true/false test,
  ALL parts of the answer must be true.

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8. True or False

• If a multiple choice test has two C answers
  in a row, it is likely the next answer wont be
  C.

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9. On a multiple choice test, if two of the
choices are wrong..

1. They must all be wrong.
2. You can eliminate the choice none of the above.
3. You can eliminate the choice all of the above.
4. Pick the shorter of the two answers left.

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10. How can you make a question easier to
understand when it has two negatives?

• Circle the two negatives.
• You just have to think harder.
• Just read it as negative.
• Cross off the two negatives then read the
  question as a positive.

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11. When a question has ONE negative, what is the
easiest way to find the answer?

• Look for the one
• answer that is false.
• Check off all the true answers the one that is
  left is the answer.
• Circle the negative and read the question without
  it.
• There is no easy way.

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12. The most effective way to do multiple choice
questions is to.

1. First cross off the choices you know are wrong.
2. Pick the longest choice.
3. Pick the shortest choice.
4. Look for the answer in another question.

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• 13. An example of an absolute word is

1. Sometimes
2. Frequently
3. Usually
4. Always

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14. If you see a statement with an absolute
word, it is usually

• Right
• Wrong

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15. On a multiple choice question, if the choices
are numbers and you dont know which one is
correct.

1. It is safest to pick the largest .
2. Pick the smallest .
3. Leave it blank.
4. Choose an answer in the middle range.

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16. Which answer(s) would be wrongin a multiple
choice question?

• Rockets always soar.
• Iran dont have nuclear weapons.
• Sometimes we get hurricanes in summer.
• A B

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17. If you cant figure out an answer to a
question, what might help?

• Cheating
• Guessing
• Looking for the answer in another question
• Choosing an answer with an unfamiliar word.

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18. If you dont know the answer on a multiple
choice test, try to eliminate two answers you
think are wrong. Then, if you cant decide
between the remaining two, choose

1. The most complicated answer
2. The longest answer
3. The shortest answer
4. The answer with unfamiliar vocabulary words

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19. True or False

• If you dont know the answer to a T or F
  question, you are better off answering False.

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20. Before looking at choices on a multiple
choice test, you should

1. Read the stem while covering the choices. Decide
   on an answer, then see if its there.
2. Take your best guess.
3. Know that its safest to pick none of the above
4. Decide that the answer cant be B, if the 3
   questions before were all Bs.

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21. When is the ONLY time you should change a
test answer?
____(Fill in the blank)______
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22. Statements that contain unfamiliar words are
usually

1. True
2. False

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ESSAY QUESTION

• 23. What should you do before answering an essay
  question?

1. Do a data dump on the corner of your paper.
2. Think of ways you can pad the answer to make it
   longer.
3. Make an outline, so you have a plan.
4. A C

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24. On tests you should

• Take statements at face value.
• Look for deeper meaning in the questions and
  answers.

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25. If you cant finish an essay question.

1. Cross out what you wrote because its just a
   partial answer.
2. Tell the teacher you want partial credit.
3. Stay calm and hand in your paper.
4. Hand in the outline of your essay with your test.

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Thats it.
Youre done!
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Now, to find out how Test-Smart you are,
watchAnswers to Test-Smarts videoon YouTube

• Your grades will improve once you master
  the art of test-taking!

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If you have a high school teen with a learning
disability, prepare NOW for the rigors of
college! Visit http//www.conquercollegewithld.c
om
2008 Joan Azarva, Transition Success, LLC