The Amoeba Sisters YouTube Channel

This is a link to the compilation of Amoeba Sisters video reviews.

General Test Taking Strategies

1. Take your time. Each module is meant to take a student 1 - 1.5 hours to complete (for a total of 2-3 hours), but there is not a time limit on either one. Be patient and pay no attention to the students who finish early.

2. Read through the question and answer options a second time and remember our Test Taking Hints. Look for Important words (all, both, must have, can have, some, etc.), look for any prefixes and suffixes, and remember to use the Process of Elimination to remove distracting options from the multiple-choice potential answers.

3. Do exactly what constructed-response questions ask you to do. Constructed response questions do not provide you with answer choices. They are open-ended questions that contain multiple parts and ask you to do things like identify, explain, describe, predict, and compare. Follow the directions carefully. Make sure you fully answer each part of each constructed response question.

4. Explain thoroughly. In your constructed response questions, write so that you can PROVE it to the Test Grader that you know what you are talking about. Use words and phrases such as: since, because, as a result, therefore, and which means that.

5. Fight for partial credit. In your constructed response answers, you get 3 out of 3 points for “thorough” understanding and 2 out of 3 points for “partial” understanding. You will have 8 total constructed response questions. All of the samples given by the state have parts A, B, and C. That means that you have to get all three parts correct to get 3 points. If you get 2 of the 3 parts correct, you get 2 parts.

6. If a question is difficult, save it for later, but don’t forget about it! If you are unsure of the answer, you might want to move on and then come back to it later. Just make sure you don’t forget about it. Sometimes when you come back to a questions you will remember something about that topic or remember an extra test taking trick.

7. When you don’t know, GUESS! Never leave a question unanswered. Of course we want you to work hard to get the right answers, but if you come across a question that you don’t understand, take your best guess. There is no penalty for wrong answers. Remember… in a multiple choice question, the correct answer is there, sitting right in front of you.

8. Get a good night’s rest. You will need to be fresh and alert if you want to do your best. A solid eight hours should do the trick!

9. Eat a good breakfast! You don’t want to be distracted by your rumbling tummy.

RELAX! Of course this is easier said than done, but you should feel well prepared after working in class. Practice positive self-talk, “I am prepared!” You are. Walk into the exam with confidence.