Ellie Swain
Taking tests can feel overwhelming—and you’re not the only one to think so. Between 40 and 60% of students suffer from significant test-taking anxiety that actually takes a toll on their performance.
But there are test-taking strategies that can help you to actually ease some of those anxious feelings and, ultimately, see better results.
So the next time you sit down to take a test, you won’t feel so worried. You’ll be well-prepared with these 5 test-taking tips.
5 Tips for Studying Before Your Test
Here are five tips to prepare for your next test.
1. Prepare for the test.
First things first, you need to make a plan to prepare for the test you have coming up. It’s difficult to pass a test for which you’re unprepared. So instead of cramming the night before the test, give yourself time to understand what the test will cover and to study those materials.
Maybe a week is all the time you need to start studying for a test. But for a more exhaustive exam, you may need a month (or even a few months) to get ready for it.
2. Space out your study sessions.
Spaced repetition is a studying strategy that you can use to prepare for your test. Again, instead of cramming in all of the information that’ll be on the test all at once, you can space out your study sessions.
When you give yourself breaks between study sessions, you force your brain to recall the information for review again and again. This technique helps commit that information to your long-term memory while also ensuring that it stays top of mind.
3. Seek advice about the test.
Talking to anyone about the test who may know more about it than you do can help calm some of your nerves. Asking the teacher who has assigned the test any questions you have can clear up some anxiety. Asking other students who have already taken the test before you can also help. For example, if you’re taking your driving test, asking a friend or a sibling who has already passed for some tips can feel relieving.
4. Take practice tests.
Don’t just go into test day blind. If you can, take some practice tests. For example, if you’re sitting down to take the bar exam, there are tons of practice tests you can find online for your state.
A practice test will not only help to quiz you on the material you need to review, but it can also help you get comfortable in a test setting. If it’s the test-taking experience itself that stresses you out more than the material, a practice test can do wonders for your mental state and, ultimately, your performance. Just be sure to mimic the real test as closely as possible; if the real one is timed, time the practice test, too.
5. Leverage free tools to help you study.
There are plenty of resources out there to help you study for a test. Dorothy, for example, is your best friend before a test. Dorothy predicts (down to the day!) when you will forget the answer to a question. So share some of the potential test questions with Dorothy, and the app will quiz you on them at optimal times.
Other resources like YouTube videos and online courses can also help you study with visual and audio aids. Sometimes getting context outside of your textbook and class materials can help you better understand a subject so you can nail the test more easily.
6 Tips for What to do During Your Test
Follow these six tips to crush your test when you sit down to take it.
1. Write down everything you remember right away.
As soon as you sit down to start the exam, jot down everything you can remember that you think you may need to know for the test but worry you might forget. Think about formulas, equations, acronyms, dates, lists, everything. Write them down in a sidebar so you can refer to them throughout the test as needed.
2. Make sure you really read the directions.
Exam questions can be complicated. If you read them too quickly (because you’re worried about being pressed for time), you could miss vital information. Just one word here or there could change the whole meaning of the question, which could change how you answer it. So make sure you really read through them thoroughly.
3. Answer as many questions as you can.
Here’s the thing: A wrong guess is better than no guess. If you leave questions blank, you have a zero percent chance of getting points for the question. If you take a shot—even if it’s a shot in the dark—at least you have an inkling of a chance. So, if you’re running out of time, just answer as many more questions to the best of your ability as possible.
4. Don’t waste time on confusing questions.
If you’re stumped on something, come back to it. Don’t waste too much time trying to ransack your brain for the answer to a question if you can answer other questions to which you already know the answers. If you have time at the end, you can always come back to that question and, maybe by then, the answer will have come to you.
5. Go with your gut.
Your first instinct is usually right. If you’re feeling torn between two answers, say in a multiple-choice question, go with your gut. The first answer that came to mind is more likely to be the right answer. Even if it’s wrong, it’s better to trust yourself than go with a wild card guess.
6. Try to leave time to review at the end.
If it’s doable, try to get through all the questions on the test with enough time at the end to go through them all again. Looking at everything a second time can help you catch things you might have missed and, overall, feel more confident in your answers.
3 Things to do After Your Test
After you’re done taking a test, you might feel high-strung. The experience can be overwhelming for many people, and even if you feel relieved that it’s over, it might take some time to come down from the stress.
Here are four tips to help you calm down after taking a test.
1. Consider the good and the bad.
Tests only get easier the more you take them. So think of every test as a practice test for test-taking, in general. Think about everything you feel went well, and make a list of everything that you think you could have done better. Use those insights to help you prepare better the next time.
2. Do something (anything) relaxing.
You might be feeling an adrenaline rush during a test, and coming out of one can mean that nerves are still high. Do yourself a favor and take a breath. Stretch your body (especially if you’ve been sitting for the test for a while). Go for a walk to boost your blood flow again. Basically, try your best to “shake it off,” knowing that what’s done is now done.
3. Hang onto your notes.
You might feel tempted to ditch your study materials now that the test is finally over, but it’s a good idea to keep everything. Sure, you don’t need to hoard class notes. But if you’re still taking the class (or similar classes), those notes can come in handy again later. So don’t be so quick to throw your precious resources away.
The bottom line
There’s no doubt that test-taking can be stressful. You’re racing the clock to remember as much as you can about a lot of information, often applying it to new scenarios.
Following the above test-taking strategies can improve your scores and help you chill out after the test is over. This way, testing becomes easier and less anxiety-inducing over time. The more you can keep calm, the better you can do.