Test-Taking Strategies
Strategies are essential when taking any exam, and technical exams are no different. Here are some very important strategies you can use to give yourself the best chance of passing on your first attempt:
General Exam Strategies
- Keep your eye on the clock. Do yourself a favor and do some quick math before your exam begins. If you have 2 hours to answer 120 questions, you know that’s about 1 minute per question, so pace yourself properly. Also, if you are halfway through your test and have about half the time remaining, you are on an acceptable pace. If not, speed up or don’t rush depending on how much time you have remaining.
- Show up early. Most testing centers will allow you to start your exam if you get there early, but not all will allow you to take the exam if you get there late. Show up early and avoid the extra stresses associated with rushing to get there on time.
Multiple Choice Exam Strategies
- Think of the answer before looking at the available choices. This will help avoid a tricky answer throwing you off.
- Read all of the choices before making a selection. Many times you will find a “better” answer by reading all of the choices.
- Eliminate answers you know are incorrect. By narrowing down your choices, it helps you remain clear and focused so you can choose the correct answer. It also helps give you the best odds if you need to “guess” at the best response.
- Watch for “all of the above” and “none of the above choices”. For questions that have answers that state “all of the above” or “none of the above”, do not choose “all of the above” if you know one of the choices is incorrect and do not choose “none of the above” if you know one of the choices is correct.
Other General Helpful Guidelines (If All Else Fails!)
- Watch for Positive vs. Negative choices.While not always the case, if given the choice of a positive response or a negative response, the positive choice is more often the correct answer
- Watch for answers with more information included.Again, while not always the case, if given the choice of an answer with more information included than the alternative responses, the answer with more information included is more often the correct answer.