Test-taking can be one of the hardest parts of being a student. From the countless hours of studying to the pre-test anxiety, tests can be stressful and difficult. However, there are certain ways to prepare for tests and tips on taking teststhat can help you succeed. Here are 5 ways to help improve your test scores:

• Take Practice Exams – For exams such as SAT’s, taking practice exams is crucial to achieving a high score on an actual test. Getting a sense of how the test is going to be ahead of time helps you prepare for the type of questions that are going to be asked. The familiarity will make the test less daunting on the day of the test. You are also able to work on your speed by timing yourself taking practice exams.
• Eliminate Wrong Answers – When taking a test, if you are unsure about a question, it’s particularly helpful to eliminate all the other options before choosing an answer. This way, you know for absolute certain that the answer will be correct. If you don’t know the answer to a question, but you know how to eliminate wrong answers, you can still answer the question correctly by process of elimination. This can be an essential skill in test taking.
• Relax -- If you are taking a test and you are feeling extremely nervous, of course this will be reflected in your test score. People who are tense tend to score lower on exams. Ask yourself where you are holding tension in your body. Are your shoulders raised? Are you slouching in your chair? Relax your body and breathe deeply.
• Be Confident – Trust your instincts and answer questions confidently. People who are not confident in their answers spend more time on each question. They will sometimes even get the answer wrong just for over-thinking it, because they weren’t confident with their answer in the first place. Do not constantly second guess yourself.
• Thoroughly Read All Questions – Questions are designed to be a little tricky to test your knowledge on a subject. Be sure to read the question thoroughly and make sure you understand it completely. Think about what this question is trying to get from you, and think about each answer from that perspective. What is being asked here?

Neurofeedback and Test-Taking

Neurofeedback is known to help improve test scores. Neurofeedback is retraining the brain to function at its optimal level, helping in areas such as anxiety over test taking, focus and attention during test taking or during preparations, and even sleep quality. It helps to calm the brain so that it may function more efficiently. Using EEG technology, our team identifies from where in the brain the problems you are having initiate. Then, using this information, specific protocol to your brain’s needs are created to target these areas specifically. The student now can concentrate more efficiently during studying, sleep better at night both in terms of quantity and quality, and isn’t so nervous before a test, which leads to higher scores. Higher scores lead to better grades! Neurofeedback has helped countless students improve their test scores. For more information, schedule a free consultation with our director Dr. Jolene Ross.

First image courtesy of pazham at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Second image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net