Mrpoopdog
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A Guide On What Makes A Good Test Taker
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let’s start with the easiest test to get good Multiple Choice Standardized (MCS) tests like the SAT,GRE,JEE,ACT and a test I personally have to take the CAT (Computerized Adaptive Testing).Here’s a video I found on youtube that gives great advice for math
and heres the points the video makes summed up:
- Speed makes you better at math
- You need to solve problems fast
- After you learn everything, focus on doing problems as quickly as possible
I went into this thinking it was going to be some surface level advice, but I came out with a completely different view on tests. The first time I watched the video, I was confusing speed with rushing
So I didnt think much of it until I saw one of my gifted friends take a test. He was picking options before I even finished reading the question,while still maintaining near perfect grades.Heres what I optimized to get like my gifted friend:
Let’s understand what “speed” means in this situation.In my opinion,speed means using more efficient techniques to get to the answer.
SPEED = PRACTICE + EFFICIENCY
For example,one technique that can help if you don’t know the answer is to spot common mistake answers.These are answers that a typical student might get if they don’t know how to solve the problem and try to “reinvent” math.lets try a problem:
A B C D E are all "reinvented" A adds two fractions by adding the top and bottom B is adding two fractions by multiplying the top and bottom C is adding two fractions by adding the top and multiplying the bottom and E is adding two fractions by multiplying across the fraction bar it self and then adding the bottom
the correct way to do it is to do this cross multiplying thing where you multiply the bottoms then you multiply across like this so D is the answer
Test writers often include these kinds of trap answers because theyre quick to create and effective at catching mistakes. If you’re a good test taker and short on time, you can at least eliminate the answers that look like common mistakes cross them out and then make an educated guess.
If you want to get faster,you have to practice doing more problems while trying to optimize your time without sacrificing too much accuracy.
But that’s easier said than done.It can be pretty boring to do practice tests, and sometimes you lose focus and just reread the same question like a r****d.Thats why I think watching other people take a test isnt a bad idea. Just search your tests walk through,youll find people explaining problems step by step, often better than any AI could.This exposes you to more problems and solutions faster than just taking tests on your own.
for nonmath tests tahe best tip i can give you is that the people who write the test also create the answer key at the same time,with clear explanations of why each wrong answer is incorrect and why each correct answer is right.These explanations are based on facts or evidence from the passage they cant be based on opinion.
So when you’re taking a test and you’re stuck between choice A and choice B, try to imagine that you wrote the answer key. If A is wrong, there must be a factual reason why B is correct.This mental shift can help you score more points because it trains you to think like the test writer.
Avoid analysis paralysis.A big barrier to studying is wasting time thinking about what to study and how to study it. It’s good to have a plan, but at some point, you just have to start.If nothing seems to be working, try the classic method:
reading textbooks.It might be boring,but it works.
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