1.  Use LOTD, POE and POOD  Slow down!  English: › Read the passages carefully and use context clues › Remember consistent, clear, and concise › Complete vs Incomplete strategy  What are the punctuation forms for STOP?  GO?  Colon/single dash?  Other reasons to use commas? › Circle the questions you want to come back to

2.  Step 1 – Read the sentence carefully. Go beyond the underline portion to the end of the sentence.  Step 2 – Look at the answer choices and figure out what they are testing you on. If there are 2 things changing, start with what you are best at first.  Step 3 – Go back to the passage and look for context clues to help you.  Step 4 – Use POE to take out the things you know are wrong. Cross them off.  Step 5 – Look at the choices that are left and choose your answer.  Step 6 – Circle the number if you are not 100% sure of your answer

3.  Math › Watch out for trap answers › SLOW DOWN! Less is more – reduce the # of problems you are working in order to avoid careless mistakes › Use ball parking to help with POE › Be sure to give them what they are asking for › Word Problems  What is the question asking for?  Use answer choices to help you  Take bite sized pieces › Work carefully on your calculator › Try Plugging in the Answers (PITA) and plugging in › Circle the questions you want to come back to

4.  Reading › Consider reducing the # of passages and using LOTD on one OR using LOTD for hard questions as you go › Do easy questions first › Do reasoning/inference questions later › Watch out for trap answers on reasoning/inference questions – they are a paraphrased way of saying what it says in the passage › Read for the big picture/main idea › Mark the passage as you go

5.  Step 1: Re-order your passages. Read the blurb.  Step 2: Read passage carefully for main ideas.  Step 3: Create TABLE OF CONTENTS as you go. Only 1 – 3 words per paragraph. QUICKLY.  Step 4: Use “keep it” and “throw it” method on answer choices.  Step 5: Choose the best answer.  Step 6: Circle the number if you need to come back to it or used LOTD.

6.  Science › Do the easy questions first › May need to use LOTD on a few hard questions if you struggle to finish in the 35 minutes › Start with the questions, read only when necessary › Use the answer choices to help guide you › On Conflicting Viewpoints you have to read – similar to the dual reading passage on Reading section

7.  Step 1- Do the passages you are good at first.  Step 2 – Do the EASY questions first  Step 3 – Work the data. Read only when necessary  Step 4 – What is the question really asking for?  Step 5 – Keep it vs. throw it  Step 6 – LOTD when necessary  Step 7 – Circle the questions you want to come back to