Entry 6: My test taking strategies

As much as most people dislike it, you will take many, many tests while in university. What starts as maybe a simple spelling test in first grade, ends up turning into more complicated tests in high school or college. Tests may consist of true or false questions, multiple choice questions, essays, or it could be an exam using a combination of different questions. Even after school some employers may require certain testing before you’re actually hired. No matter the reason a test is being taken, it is imperative for a person to have great skills for test taking. There are several techniques that can be used before, during, and after a test to make sure the test score reflects your true knowledge of the subject or subjects you’re being tested on.

Being good at taking tests is not something that comes naturally to everyone. There are several different learning style categories in which people fall into: visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary. Most people will relate to one more than another but often learn best through a combination of the different styles. For instance, a visual learner learns best through images; a logical learner prefers learning using systems, reasoning, and logic. However, this does not mean that the visual learner does not also learn well by using logic and reasoning. At the same time, it does not mean that the visual learner will do as well on a logic and reasoning test as they would on a test that used images. Another challenge many people face when taking a test is test anxiety.