With the TAKS test quickly approaching, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed and concerned about your scores. Preparation and strategizing is half the battle! Here are a few test taking strategies to help you get your foot in the door and take the TAKS test with confidence!
1. Get plenty of sleep. There is no way you will be able to focus on your test if all you can think about is getting some shut eye. Do yourself a favor and turn off your phone and T.V. at a reasonable time, and go to sleep.
2. Eat. Your brain needs food to function. Eat something with whole grain, protein, and sugar (but not too much) to wake up and get the creative juices flowing. Also, it is scientifically proven that peppermints stimulate your brain, so stuff some in your pocket before you head to school.
3. Write your essay first. You need the most endurance for your essay. Get it out the way while your brain is alert and fresh.
4. Open Ended Response Questions: Read the questions before reading the articles. Take note of the questions in the margins of the passage and highlight anything from the passage that answers your questions. That way, you won’t waste time hunting down textual evidence. To get credit for your answers, use the first sentence to answer the questions, the second to provide textual evidence, and the third to explain and wrap up your answer.
5. Use the process of elimination. On the test, you can typically eliminate two answers that don’t fit for obvious reasons. Get rid of these first in order to increase your chances of getting questions you don’t know the answer to right.
Remember: get your rest and nutrition, write the essay asap, and use common sense to eliminate ridiculous answers. Good luck!
