MODULE 4

TEST-TAKING
STRATEGIES
Social Science Elective
MODULE OBJECTIVES
By the end of this module, students will be able to,

• Understand the mechanics and role of anxiety in test-

taking and effective learning.
• Discuss essential metacognitive skills to reduce test
anxiety and maximize test-taking abilities.
• Identify strategies for preparation, comprehension, and
rationalization for assessments.
MODULE TOPICS:
A. Why is it important to develop effective test-taking strategies?
1. Test anxiety and its effect on exam performance.
2. Test-taking strategy as a way of combatting test anxiety.
B.Test-taking Strategies
1. Before the Exam
2. During the Exam
3. After the Exam
A. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP
EFFECTIVE TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES?
Doing well on an exam is not always about knowing
the subject matter. Sometimes, even students
familiar with the subject may do poorly on tests if
they lack test-taking strategies. Hence, having an
effective test-taking strategy can also help you ace
your exams.
 TEST ANXIETY

It refers to a type of performance anxiety where

students experience extreme distress and
anxiety in testing situations which may
negatively affect their testing performance.
(Cherry, 2024) It can be experienced before,
during, and after an examination or other test
situations (Zeidner 2014).

e.g., extreme and unwarranted tension during testing or evaluative activities.

 TEST ANXIETY

Test anxiety may lessen performance

on a test, reduce overall learning, and
increase feelings of distress.
 How to avoid it? (or reduce atleast)
1. Reduce your caffeine consumption
2. Find a comfortable sit in the testing room (if
possible)
3. Vent or express your anxiety to other people
4.Meditate or pray to calm your nerves
5.Give yourself some positive and realistic self-talk
or engage in breathing exercises.
6.Believe in yourself
7. Visualize someone supportive being with you.
 How to avoid it? (or reduce atleast)

Always remember, anxiety is normal, but if it is

greatly hampering your daily living, then it is okay to
seek help such as from your teachers or guidance
counselors.
 How to avoid it? (or reduce atleast)

Another technique that you can

use to reduce normal test anxiety is
being prepared for the exam and
equipped with effective test-
taking strategies.
 B. TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
Test-taking strategies are methods or techniques an individual uses
when preparing and undergoing an exam.

These important tools help many

students handle tests wisely and
improve their performance.
(Sweetnam, 2003)
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
Before the Exam

1.Plan for the Exam - When preparing to study for

the exam, ask yourself these questions

• What will you study?

• How will you study?
• When will you study?
• Where will you study?
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
Before the Exam
• Interact with your study materials by
creating your own questions.
2. Prepare for the Exam - • Take practice exams or quizzes. (Important
How can you prepare for the exam? to note that you must not use these practice
• Have a grasp of the big picture of your tests to judge your readiness for the exam. )
lessons and avoid solely relying on the • If there will be an essay format, practice
subject matter’s definition of terms and your responses to sample essay
basic concepts. questions.
• Create your own study materials such • ·Don’t be afraid to ask for your teacher’s
as course summaries, charts, diagrams, help and clarifications. You may also ask
etc. for the format of the exam to aid your
preparation.
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
Before the Exam

2. Prepare for the Exam - How to prepare the day before the exam?
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
Before the Exam

2. Prepare for the Exam

 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

1.Read Instructions and Questions Carefully

Do not assume that you know what the instructions

the questions are. It is possible to lose points by
not following the directions and through the
student’s carelessness, hence, Make sure to always
read the directions and questions carefully.
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

1.Read Instructions and Questions Carefully

Spend the first thirty seconds or so Spend the second thirty seconds
reading the instructions. skimming the test to get a sense of
Don’t forget to Listen, Read, and Ask how much time you can spend on
• Always listen to the directions given each question.
by teacher
• Read the directions provided on the
test
• Ask for clarifications if the
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam
Use your Time wisely,
2. Time Management • Don’t spend too much time on any one question.
• It is important to answer every question even if
you are not sure of the answer.
• It is suggested to use all your time because there
are no extra points for finishing early.
• Also, allot time at the end to review your test
and make sure you haven't left out any answers.
• Answer the easiest questions first, but be sure to
go back to those questions you skipped.
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

