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Pacing on Class Tests: Checklist (AB)

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Study Skills & Tools MS/HS/College Strategy

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Working Memory Attention Processing Speed Visual Motor Speed

Pacing on Class Tests: Checklist (AB)

If your student is often rushed or has difficulty finishing class tests

How To Apply It!

  1. You will feel much more confident about taking a test if you have reliable strategies to fall back on when you run into challenging problems or feel rushed for time. Note: If you are looking strategies specifically for standardized tests start here.
  2. Before the test, take a timed sample test at home if you can. Get a good feel for how far along you should be after a given amount of elapsed time and how you want to pace yourself.
  3. If allowed, use a timer on your desk or your watch so you can pace yourself without needing to look for the clock in the room.
  4. As you think about pacing yourself, consider which questions will go faster. Most teachers put the essays last and some students run short on time, having spent too long on multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank.
  5. Don't feel obligated to do the test in order. You might want to start with what you find the hardest first and work on it while your mind is freshest. Some students prefer to tackle what they know best first, to get warmed up and feel confident. Students who might have trouble finishing might do best focusing on the sections that are worth the most points first. Know yourself and have a strategy of what is best for you.
  6. Consider skipping over the harder or longer questions and come back to them later. When using this strategy you MUST clearly mark skipped questions so you can easily find them later.
  7. Clearly circle your final answers. Avoid any teacher confusion about what you want the teacher to see. When you are running out of time, you can at least double check to be sure your circled answers match the answers you put on the answer sheet.
  8. Always show your work, in the margin if there is enough room or on scrap paper. Hand in your scrap paper. Depending on the teacher, there might be partial credit if the grader can follow the logic even if you had the wrong answer or did not finish.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Timed tests are designed to test a student's knowledge and ability when they are working efficiently. When students are overly anxious , they are often unable to work efficiently. When students come in prepared with how they will tackle the test, it hopefully reduces some of the student's overall anxiety so the student can think clearly and do his best work. The ultimate goal is for student to become sufficiently comfortable so that their testing reflects their knowledge, and anxiety does not impede them from doing their very best on the questions they have time to answer. Read our collection of articles on test taking in our Great Articles section.