Acing Assessments Performing your best on tests and quizzes comes down to preparation.

Acing Assessments  The more that you prepare as you go, the less you will have to do at the last minute.  Preparing ahead of time allows you to spend those last couple of days addressing your specific weaknesses.

Quizzes  Every day after you have completed your assignment, go back and choose 1 – 2 problems that you think best represent that day’s lesson.  Transcribe those problems onto a separate page. BE SURE TO INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS!

Quizzes  Be sure to include questions from the assignment that is due on the day of the quiz.  You should now have a practice quiz consisting of 5 – 7 problems that represent all of the material on the quiz.

Quizzes  On the day before the quiz, sit down and take the quiz as you would take a quiz in class.  Time yourself for about 15 minutes.  Only use a calculator if its use would be allowed on the quiz.

Quizzes  Grade your practice quiz (you should already have all answers) and identify your strengths and weaknesses.  Review any concepts that you missed on your practice quiz, working additional problems as necessary.

Tests  With only one test per six weeks, there is a significant amount of material to review in a short period of time.  Consequently, the more preparation that you can do ahead of time, the more productively you can spend those last 2 days before the test.

Tests  Rather than spending those last couple of days making a study sheet, wouldn’t it be nice to have your study sheet finished so that you can concentrate on working problems?

Tests  To accomplish this, you can make your study sheet as you progress through the grading period rather than leaving it until the last day or two.

Tests  After each day’s lesson, before you begin your assignment, take 3 – 5 minutes to condense that day’s notes into a couple of key bullet points.  Include any necessary formulas and definitions.

Tests  When review day arrives, you should have a couple of pages that summarize everything you have learned since the last test.  You can now begin preparing for the test by reading through your study sheet. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

Tests  On review day in class, you might want to compare your study sheet with your partner’s and see if there are any gaps to fill.  Having reviewed the entire grading period in just a few minutes, you can now concentrate on working problems.

Tests  Be sure that you work and check every single practice problem provided to you.  Analyze any mistakes that you made and work additional problems as necessary to address any weaknesses.  As additional resources, you still have your quizzes and your practice quizzes.

Summary  Preparing for assessments isn’t any different that preparing for a performance in music, theater, sports, or any other domain. You wouldn’t wait until the day before that performance to begin practicing and conditioning, would you?

Summary  Doing your best on assessments begins with making a commitment to dedicate a few extra minutes each day towards preparing.  Revisiting the material more frequently reinforces the content and frees up time on those crucial last days before the assessment.

Summary  Your understanding of the material will be deeper, and you can spend more finding and addressing your particular needs.