You may encounter questions that have

3. Practice Elimination
options that seem to be saying the same thing.
If you can’t figure out which answer is correct,

• eliminate items that are correct but don’t

answer the question,
• eliminate the obviously wrong answer
choice
• eliminate choices that are partly correct
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

3. Practice Elimination
Which of the following is a good study habit?

a.Studying for an exam while listening to Taylor Swift’s newest album

b.Finding a place to study based on one’s personal preference and personality
c.Be mindful and be kind to yourself
d.Studying lessons all at once the day before the exam
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam
This means using everything you
4. Educated Guess know to attempt to answer the
question.
You may encounter a question that
you do not know the answer at all
A random guess gives you a 25%
or you were not able to review the
chance of getting the right answer.
specific topic.

An educated guess gives you a

If you don't know the answer to a
chance of answering correctly up
question, at least make an
to 75%.
Educated guess.
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

4. Educated Guess

Guess the answer: Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, at
which planet does he belong?

a.Saturn
b.Mars
c.Jupiter
d. Neptune
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

5. Look for Clue Words • Absolute words like “never,”

“always,” “every,” or “none”
A. Look out for absolute and
are rarely found in a correct
general words,
option.
• Less absolute words like
Especially on less technical topics
“usually,” “often,” or “rarely”
(e.g. ethics and values education)
are regularly found as incorrect
compared to technical subjects
options.
(e.g. science and mathematics)
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

5. Look for Clue Words

A. Look out for absolute and general words,

 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

5. Look for Clue Words

A. Look out for absolute and general words,

 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

5. Look for Clue Words

B. Look for the Negative & Double

Negatives • ·Double negatives, on the other
• The effect of negatives is to make hand, are two negative words
the sentence the opposite of what that cancel each other out and
it would be without the negative. make a positive meaning. You
• Examples are not, none, no one, can simplify the question by getting
prefixes un-, non-, dis-, in-. rid of double negatives.
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

5. Look for Clue Words

B. Look for the Negative & Double Negatives

Which of the following general education subjects is not uncommon in college?

a.Social Science Elective
b.Mathematics in the Modern Word
c.Personal Development
d.Understanding the Self
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
During the Exam

6. Don’t Overthink
Sometimes you may just slip into overthinking. You will often add assumptions to
the question and/or read things into it that are not there.

David Daniel, a learning expert at James Madison University, offers an “80/20

rule”: most students spend 20% of their time on the question and 80% of
their time thinking about the answer. They would be better off, he suggests,
reversing that allocation and spending 80% of their time on the question
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
After the Exam

1. Evaluate Your Performance

After taking the test, evaluate and monitor your
performance by asking yourself these questions
• What about my exam preparation worked well that I
should remember to do next time?
• What did not work so well that I should not do next time
or that I should change?
• What questions did I not answer correctly? Why?
• How did my answer compare with the suggested correct
answer?
• What confusion do I have that I still need to clarify?
 TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
After the Exam

2. Reward Yourself
Finally, take some time to reward
yourself for a job well done!

If you used your reward system while studying

to reinforce and motivate you to study for a
exam, now you may reward yourself for doing
your best.
 REFERENCES
• Cherry, K. (2024). Why are you so anxious during test taking? Verywell Mind.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-test-anxiety-2795368#citation-4
• Preparing for Exams. (n.d.). McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning.
https://mcgraw.princeton.edu/undergraduates/resources/resource-library/preparing-for-exams
• Sweetnam, K. R. (2003). Test-taking strategies and student achievement. Retrieved from
http://www.cloquet.k12.mn.us/chu/ class/fourth/ks/stratigies.htm
• Test-taking skills and managing your time lesson plan. (n.d.). https://reachhighershasta.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/05/Test-Taking-Skills.pdf
• Willingham, D.T. (2023). Outsmart Your Brain. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
• What is the best time for studying—day or night?. (2024). London School of Business and Finance.
https://www.lsbf.edu.sg/blog/motivation-and-inspiration/what-is-the-best-time-for-studying-day-or-night
• Zeidner, M. (2014). Test anxiety. In P. Emmelkamp & T. Ehring (Eds.), The Wiley handbook of anxiety
disorders, Vol. 1. Theory and research; Vol. 2. Clinical assessment and treatment (pp. 581–595). Wiley
Blackwell.