Personalize Your Test Preparation

The end is near. Not the end of the world, of course—although some students may feel that way. It's the end of the school year that's approaching fast, and that means those dreaded finals are looming like dark clouds for some students. It's time for some good test advice.

You might find a lot of advice out there when it comes to test preparation, but what is good test advice? The best advice, as far as I'm concerned, is advice that addresses your own specific needs and challenges when it comes to test strategies.

1. Know your strengths. Everybody learns best when they use their five senses. Identifying your specific learning style means identifying which senses help you remember best. Some people learn best by hearing the material, or reading it out loud, some learn best by seeing it (or reading), and some learn best by using tactile methods like role-playing or any method that involves movement. If you need help identifying your learning style, you can take the learning style quiz.

2. Know your weaknesses. Do you perform poorly on tests because you don't get enough sleep, or you don't eat well on the morning of the test? Think about the way you feel at test time and the distractions you deal with. Remember to avoid the things that always cause problems.

   Perhaps test anxiety is your trouble. If so, find a way to address this long before test day.

3. Finally, if you don't know where to begin when it comes to preparing for the test, use the essay test method. This method helps you cover the most important information that may be covered on your test.