Secret Key #1 â Plan Big, Study Small
Thereâs a lot riding on your performance. If you want to ace
this test, youâre going to need to keep your skills sharp and the material
fresh in your mind. You need a plan that lets you review everything you need to
know while still fitting in your schedule. Weâll break this strategy down into
three categories.
Information Organization
Start with the information you already have: the official
test outline. From this, you can make a complete list of all the concepts you
need to cover before the test. Organize these concepts into groups that can be
studied together, and create a list of any related vocabulary you need to learn
so you can brush up on any difficult terms. Youâll want to keep this vocabulary
list handy once you actually start studying since you may need to add to it
along the way.
Time Management
Once you have your set of study concepts, decide how to
spread them out over the time you have left before the test. Break your study
plan into small, clear goals so you have a manageable task for each day and
know exactly what youâre doing. Then just focus on one small step at a time.
When you manage your time this way, you donât need to spend hours at a time
studying. Studying a small block of content for a short period each day helps
you retain information better and avoid stressing over how much you have left
to do. You can relax knowing that you have a plan to cover everything in time.
In order for this strategy to be effective though, you have to start studying
early and stick to your schedule. Avoid the exhaustion and futility that comes
from last-minute cramming!
Study Environment
The environment you study in has a big impact on your
learning. Studying in a coffee shop, while probably more enjoyable, is not
likely to be as fruitful as studying in a quiet room. Itâs important to keep
distractions to a minimum. Youâre only planning to study for a short block of
time, so make the most of it. Donât pause to check your phone or get up to find
a snack. Itâs also important to avoid multitasking. Research has
consistently shown that multitasking will make your studying dramatically less
effective. Your study area should also be comfortable and well-lit so you donât
have the distraction of straining your eyes or sitting on an uncomfortable
chair.
The time of day you study is also important. You want to be
rested and alert. Donât wait until just before bedtime. Study when youâll be
most likely to comprehend and remember. Even better, if you know what time of
day your test will be, set that time aside for study. That way your brain will
be used to working on that subject at that specific time and youâll have a
better chance of recalling information.
Finally, it can be helpful to team up with others who are
studying for the same test. Your actual studying should be done in as isolated
an environment as possible, but the work of organizing the information and
setting up the study plan can be divided up. In between study sessions, you can
discuss with your teammates the concepts that youâre all studying and quiz each
other on the details. Just be sure that your teammates are as serious about the
test as you are. If you find that your study time is being replaced with social
time, you might need to find a new team.
Secret Key #2 â Make Your
Studying Count
Youâre devoting a lot of time
and effort to preparing for this test, so you want to be absolutely certain it
will pay off. This means doing more than just reading the content and hoping
you can remember it on test day. Itâs important to make every minute of study
count. There are two main areas you can focus on to make your studying count:
Retention
It doesnât matter how much time you study if you canât
remember the material. You need to make sure you are retaining the concepts. To
check your retention of the information youâre learning, try recalling it at
later times with minimal prompting. Try carrying around flashcards and glance
at one or two from time to time or ask a friend whoâs also studying for the
test to quiz you.
To enhance your retention, look for ways to put the
information into practice so that you can apply it rather than simply recalling
it. If youâre using the information in practical ways, it will be much easier
to remember. Similarly, it helps to solidify a concept in your mind if youâre
not only reading it to yourself but also explaining it to someone else. Ask a
friend to let you teach them about a concept youâre a little shaky on (or speak
aloud to an imaginary audience if necessary). As you try to summarize, define,
give examples, and answer your friendâs questions, youâll understand the concepts
better and they will stay with you longer. Finally, step back for a big picture
view and ask yourself how each piece of information fits with the whole
subject. When you link the different concepts together and see them working
together as a whole, itâs easier to remember the individual components.
Finally, practice showing your work on any multi-step
problems, even if youâre just studying. Writing out each step you take to solve
a problem will help solidify the process in your mind, and youâll be more likely
to remember it during the test.
Modality
Modality simply refers to the means or method by
which you study. Choosing a study modality that fits your own individual
learning style is crucial. No two people learn best in exactly the same way, so
itâs important to know your strengths and use them to your advantage.
For example, if you learn best by visualization, focus on
visualizing a concept in your mind and draw an image or a diagram. Try
color-coding your notes, illustrating them, or creating symbols that will
trigger your mind to recall a learned concept. If you learn best by hearing or
discussing information, find a study partner who learns the same way or read
aloud to yourself. Think about how to put the information in your own words.
Imagine that you are giving a lecture on the topic and record yourself so you
can listen to it later.
