Cst test taking strategies (math)

Test-Taking Tips &
Strategies
Preparing for Standardized Tests
(CST, CAHSEE, others)

Test Taking Tips
On The Eve Before Testing
• Engage in activities that ease your mind (do not play
violent video games, or watch horror movies, etc.)
• Solve family/friend problems before the testing date.
• Talk to your parents about any concerns that you might
have about the test.
• Make sure you place all necessary materials in your
backpack
• Eat a well-balanced dinner, but not too late (avoid upset
stomach)
• Go To Bed Early (you need about 8 to 9 hours of sleep).

Test Taking Tips
The Morning of Testing
• Start your day as you always do.
• Eat a good breakfast* but don’t drink a large
beverage before hand (Duh!!).
• Get to school a few minutes earlier than you
usually do..
• Know what classroom you are to repot to.
• Think Positive!

Test Taking Tips
Once You Enter Your Classroom
• Relax!!
• Ask for procedural help when directions allow
it. Your teacher is there to help you.
• The STAR-CST test is based on California State
Content Standards. You have already studied
most of the material you will see on the test.

Test Taking Tips
During The Test
• If you do not understand the directions or are
unsure, ask for help!
• Read the question and all answer choices before
marking anything
• Choose the most appropriate strategy to help
you solve the problem.

Test Taking Tips
Pace Yourself

• Answer the easiest questions first.
• Don’t spend too much time on any one
question. Do your best and then move on.
• Be sure to go back to those questions you
skipped.

Test Taking Tips
A Matter of Time

• If any time remains, spend it on those questions
about which you know nothing or almost
nothing.
• As you go back through, do not change all
answers; Your first guess is usually
right!!!

Test Taking Tips
Guessing
• “All of the Above” is usually right.
Above
• “None of the Above” is usually wrong.
Above
• If the choice uses words like “never” and “always” it
never always
is usually wrong.
• Remember, once you guess stick with your answer.
Only change if you are absolutely sure you are
wrong.

Test Taking Tips
The Death Grip
If your arm tires during testing it is probably due to the hard grip
that you have on your pencil.
Relax the grip and give those muscles a break.

Giving your Back a Break
Do not break your back with bad posture or tense muscles. Sit
properly and relax your back and shoulders

If you need to stretch your arm, hands or back during the test,
keep it discrete. Do not disturb others!!!

Test Taking Tips
Final Tips

• Fill in bubbles fully, write neatly, and erase stray
marks.
• Double-check the test number in your test booklet
against the answer sheet every few questions to be
sure you haven’t moved on to the wrong question.
• Remember it's okay not to know everything—unlike
class tests, these tests will have some questions
designed to challenge the limits of your knowledge
(beyond your grade level).

Test Taking Tips
Basic Knowledge + Strategies = Better Odds

• Follow all the tips.
• Trust yourself: You know more than you
think!!!
• Apply the strategies.

Test Taking Tips
Some facts about the CST

• Math section has 65 questions (all grades)
• ELA section has 75 questions (grades 6 & 8) and 83 questions (grade 7).
• 5 levels: Advanced (A) [≈ 79 – 100%] (431-600) 52-65
Proficient (P) [≈ 58 – 78%] (352- 430) 38-51
Basic (B) [≈ 43 – 57%] (304-351) 28-37
Below Basic (BB) [≈ 29 – 42%] (256-303) 19-27
Far Below Basic (FBB) [≈ 0 – 28%] (0 – 255) 0-
18

• Most common Grading Scale : A = 90 -100%
B = 80 – 89%
C = 70 – 79%
D = 60 – 69%
F = 0 – 59%

Compare the scale percentages (remember 50% means ½ )

Test Taking Tips
Each Q has 4 possible answers
• “Ini, mini, mani , mo” or “Ave Maria Dame Punteria”
= ¼ or 25%
• This way, your chances are  for 654 = 17,850,625
 for 754 = 31,640,625
 for 834 = 47,458,321
(with all answers right)

Test Taking Tips

Above all,
• Glance at all the questions first
• Go for all those questions that you know how to
solve (trust what you know).
• Last, go back to the questions you skipped and
apply the strategies.

Why Do We Take These Tests?

• Class v. District v. State Tests
• The STAR-CST test is based on the California State Standards (Same
Contract all across the state).
• CST help teachers and administrators determine areas of strength and
weakness, as well as to determine which classes you may take next year.
• CST is use to calculate your school’s API score (a school report card!!!)
• The API score is also used to rank schools throughout the state.
• FYI: Our district has the three highest high school API scores in East
County!

DO YOUR BEST EFFORT!!!!

Test Taking Strategies

Mathematics
&
Science

Math Computations

• When using scratch paper on a math test, double check to
make sure that you have copied the problem correctly from the test
booklet!

• Line up place value correctly on your
scratch paper (thousands, hundreds, tens,
ones) or the answer will be incorrect.

• If your answer does not match one of
the choices, re-read the problem,
re-copy the numbers, and try solving it again.

Strategies For Math

• Elimination
• Estimation
• Guess & Check
• Plug-in
• Draw

Elimination
• Use your knowledge to eliminate obvious wrong
answers.
• If you eliminate two wrong answers,
your chances go from ¼ (25% or FFB) to ½
(50% or B)!!!!

