How to turn a poor test-taker into a strong test-taker

ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO KEEP UP IN SCHOOL.

For the most part, students who stay on top of homework, reading and studying will find test preparation to be easier because they know the material that’s being tested. Teachers don’t generally test subject matter that they haven’t covered in class, so if your child is keeping up on the work and earning good grades on assignments, that’s more than half the battle.

MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD KEEPS THE CONCEPT OF TESTING IN PERSPECTIVE.

The reality is your child will take a lot of tests in school, and it’s important to adopt a healthy outlook on what tests are (and what tests are not). Remind your child that tests are intended to give teachers a status check of how effectively students are learning and progressing. Their part is simple, yet essential. Your child must pay attention in class, put in the work and get enough sleep to stay focused.

HAVE YOUR CHILD ADOPT GOOD STUDY HABITS.

Studying is going to look different for different subjects, and the way students “study” in elementary school is certainly different than how they’ll study in high school. Overall, though, your child will be more effective and successful if they develop study plans for each subject/class, spread out studying (and avoids cramming), pay attention to teachers’ syllabi/class calendars, and reach out for help when needed—and well in advance of test days.

TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS.

Your child kept up with homework, paid attention in class, prepared for the test, then got a low grade. What happened? There could be a few things at play, but a common problem when it comes to taking tests is failing to fully read questions and follow all directions. Make sure your child pays attention to the details and reads every word of every question before attempting to answer. Guide them in how to read questions carefully to identify and eliminate extraneous information.

LEARN FROM MISTAKES.

Students should review graded tests to go over incorrect answers. School subjects are cumulative, and each new test assumes that students have acquired the building blocks of knowledge to date. So, it’s important for students to understand what they missed and why so they don’t carry those mistakes forward into future tests and assignments. Also, going over wrong answers helps students figure out why they missed them—a careless error? A gap in knowledge? A concept that was on the study guide and the student didn’t study very well?

STUDY IN THE WAY THAT WORKS BEST.

Every student learns differently, and while some students might find flash cards to be invaluable, others might not. Your child should study in ways that are effective for them and adjust those methods when needed.

PAY ATTENTION TO PACING.

Another common culprit of poor test scores is slow working. Tests are timed, and they require that students work efficiently. Help your child get better at doing a quick calculation at the beginning of every test to determine how much time to spend on each question. This will help them avoid wasting time when unsure about answers.

Tests are important and unavoidable. Help your child learn best practices for preparing well and remind them there’s no need to be scared of tests.