Tips for Essay Tests

Please note the following strategies are not intended to replace current interventions such as: conferencing with students, parental contact and counselor/administrative referrals. These are not meant to replace current interventions. The purpose of the resource is to add to your professional repertoire; it should not replace sound practice.

Tier 1
1. Study Guide: Provide students with a study guide that outlines the content to be assessed. Remember to include key vocabulary.
2. Criteria: Supply students with the criteria that will be used on all graded assignments. Examples: Rubric or checklist.
3. Recap: At least one day prior to the assessment conduct a review of the material. Use a variety of review methods. Visit http://www.gckschools.com/trc/games.htm for innovative game ideas.
4. Teach test-taking strategies: First, model for students how to think critically during an assessment. Next, go over test-taking strategies, then give them a simple guide (no larger than a standard size index card) to use on an actual test. Afterwards have students reflect on the benefits of using the guide during an assessment; allow them to individualize the study card with the tips they find to be the most beneficial. Allow students to use their individualized study card during the first few assessments!

Front Sample: Back
Visit http://www.studygs.net/tsttak1.htm for specific test-taking strategies. Samples for this site included!

Tips for Essay Tests

Read all the questions through rapidly, jotting down beside each question any pertinent facts or ideas which occur to you. The best way to ensure that your answers do not overlap each other is to survey the entire test before answering any of the questions.
Estimate the time that you will have for each question according to the relative difficulty and importance of all questions. Then keep track of your time so that you don't spend too much time on any one question.
Answer the easiest questions first and concentrate on answering one question at a time. Getting down to work on something you can handle is the surest way to reduce your test anxiety.
Decide what kind of answer the question requires before you begin writing. Action verbs such as "illustrate", "list", "define", "compare", "trace", "explain", and "identify" require different approaches to answering.
Before you start writing, make a brief, logical outline for your answer to ensure good organization and prevent careless omissions. It's not how much you say but what you say and how well you say it that counts.
Get down to business in your first paragraph and avoid long-winded introductions. Your aim in answering most essay questions is to get down the maximum amount of point-earning information in the shortest possible time.
Where appropriate, include factual details to support your answer. These impress your instructor by giving evidence that you really know what you are talking about.
Write legible, complete sentences and paragraphs.
Leave space after each question for additional information which may occur to you later.
Re-read your answers -- do they say what you intended? Correct all grammar and spelling errors.
If you run out of time, outline the remaining information.

Tips for Objective or Multiple Choice Tests

Answer all questions in order without skipping or jumping around. Identify doubtful answers by marking in the margin and recheck these as time permits after all questions have been answered.
Do not linger too long on any one question. Mark your best guess and move on, returning later if you have sufficient time.
Reread all questions containing negative wording such as "not" or "least". Be especially alert for the use of double or even triple negatives within a sentence, as these must be read very carefully to assure full understanding.
Check for qualifying words such as "all-most-some-none", "always-usually- seldom-never", "best-worst", or "smallest-largest". When you see one of these qualifiers, test for truth by substituting the other members of the series. If your substitution makes a better statement, the question is false; if your substitution does not make a better statement, the question is true.
Watch for modifying or limiting phrases inserted in the true/false questions. Instructors often use inserted names, dates, places or other details to make a statement inaccurate.
Be alert for multiple ideas or concepts within the same true/false statement. All parts of the statement must be true or the entire statement is false.
Be alert for grammatical inconsistencies between the questions stem and the answer choices on multiple-choice questions. A choice is almost always wrong if it and the stem do not make a grammatically correct sentence.
Be cautious about changing your answer to a true-false or multiple-choice questions without a good reason. Your first "guess" is more likely to be correct than are subsequent "guesses", so be sure to have a sound reason for changing our answer.
Apply the same approach to answering both true/false and multiple-choice questions. The same techniques will work equally well for both, since multiple-choice questions are basically true/false questions arranged in groups.
On matching exercises, work with only one column at a time. Match each item in that column against all items in the second column until you find a proper match, marking through matches about which your are certain, so that it will be easier to match out the rest about which you are unsure.

Tips for Problem-solving Tests (Math, Geometry, Physics, etc.)

Write down hard-to-remember formulas, equations, and rules before you actually begin working on the test problems.
If you are unable to work a problem, go on to the next one and come back to it later if time permits.
Even if you know that your answer is wrong, turn in your work, because you may get part credit for using the right process.
Show all the steps in your work and clearly identify or label your answer so that it can be quickly found.
Whenever possible, recheck all answers in a different way from that employed when you did the work. For example, add down a column of figures when rechecking if you added up the column when you first solved the problem.
Take time to write legibly and make your corrections, if any, as neat as possible. Most instructors react subjectively to the appearance of papers to be graded, so let neatness work for you rather than against you.
Leave ample space between your answers. You may need it for new ideas or additional details when you return later to re-read what you have written.
If you encounter a question that you think you can't answer, leave it to be answered last, but don't leave it unanswered. You may get partial credit for even a poor answer, especially if everyone else also had trouble answering this same question.