652 = 4225, if you still do random choice*

Elimination (continues)
Example (Math 7th grade):

What is 0.375 as a fraction in lowest terms?
a) 3/80 Which ones
may I
b)3/8
eliminate?
c) 3/7
d)15/4

Eliminate (continues)
FACTS you should know:
• numerator/denominator
• If numerator > denominator, the fraction is more than 1 (improper)
• If numerator is much, much smaller than denominator, the fraction
is closer to ZERO

Which options could you eliminate now? Explain
a) 3/80
b) 3/8
c) 3/7
d) 15/4

Eliminate (continues)
If you eliminated (a) and (c), you are correct!

Two options left = 50% chance (50% = Basic)


Estimate

You know this strategy as rounding off.

Is 127 closer to 120 or 130?

127 is closer to 130!!!

Estimating
Example: Rosa bought 3 cans of fruit for $2.79
each. What did she pay for all the cans?
(a)$ 0.93 1) Round off $2.79
2) Multiply by 3
(b)$ 5.79 3) Choose correct
(c)$ 8.17 answer.
(d)$8.37

Estimating
1) Round off $2.79 to dollars  $3.00
2) Multiply by 3  3 x $3.00 = $9.00
3) Choose correct answer.

(a) $ 0.93
(b) $ 5.79
(c) $ 8.17
(d) $8.37

Estimating

(d) Is the correct answer

($8.37 is the closest answer to $9.00)

Guess and Check

This strategy best work in solving equations.
• Choose any one of the four choices,
• Substitute your choice into the variable
• Solve the equation
• If both sides are EQUAL, you got it!
• If both side are different, repeat the process

Guess and Check
Example:
What is the value of x in 3x – 10 = 17
a)x = 27
b)x = -7
c) x = 7
d)x = 9

Guess and Check
If we guess (a) x = 27
Then, 3(27) – 10 = 17 (substitute & multiply)
81 – 10 = 17
71 = 17
But this is not the correct answer.
So, Guess and Check another choice

Guess and Check
If we guess (b) x = -7
Then, 3(-7) – 10 = 17
-21 – 10 = 17
-31 = 17
But this is not the correct answer.
So, Guess and Check another choice

Guess and Check
If we guess (c) x = 7
Then, 3(9) – 10 = 17
27 – 10 = 17
17 = 17
This is the correct answer!!!

Plug-in
This strategy is similar to Guess & Check. But it requires
a bit of extra effort

Example: Twice as many people visited a museum on Tuesday
that did on Monday, and 5 more people visited on
Wednesday that did on Tuesday. A total of 125 people visited
the museum over the three days. How many visited on
Tuesday?
a) 48 people
This is really
b) 30 people
hard!!!
c) 60 people
d) 24 people

Plug-in
Translate to algebraic terms:

Twice as many people visited a museum on Tuesday that did on Monday, and
5 more people visited on Wednesday that did on Tuesday. A total of 125
people visited the museum over the three days. How many visited on
Tuesday?

Monday (no specific number of visitors) x Translating is
Tuesday = Twice as many as Monday 2x is the tricky
Wednesday = 5 more than Tuesday 5 + (2x) part
Total visited museum = 125 = 125

Plug-in
This strategy is similar to Guess & Check.
• Translate and write equation
• Choose any one of the four choices,
• Substitute your choice
• Solve the equation you came up with
• If both sides are EQUAL, you got it!
• If both side are different, repeat the process

Plug-in
a) 48 people

Monday (no specific number of x 48 48
visitors)
Tuesday = Twice as many as 2x 2(48) 96
Monday
Wednesday = 5 more than 5 + (2x) 5 + (96) 101
Tuesday
Total visited museum = 125 125 245

Since 125 ≠ 245, (a) is not the right answer

Plug-in
b) 30 people

visitors)
Monday
Tuesday

Since 125 ≠ 155, (b) is not the right answer

Plug-in
c) 60 people

visitors)
Monday
Tuesday

Since 125 ≠ 305, (c) is not the right answer

Plug-in
d) 24 people

visitors)
Monday
Tuesday

Since 125 = 125, (d) is the right answer!!!

Draw (Sketch)
This strategy helps you “see” the situation for a better understanding of the
problem.

Example (Algebra- Quadratics):

Eli tossed a water balloon up into the air from the high slide at a water park,
at a velocity of 96 feet/sec. The slide is 32 ft above the ground. The
equation h(t) = -16t2 + Vot + h0 represents the path of the water balloon.
Where h(t) = the height of the object from the ground after t seconds; V 0 =
initial velocity; and h0= initial height. How long will it take the water
balloon to reach the surface of the water below?

Draw (Sketch)
Eli tossed a water balloon up into the air from the high slide at a water park,
at a velocity of 96 feet/sec. The slide is 32 ft above the ground. The
equation h(t) = -16t2 + Vot + h0 represents the path of the water balloon.
Where h(t) = the height of the object from the ground after t seconds; V 0 =
initial velocity; and h0= initial height. How long will it take the water
balloon to reach the surface of the water below?

Draw (Sketch)

Drawing does not solve the problem, but it helps
us take a step closer.
Once you understand it, then you may choose
another strategy to solve the problem (i.e.
guess & check)

Cst test taking strategies (math)

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (18)

Similar to Cst test taking strategies (math)

Similar to Cst test taking strategies (math) (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Cst test taking strategies (math)