Mindprint Toolbox

Search Results

Please wait...

Know Your Strengths on Standardized Tests

Tags

Standardized Test Prep MS/HS/College Strategy

Know Your Strengths on Standardized Tests

If your student feels overwhelmed by standardized test prep and needs help prioritizing and boosting self-confidence

How To Apply It!

  1. The combination of the high stakes of standardized tests and time pressure makes it very difficult for some students to show their best work in a testing situation. Prioritizing your study time and test taking approach based on your Mindprint profile will lead you to the best outcome.
  2. Your Mindprint profile can help you choose between SAT and ACT if you are still uncertain
  3. Once you choose a test, take your first practice test and self-evaluate. Which sub-tests or problem types were easiest for you? Which felt challenging or a lot less enjoyable? Go back and mark-up questions as easy, medium and hard. Even if you got a question right it still might have taken long and been hard.
  4. What is the minimum score you want by subject test and overall? Use the following steps to develop a plan to hit that score.
  5. Identify how you could maximize your score on the problems you enjoyed the most. Where can you potentially get a big bump in your score, such as reviewing a few forgotten formulas or addressing scattered errors?
  6. Acknowledge what you do not enjoy or you find them harder. Which specific types of problems will you need to practice? What will you need to learn? Be honest with yourself about what you know well and where you have uncertainty or discomfort. Use the strategies on the next few slides for quick gains based on your weaker Mindprint skills
  7. Balance your study time. Consider always starting with your more challenging areas so you know you are sure to stay focused. After 20 minutes with a challenging area, reward yourself with a more enjoyable study task. Alternating between sections and problem types will help you sustain your focus and improve on all your skills.
  8. All students are likely to feel stress on standardized tests. Excessive anxiety can affect test taking efficiency. Learn more about how to handle test anxiety.

Top Strategies For Weaker Visual Motor Speed And Spatial Perception

  1. Visual-spatial skills can affect how efficiently you are able to switch your eyes back-and-forth from test booklet to answer key, and find and fill in the correct bubble.
  2. Create an awareness of your pace so you realize if you are slowing down, particularly on reading which requires more visual-spatial stamina. Using tools like a visual timer and weighted pencils can help with weaker visual motor skills.
  3. Practice taking full length tests to build up stamina for test day.
  4. Lessen visual-spatial overload: fold over the test booklet, use a sheet of paper to track your place, circle your answer in the test booklet so it is easier to see, deliberately underline reading passages to find what you need, and keep scrap paper neat and well-organized.

Top Strategies For Slower Processing Speed

  1. Since timing is often critical on standardized tests, students with slower processing speed might have difficulty efficiently reading the question, evaluating their alternatives, and deciding on the best answer.
  2. Create an awareness of pacing for each subject test. Slower processing speed will vary depending on your mastery and interest in the topic. Time-saving strategies based on subject test will be important.
  3. Commit important information to long-term memory rather than expecting to derive (e.g. math formulas) or infer (e.g. vocabulary). This allows more time for analytical thinking.
  4. Manage test anxiety. A little anxiety can provide the adrenaline to work quickly. Too much anxiety will interfere with brain efficiency and cause students to work more slowly. While it is never easy to manage anxiety, self-confidence is key. When students are more confident that they can manage their time, it will lessen anxiety.

Top Strategies For Weaker Attention And Too Fast Processing Speed

  1. Students with attention challenges might need more time because they are going in and out of focus. As a result, they might not finish or show their best work on every question; alternatively, students might work too quickly and have scattered errors because they do not thoroughly consider all the answer choices.
  2. Create an awareness of focus by subject test. Remember, attention will have a bigger impact depending on the length of the test and your interest in the topic. Learn time management and check-in strategies so you are aware of your pace, when you might be working less carefully or losing focus.
  3. Recognize if you are prone to answering too quickly or forgetting. Make sure you read every answer choice before deciding on the best answer.
  4. Learn HOW to check work by subject test. Your strategy should depend on how much time you have remaining.

Top Strategies For Weaker Working Memory

  1. Standardized tests rely heavily on working memory as you need to read the question, decide how to approach it and then figure out a solution, all while keeping in mind the mechanics of sorting through answer choices, remembering which ones you eliminated and why, and filling in answers accurately on a separate answer sheet. Working memory tends to be most important on reading comprehension which requires you to read, remember and apply details. It is also important for multi-step math problems.
  2. Learn and practice test mechanics to lessen working memory load: circle and cross out answer choices, write reminder notes in the margins, and keep scrap paper neat and well-organized.
  3. Learn strategies specific to the sub-tests to ease working memory load, especially reading and math.
  4. Manage test anxiety. A little anxiety can provide the adrenaline to work quickly, but too much anxiety will interfere with brain efficiency and worsen working memory skills. While it is never easy to manage anxiety, self-confidence is key. When students are more confident that they have strategies to support working memory, it will lessen anxiety.

Top Strategies For Weaker Flexible Thinking

  1. Prepare to work through a variety and somewhat random ordering of problem types, some of which will be unfamiliar. Have a strategy to identify the best approach for the specific problem and then how you will switch approaches if your solution does not work so you don't spend too much time on any one problem.
  2. Have strategies on how to approach unfamiliar or unexpected problems. Have specific, step-by-step approaches so you know exactly what to do when you feel out of your comfort zone.
  3. Practice problems in random order, which includes mixing up the order of problem types, the difficulty level of problems, and handling curve balls. As you grow more comfortable adjusting to uncertainty, you will become more efficient handling the unexpected challenges you might encounter on test day.
  4. Prepare for all the potential scenarios you might encounter on test day, such as a room that is noisy or a seat that is uncomfortable. While these scenarios might be low probability, be mentally prepared for exactly what you will do if an unfortunate situation arises.

Top Strategies For Weaker Reasoning: Abstract Or Verbal

  1. Identify any patterns of difficulty by subject test. Decide which would be easiest to improve upon and prioritize them in order, easiest to hardest. Give yourself as much practice as you need to the problem type to feel comfortable and then move to the next. Be methodical in your approach.
  2. If your memory is stronger, memorize as much additional information as you can such as math formulas, vocabulary, grammar rules, and multi-step processes. The more you can have familiarity with specific problem and their solutions the more mental energy you can leave for solving confusing or unfamiliar problems. There is a lot of repetition in the types of problems and you want to use that to your advantage.
  3. Have clear strategies for tackling confusing questions. Mark-up the question with the key phrase that will likely indicate the type of answer. Eliminate the most improbable answers before guessing.

Top Strategies For Weaker Memory: Verbal Or Visual

  1. Identify any of your knowledge gaps by subject test. Prioritize what needs to be memorized and create a schedule to memorize what is practical. Plan for frequent repetition rather than longer sessions but less frequency.
  2. Use strategies to enhance effective retention based on the recommendations in your Mindprint Profile and Toolbox, such as using pictures, spaced repetition, or making connections to learned information.
  3. Don't panic if you forget something. Instead, know what exactly what you will do if you forget.
  4. Use these specific strategies to memorize, always finding ways to use your stronger memory skill to support your weaker one: Verbal and Visual.