Test Taking Tips

It's OK to change your answer after thinking about it

I always hear that people hate changing their answers because whenever they switch it, they were right the first time. Although this can be the case in many situations, I propose that people just remember the damn-I-should’ve-left-it times more often than the thank-goodness-I-switched-it times. People are inherently more sensitive to pain than pleasure.

I think that if you think about something long enough, given the time and reasoning, and arrive at a different answer, you’re probably right. Now you have had more time to think about it and attack it from different angles. This causes me to want to…

Stay even if you finish early.

Double-check your damn answers. There is no excuse for a stupid mistake if you have the time to double-check. Coloring in the wrong bubble, reading one word incorrectly, etc. These things can and do happen. So we have to make sure that we catch them before those scantrons hit the marking machine.

Pee before the test

Thirty minutes to an hour before the test, just squeeze that urine out. Not only is that tinkle feeling distracting, but leaving to use the washroom takes up precious time.

Don’t eat anything really greasy/gas-inducing/untested before the test.

Before one of my midterms I ate some day-old spicy Vietnamese food. Bad idea. Nothing is more distracting than pineapples doing the rhumba in your stomach. Just eat something fairly light that won’t give you any problems. Try not to eat too much because that will take away much needed blood from your brain.

Sit beside people that will not distract you.

The list of distracting people can be pretty large: People you are sexually attracted to; people you know will finish their test really quickly; friends that cry/groan during tests; people who smell (perfume or B.O., it doesn’t matter); people who ask a lot of questions; and the list goes on.

If the test hasn’t started and you notice a potential distraction in your proximity, just get up and move. You can make up an excuse if you feel the need. It’s probably easier to say nothing though, maybe they’ll realize they could use some (Lady) Speed Stick. However, if some distractions do arise, then…

Keep your cool.

This is a very important tip. You can definitely handle most distractions by staying calm. Sexual attraction? Just breathe and don’t look. Five people leave really early? They are probably impatient or they have the runs. The loud people and the smelly people are hard to deal with. Just suck it up. Maybe if you slid a piece of gum over the table, they would get the message…