Student Resources

Tips for Success

• Get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, and bring a sweater and water bottle.
• Arrive early and make sure you have all the necessary materials (e.g. sharpened pencils, eraser, acceptable calculator, etc.)
• Attentively listen to, and read, all instructions to avoid costly mistakes and confusion.
• Manage time carefully; it is important to answer as many test questions as possible. Try not to leave any blank.
• Before you begin answering questions, write down important formulas, timelines, or processes on a scrap paper so you won't worry about forgetting them (do a "brain dump").
• Consider going through the test and answering the 'easy' questions first, then return to tackle the more complicated ones later. When stuck on a question, make your best guess and move on.
• Read questions thoroughly and pay close attention to words like: not, no, never, now, all, always, only, most, best, and exactly.
• Try to come up with an answer yourself before reading multiple choice options.
• Use the process of elimination; exclude multiple choice distractors that are definitely wrong to narrow down the options.
• Use scratch paper to work problems out methodically; drawing pictures can help.
• Show ALL work for written responses.
• Double check each answer and written work, but stick to initial gut instincts; don't change an answer unless it is obviously wrong.