For any learning style, flashcards can be helpful. Organize
the information so you can take advantage of spare moments to review. Underline
key words or phrases. Use different colors for different categories. Mnemonic
devices (such as creating a short list in which every item starts with the same
letter) can also help with retention. Find what works best for you and use it
to store the information in your mind most effectively and easily.
Secret Key #3 â Practice
the Right Way
Your success on test day
depends not only on how many hours you put into preparing, but also on whether
you prepared the right way. Itâs good to check along the way to see if your
studying is paying off. One of the most effective ways to do this is by taking
practice tests to evaluate your progress. Practice tests are useful because
they show exactly where you need to improve. Every time you take a practice
test, pay special attention to these three groups of questions:
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The questions you got wrong
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The questions you had to guess on, even if you guessed right
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The questions you found difficult or slow to work through
This will show you exactly what your weak areas are, and
where you need to devote more study time. Ask yourself why each of these
questions gave you trouble. Was it because you didnât understand the material?
Was it because you didnât remember the vocabulary? Do you need more repetitions
on this type of question to build speed and confidence? Dig into those
questions and figure out how you can strengthen your weak areas as you go back
to review the material.
Additionally, many practice tests have a section explaining
the answer choices. It can be tempting to read the explanation and think that
you now have a good understanding of the concept. However, an explanation
likely only covers part of the questionâs broader context. Even if the
explanation makes sense, go back and investigate every concept related
to the question until youâre positive you have a thorough understanding.
As you go along, keep in mind that the practice test is just
that: practice. Memorizing these questions and answers will not be very helpful
on the actual test because it is unlikely to have any of the same exact
questions. If you only know the right answers to the sample questions, you
wonât be prepared for the real thing. Study the concepts until you
understand them fully, and then youâll be able to answer any question that
shows up on the test.
Itâs important to wait on the practice tests until youâre
ready. If you take a test on your first day of study, you may be overwhelmed by
the amount of material covered and how much you need to learn. Work up to it
gradually.
On test day, youâll need to be prepared for answering
questions, managing your time, and using the test-taking strategies youâve
learned. Itâs a lot to balance, like a mental marathon that will have a big
impact on your future. Like training for a marathon, youâll need to start
slowly and work your way up. When test day arrives, youâll be ready.
Start with the strategies youâve read in the first two
Secret Keysâplan your course and study in the way that works best for you. If
you have time, consider using multiple study resources to get different
approaches to the same concepts. It can be helpful to see difficult concepts
from more than one angle. Then find a good source for practice tests. Many
times, the test website will suggest potential study resources or provide
sample tests.
Practice Test Strategy
When youâre ready to start
taking practice tests, follow this strategy:
Untimed and Open-Book Practice
Take the first test with no time constraints and with your
notes and study guide handy. Take your time and focus on applying the
strategies youâve learned.
Timed and Open-Book Practice
Take the second practice test open-book as well, but set a
timer and practice pacing yourself to finish in time.
Timed and Closed-Book Practice
Take any other practice tests as if it were test day. Set a
timer and put away your study materials. Sit at a table or desk in a quiet
room, imagine yourself at the testing center, and answer questions as quickly
and accurately as possible.
Keep repeating timed and closed-book tests on a regular
basis until you run out of practice tests or itâs time for the actual test.
Your mind will be ready for the schedule and stress of test day, and youâll be
able to focus on recalling the material youâve learned.
Secret Key #4 â Pace Yourself
Once you're fully prepared for the material on the test, your biggest challenge on test day will be managing your time. Just knowing that the clock is ticking can make you panic even if you have plenty of time left. Work on pacing yourself so you can build confidence against the time constraints of the exam. Pacing is a difficult skill to master, especially in a high-pressure environment, so practice is vital.
Set time expectations for your pace based on how much time is available. For example, if a section has 60 questions and the time limit is 30 minutes, you know you have to average 30 seconds or less per question in order to answer them all. Although 30 seconds is the hard limit, set 25 seconds per question as your goal, so you reserve extra time to spend on harder questions. When you budget extra time for the harder questions, you no longer have any reason to stress when those questions take longer to answer.
Donât let this time expectation distract you from working through the test at a calm, steady pace, but keep it in mind so you donât spend too much time on any one question. Recognize that taking extra time on one question you donât understand may keep you from answering two that you do understand later in the test. If your time limit for a question is up and youâre still not sure of the answer, mark it and move on, and come back to it later if the time and the test format allow. If the testing format doesnât allow you to return to earlier questions, just make an educated guess; then put it out of your mind and move on.
On the easier questions, be careful not to rush. It may seem wise to hurry through them so you have more time for the challenging ones, but itâs not worth missing one if you know th...