Taken from http://www.westbloomfield.k12.mi.us/testing2/tips.html

5. Frequent Formative Assessment: Use formative assessments on a daily basis to determine if students have understood the essential elements of your lesson. Daily formative assessments should be easy to create; the data should be used to differentiate your subsequent day’s instruction. In addition, it allows the teacher immediate feedback regarding the lesson’s effectiveness. For example, after teaching students about apartheid in South Africa, use the last five to seven minutes of class to have students summarize their learning. Some summarization techniques are: Last Word, 3-2-1, Concept or Word Map or Frayer. After a quick review of the students’ summaries, the teacher can decide to re-teach the entire class or differentiate learning experiences based on individual student’s needs.
*Samples below!

Sample Last Word

resident Nelson Mandela

ousing

mployment & Education

iscrimination

Sample 3-2-1

Describe 3 social restrictions suffered by citizens as a result of apartheid.
Name 2 people significant people that helped to abolish apartheid.
Create 1 phrase to complete the following analogy:
Sample Analogy: Kitten is to cat as puppy is to dog. / Apartheid was to South Africa as ______is to ______.

Sample Frayer

Definition or Description:
/ Characteristics or
Essential Question:
Examples &
Non-examples / Picture or
Illustration

Sample Concept Map

Tier 2
1. Good Notes: Make sure students have complete and accurate notes. At least three days prior to the test, have these students show you their notes. Have handouts or copies of the teacher’s notes to give as supplemental material.
2. Picture This: Use picture books when teaching concepts some students find difficult. For example, Pink and Say is a great story to use during a lesson on the Civil War, or the Sir Cumference Series by Cindy Neushcwander and Wayne Greehan is a great remediation tool. If you can’t find a picture book, create your own!
3. Redo & Retake: If mastery is the goal, allow students to redo assignments that they do not master. Begin by setting an assessment goal with the understanding that if he/she does not meet they goal they must “redo” the assignment or “retake” the test.
· Variations: Give students a different version of the test to retake, or limit the number of retakes a student is allowed per grading period.
4. Inquiring Minds Want to Know: At least one week prior to the assessment, allow struggling students to take a brief knowledge survey. Have them write down at least one question regarding each area they feel unprepared. Then spend 5 to 10 minutes each day with this student addressing these areas of weakness.
· Variation: Survey can be done as a homework assignment; offer bonus points on test for completed survey. Also, consider using one of the student’s questions on the assessment. Additionally, offer bonus points to students who have well-thought out questions, especially questions that are used on your assessment.
*Samples included!
5. If…then: Have student set a numerical grade they expect to earn on the next assessment. If the goal is not met have the student complete a predetermined remediation activity. Have several options available to the student, or negotiate an appropriate task. The key is that the student spends additional time reviewing the content and can demonstrate their learning.
· Variation: The completion of the activity would earn students extra points on the assessment. The teacher may offer remediation task that appeal to the student’s dominate learning style.
I get it!
/ I am confused!

I feel very comfortable about the following concepts:
⁭
⁭
⁭
⁭
⁭
List key concepts that will be assessed. / I do not feel like I am ready to be assessed on the following topics
⁭
⁭
⁭
⁭
⁭
List key concepts that will be assessed.
Please list questions you have about the items in the “I am confused”.
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
Tier 3
1. True Review: At least 3 days prior to the assessment, conduct a mini-assessment (no more than 10 questions) with student to see how they perform on the essential curriculum to be assessed. Review the results with the student to determine what areas he/she has mastered and what areas he/she will need to spend more time studying. Guide him/her in using study time wisely. See example below:
Study Guide:
Based on today’s mini-assessment, I have mastered the following content: ______
However, I am having a difficult time understanding: ______.
Therefore, I will spend for ______minutes studying for the assessment.
Furthermore, I will use my time wisely by spending ______minutes studying ______, and the ______minutes reviewing the content I have mastered.
Student Signature: ______Teacher Signature: ______
2. Mnemonic Devices: There are various forms of mnemonics devices including: acrostics, acronyms, chaining, familiar place, and stories. Begin by giving the student mnemonics with the understanding that they will begin to create their own. The teacher should always review the student-created mnemonics in order to clarify any misunderstandings.
*Samples included!
3. Frequent Flexible Formatting: Create a test format that mirrors the note-taking strategy used to deliver the material. For example, if the student was given a graphic organizer to record essential information; allow the student to complete a blank organizer as his/her assessment. Assess the student every 2 to 3 days regarding the previously taught material. Also, inform the student about the frequent assessments and encourage them to review the notes each night since they will soon be assessed.
· Variation: After student begins to show mastery using this testing format gradually began to incorporate the note-taking strategy with portions of test given to the whole class.
4. Extension: If the student is obviously not ready for the assessment, consider extending the testing date (no more than 3 days). Use the study guide card as a contract by adding a component that gives the specific date and time the test will be administered. In addition, the teacher, student and parent must sign the new agreement. It would be better to have student tested before or after school to avoid him/her missing valuable class time. The contract must also be agreed upon by parent with the understanding they will make appropriate transportation arrangements.
· Variation: Discuss and revise the study guide as necessary.

The pages that follow in the handbook are from Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites by Marcia L. Tate (pages 55-58).

Mnemonic Devices

1. Hand signals

9 Times Table on Your Fingers

Top of Form

Use Your Fingers to Multiply by 9
1st: Number the digits of your hands from left to right.

2nd: Bend the finger named by the number you wish to multiply.
Ex. Multiply 4 x 9. The forth finger must be bent.

3rd: Count the digits to the left of the bent finger.
Count the digits to the right of the bent finger.
These are the digits of the product.
Ex. 3 then 6, so, 4 x 9 = 36.