Test Anxiety. Test anxiety feeds on the unknown. By:

Transcription

1 PSAT General Tips

2 Test Anxiety Some test anxiety is completely NORMAL, but don t focus on it either. Anxiety can be a habit more than anything. Test anxiety feeds on the unknown. By: Becoming familiar with the test material, Identifying your strengths & weaknesses, & Practicing You are already eliminating this factor so you re on the right track!

3 Short-Term Relaxation Techniques Tensing/Differential Method Put your feet flat on the floor. With your hands, grab under your chair. Push down your feet & pull up on the same time for 5 seconds. Relax 10 seconds. Repeat procedure 2-3 times. Palming Method Close your eyes. Rest lower part of hands on cheekbones and place palms over eyes. Hands should not be touching your eyes. Think of relaxing scene and mentally visualize you are there. Visualize this relaxing scene for 1-2 minutes.

4 Long-Term Relaxation Techniques Cue-Controlled Response This is considered one of the best techniques. You induce your own relaxation based on repeating certain cue words to yourself, In essence, you are taught to relax and then silently repeat cue words, such as I am relaxed. May sound hokey but experiments show test takers that use this technique outscore control groups on math assessments. (Dr. Paul Nolting) Positive Self-Talk Before the test, make-up some positive statements to tell yourself. During tests, positive self-talk builds confidence and hampers test anxiety. Mentally pat yourself on the back when you feel you have successfully answered a question or completed a section.

5 Long-Term Test Preparation Developing Skills READ: improve vocabulary and develop essential skills through continuous reading of texts with sophisticated vocabulary and syntax read more books than just those required for class or summer reading PRACTICE: exercise, develop, and strengthen critical thinking, higher-order reasoning, and problem-solving abilities by taking the most challenging courses your schedule allows

6 Short-term Test Preparation Students should: Become familiar with the types of test questions, the test directions, and test format. Review most common Greek/Latin roots words to unlock the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. Take several full-length practice tests to get comfortable with the test format and scoring.

7 Short-term Test Preparation Think like the test writers. After taking several practice tests you should be able to identify the types of questions you miss the most. You might notice patterns. Draw a visual or diagram to help you see patterns.

8 Online Resources Practice tests and sample questions available in official booklet and online at On youtube, search using brightstorm2 PSAT or PrepMatters PSAT for helpful tutorial videos Sign up to receive the free SAT Question of the Day

9 Eat and sleep well! Hate to sound like a commercial, but start your day off right with a good healthy breakfast. Stay away from sugar in the morning it can amplify anxiety too. Research supports adolescents cognitive performance improves when they are regularly getting 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep a night. Be DELIBERATE about this! Put tech items (cell phones, etc.) away & cut out caffeine 3-5 hrs before bedtime. Don t just do this the night before the exam. Make it a goal for the fall semester.

10 Morning of the PSAT Dress in layers. Be prepared for any testing environment, warm or cool. This is one less distraction to worry about. Pack the following: (1) Plenty of no. 2 pencils (2) A calculator (3) A quiet time piece (4) A snack like a granola bar or package of crackers/cookies

11 During the PSAT PACE yourself!

12 GRID-IN Pacing: Which problems should I focus on first? Section 1 Reading Easy Medium Hard 10 NO Order of Difficulty Section 2 Math Easy Medium 16 Hard 20 Section 3 Reading 25 Easy Medium 30 Hard NO Order of Difficulty Section 4 Math 21 Easy Medium 29 Hard 30 Easy 33 Medium 36 Hard 38 Section 5 Writing Skills NO Order of Difficulty

13 Don t Be Like Joe! Joe Right Wrong Blank Easy Questions (6) Medium Questions (6) Hard Questions (6) Total Multiplier Total Total For Section 7

14 Don t Be Like Joe! Jane Right Wrong Blank Easy Questions (6) Medium Questions (6) Hard Questions (6) Total Multiplier Total Total For Section 10.75

15 Pacing Tips Slow down! Work fewer problems with accuracy. Bring a watch to pace yourself. Proctor will also call out time or write it on board. Not every problem has the same level of difficulty, but every problem is worth ONE POINT. Be sure to work all of the easy & medium difficulty questions. Hard questions You need to answer these if you want to score in the higher range. Use strategies to help you! Don t waste time on one tricky problem. Go back later if you have time. Remember: you don t have to answer every question to score well

16 General Strategies POE - Process of Elimination Identify WRONG answers! Wild guessing is discouraged, but students should make educated guesses when answer choices can be eliminated. Use your BOOK - Write all over your book. It s YOURS! Underline what is being asked. Underline what is given, when appropriate. Ball-parking (Math sections) Logically estimate the answer. Eliminate obvious wrong answers. Read the question carefully. Don t do too much calculating!

17 Ticket-out-the-door Please answer the following: (1) What was the most useful tip for today? (2) What question(s) do you still have about the PSAT?