This document provides test-taking strategies and tips to help students reduce anxiety and perform well on exams. It recommends arriving early and relaxing before the test, carefully reading instructions, pacing yourself, using strategies like process of elimination for difficult questions, and maintaining a positive attitude. Key tips include making a study plan, getting rest the night before, eating breakfast, and reviewing answers without changing responses unless certain. The goal is to know you did your best on the test.

1. "Hecel Oyate Kin Nipi Kte -- So That The People May Live"

2. Test Taking Strategies
Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board

3. Test Taking Strategies, Skills and Techniques
This module will introduce you to tips and suggestions to help you overcome test
anxiety or stress related to preparing and taking your exam.
We will cover:
1. Test-taking 101
2. Multiple-choice and standardized tests
3. Managing your stress, now and then
4. Questions
5. Resources

4. General Guidelines
• Always arrive early and take a moment to relax and reduce your anxiety.
• This brief time period will boost your confidence
• Use this time to focus your mind and think positive thoughts.
• Listen carefully to last minute instructions given by the instructor.
• Teachers often make last minute changes.
• Missing instructions can cause extreme anxiety.
• Read the test directions very carefully and watch for details.
• You may find that more than one answer may be possible on multiple choice tests.
• A key detail may require that you choose only three out of the five essay questions.
• Plan how you will use the allotted time.
• Estimate how many minutes you will need to finish each test section.
• Determine a pace which will ensure completing the whole test on time.
• Start with the easiest section to build your confidence.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Don't let more difficult questions raise your anxiety and steal your valuable time. Move on and find success with other
questions.
• Avoid watching for patterns. Noticing that the last four answers are "c," is not a good reason to continue with that
pattern.

5. General Guidelines Continued
• Rely on your first impressions.
• The answer which comes to mind first is often correct.
• Nervously reviewing questions and changing answers can do more harm than good.
• Plan to finish early and have time for review.
• Return to difficult questions you marked for review.
• Proofread your essays and pay attention to grammar and spelling.
• Make sure you answer all the questions. Many students have failed to notice questions on the back side of the paper.
• It is not a race to the finish. Use the time you are given and know that it is ok if you are the last one to finish. You might
be the only one that achieves 100% on your exam.

6. Make a Plan
• The week before the test, ask your instructor what the test is going to cover.
o Is it from the textbook only?
o Does it include class notes?
o Will information given during presentations be included?
• If you have missed any classes, talk to friends/classmates about the information
that was covered and get a copy of their notes.
• Make a list of most important topics to be covered and use that as your study
guide.
• Highlight the items from your list that you know will take extra study time.
• Research information or topics that are challenging or not clear.
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

7. Answering Options
• Read the question and try to answer it before you look at the choices available.
• Review each answer as a true or false question. Select the “most true” answer.
• If the test format allows, mark question numbers that you can’t answer and continue
working through the test.
• Save time by returning to the skipped questions at the end, even if it is to simply guess the
answer.
• If you skip a question, put a mark next to the answer you think may be correct.
• Beware very aware of words such as “Does Not”, “None”, “Not”, “Never”.
• If you are having difficulty picking the correct answer, consider:
• Make an educated guess.
• Choose the most correct answer.

8. Night Before the Test
• Get a good night’s sleep
• Bring a watch to your exam. You may not be allowed to have a cell phone or
other electronic device to watch your time.
• Have you a bag ready with a watch, pencil/pen, paper, book or other study
materials to review prior to exam.
• Set multiple alarms so you don’t oversleep

9. The Morning of the Test
• Eat a healthy breakfast
o Important to eat and drink plenty of liquids
o Eat a high protein breakfast
• Go to class early
o Getting to class 10-15 minutes early will help you to get comfortable
and ready for your test
o Use your extra time to review your study materials
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

10. Test Day
• Before the test begins make sure you have everything you need
o Scratch Paper
o Extra Pencils/Pens
o Calculator (If you’re allowed to use it)
• Understand how the test is scored
o Do you lose points for incorrect answers?
o Or is better to guess when your not sure of the answer?
• Read all of the instructions
o It is important that you are answering the questions correctly.
o Don’t assume you know what the instructions.
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

11. Manage Your Time
• Make sure you have enough time to answer every question
• Pace yourself
• Check the time regularly to make sure you are aware of how much time is left
• Scan through the test before starting
o Answer the questions you are confident that you know
o If the test allows, make a notation next to the ones you want to come back and
review.
o Us any extra time to go back and answer the questions you skipped
o Don’t change your initial answer unless you have a good reason to do so; research
shows that 3 out of 4 times a first choice is the correct choice.
o If you are out of time, strategically guess on the answers.
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

12. Stuck on a Question?
• Don’t get stressed or worried if you are not sure of the answer
o Stay calm and move onto the next question
o At the end of the exam, use the test taking strategies discussed earlier by eliminating
the wrong answers and picking the most correct answer
• Reread the question to make sure you understand it
o Try to solve it the best way you know how
o Use the true and false method to determine the correct answer
• Start with the process of elimination
o This can help you choose the correct answer
o Start by crossing out the answers you know couldn’t be right
o Spend your time focusing on the possible correct answers
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

13. Neatness Counts
• Make sure your handwriting is legible
o Can you clearly read your answer? If not, you may get it marked wrong even if you
feel the answer is correct.
o Make sure you clarify numbers: make sure your 3 looks like a 3 and not a messy 2
and vice versa
• Erase all your mistakes
• For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces carefully
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

14. I am Done!
• When you complete answer the last question on the test, you are not
done.
o Check the clock for the amount of time you have left;
o Go back and review your answers but don’t change your answers
unless you have a very good reason;
o Make sure you did not make any mistakes such as putting the right
answer in the wrong place;
o Review the questions that were the hardest for you and use the true
false method for the answers available;
o Answer any questions that you skipped;
o Most importantly, make sure your name is on your test.
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

15. Have a Positive Attitude
Believe you will pass!
Approach the test as you would approach a giant jigsaw puzzle.
It might be tough, but you can do it!
A positive attitude goes a long way toward success.
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

16. The Night Before
• Try to avoid cramming for a test the night before.
o Cramming doesn’t work
o Trying to remember a lot of information in one setting can be exhausting
• If you’ve followed the study guide, the night before the test you should do a
quick review.
• Go to bed early.
o Your brain and body need sleep to function, so don’t stay up late!
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

17. Final Review
• Have a positive attitude
• Prepare a study plan
• Get plenty of rest the night before
• Eat high protein breakfast and arrive early
• Take deep breaths and relax
• Watch your test time
• If you are stuck on question, use methods presented previously
• Neatness Counts
• I am Done!
17
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

18. Follow these test tips, and you will
know you did your best!
GPTCHB Test Taking Strategies 042016

19. GREAT PLAINS TRIBAL CHAIRMEN’S HEALTH BOARD (GPTCHB)
1770 Rand Road
Rapid City, SD 57702
Phone: 605.721.1922
Toll Free: 1.800.745.3466
Fax: 605.721.1932
Email: info@gptchb.org
Thank you