Take some deepbreaths, relaxyour writinghand, or take ashort stretchingbreakJot down anyimportantinformation atthe start ofthe testDouble-checkthat youcompleted allquestions onthe testGo back andrevisit difficultquestions orquestionsyou markedLook overthe wholetest beforeyou startTrust yourintuition – don’tchange youranswer unlessyou arecompletely sureIn “all of the above”questions, once youfind two answersthat are definitelycorrect, you canimmediately mark“all of the above.”Listen forany last-minute tipsor directionsAnswerAllQuestionsSave timeat the endto reviewyour workBe an activetest taker.Underline keyterms whenreading aquestionEliminateobviouslywrong answersand physicallycross them outIt is okay to“jump around”the test andanswersections out oforderDo what youcan, even if youdon’t knoweverything. Youmight earnpartial pointsAsk last-minutequestionsMaking yourbest guess on aquestion you areunsure about isbetter thanleaving it blankComplete easyquestions firstto buildconfidence andreduce stressOccasionallycheck the timeremaining soyou can stayon trackTry to come up withan answer in yourhead before lookingat the answerchoices so you aren’tconfused by incorrectanswer choicesDon’t rushthrough atest just toget it overwithCircle or markquestions youskip over orwant to returnto laterRead TestDirectionsOnce you havefinished thetest, take thetime to reviewyour workBreak longquestions intosmaller, moremanageablechunksReframe yournegative orlimiting beliefsinto positivethoughtsShowupearlyCirclenegativewords like“Not” or“Except”Sometimes theanswer from onequestion will helpyou answeranother questionyou were unsureaboutCircle wordslike always,never, all,every, ornoneRunning out oftime? Prioritizequestions thatare worth morepoints or thatseem easyIn “all of the above”questions, if you findone answer option thatyou are confident isincorrect, you canimmediately eliminatethat answer and the“all of the above”answer optionTake some deepbreaths, relaxyour writinghand, or take ashort stretchingbreakJot down anyimportantinformation atthe start ofthe testDouble-checkthat youcompleted allquestions onthe testGo back andrevisit difficultquestions orquestionsyou markedLook overthe wholetest beforeyou startTrust yourintuition – don’tchange youranswer unlessyou arecompletely sureIn “all of the above”questions, once youfind two answersthat are definitelycorrect, you canimmediately mark“all of the above.”Listen forany last-minute tipsor directionsAnswerAllQuestionsSave timeat the endto reviewyour workBe an activetest taker.Underline keyterms whenreading aquestionEliminateobviouslywrong answersand physicallycross them outIt is okay to“jump around”the test andanswersections out oforderDo what youcan, even if youdon’t knoweverything. Youmight earnpartial pointsAsk last-minutequestionsMaking yourbest guess on aquestion you areunsure about isbetter thanleaving it blankComplete easyquestions firstto buildconfidence andreduce stressOccasionallycheck the timeremaining soyou can stayon trackTry to come up withan answer in yourhead before lookingat the answerchoices so you aren’tconfused by incorrectanswer choicesDon’t rushthrough atest just toget it overwithCircle or markquestions youskip over orwant to returnto laterRead TestDirectionsOnce you havefinished thetest, take thetime to reviewyour workBreak longquestions intosmaller, moremanageablechunksReframe yournegative orlimiting beliefsinto positivethoughtsShowupearlyCirclenegativewords like“Not” or“Except”Sometimes theanswer from onequestion will helpyou answeranother questionyou were unsureaboutCircle wordslike always,never, all,every, ornoneRunning out oftime? Prioritizequestions thatare worth morepoints or thatseem easyIn “all of the above”questions, if you findone answer option thatyou are confident isincorrect, you canimmediately eliminatethat answer and the“all of the above”answer option

Freshmen Seminar: Test Taking Strategies - Call List

(Print) Use this randomly generated list as your call list when playing the game. There is no need to say the BINGO column name. Place some kind of mark (like an X, a checkmark, a dot, tally mark, etc) on each cell as you announce it, to keep track. You can also cut out each item, place them in a bag and pull words from the bag.


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  1. Take some deep breaths, relax your writing hand, or take a short stretching break
  2. Jot down any important information at the start of the test
  3. Double-check that you completed all questions on the test
  4. Go back and revisit difficult questions or questions you marked
  5. Look over the whole test before you start
  6. Trust your intuition – don’t change your answer unless you are completely sure
  7. In “all of the above” questions, once you find two answers that are definitely correct, you can immediately mark “all of the above.”
  8. Listen for any last-minute tips or directions
  9. Answer All Questions
  10. Save time at the end to review your work
  11. Be an active test taker. Underline key terms when reading a question
  12. Eliminate obviously wrong answers and physically cross them out
  13. It is okay to “jump around” the test and answer sections out of order
  14. Do what you can, even if you don’t know everything. You might earn partial points
  15. Ask last-minute questions
  16. Making your best guess on a question you are unsure about is better than leaving it blank
  17. Complete easy questions first to build confidence and reduce stress
  18. Occasionally check the time remaining so you can stay on track
  19. Try to come up with an answer in your head before looking at the answer choices so you aren’t confused by incorrect answer choices
  20. Don’t rush through a test just to get it over with
  21. Circle or mark questions you skip over or want to return to later
  22. Read Test Directions
  23. Once you have finished the test, take the time to review your work
  24. Break long questions into smaller, more manageable chunks
  25. Reframe your negative or limiting beliefs into positive thoughts
  26. Show up early
  27. Circle negative words like “Not” or “Except”
  28. Sometimes the answer from one question will help you answer another question you were unsure about
  29. Circle words like always, never, all, every, or none
  30. Running out of time? Prioritize questions that are worth more points or that seem easy
  31. In “all of the above” questions, if you find one answer option that you are confident is incorrect, you can immediately eliminate that answer and the “all of the above” answer option