Testing season is a dreaded time of year for both students and teachers. As a teacher, we prepare our students almost the entire year for this. We can give them all the knowledge, strategies, and encouragement and hope that they’re preparing on their end as well.
If you’re looking for some extra help for the upcoming test season, here are 24 test-taking strategies for middle schoolers.
Test-Taking Tips
Teach your students these test-taking strategies and tips for success.
1. Begin with Short Answers
Start your test with open-ended questions, essay questions, or short answers. These questions require the most amount of thinking so work on them when you have your full brain power.
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2. Start With What You Know
Read through the test and answer all the questions you know the answer to without a doubt. Circle the ones you don’t and come back to them later.
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3. Eliminate Answers
If you’re stuck on a problem, eliminate the answers you know for sure are not correct. Narrowing down the choices can help you to get a better grasp of what could be true.
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4. Avoid the Outliers
While you’re eliminating answers, look for the ones that either make no sense at all or that are completely different from the other answer choices. These are called outliers and can easily be eliminated.
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5. Word Frequency
Keep an eye out for words that are commonly used in the answers! If the question is “Where is President Biden from?” and two or three of the options include Pennsylvania, odds are that your answer will include Pennsylvania.
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6. Pre-Answer
When you read a question, answer it before you even look at the options. This will make it easier to eliminate the incorrect answers and choose the correct option.
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7. Identifying Word Choice
Your students need to know test vocabulary and the meanings behind the word choice. Tests often have frequently used vocabulary words in their questions such as most often, the best option, or based on. The vocabulary gives your students a clue of the expectation of the question. Help your students understand the purpose of these words.
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8. All of the Above
Your school students will love this tip! Questions with the option “all of the above” are my favorite types of questions. These can quickly be answered by checking the answer options. If you find two that are correct, you can immediately mark “all of the above”.
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9. True or False
Here’s another tip your middle school students will love! If a true or false question uses a 100% qualifier such as “always” or “never”, those questions are often false.
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10. Preview Questions
When facing a reading passage, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be more difficult to find the correct answers. However, if you read the questions before you read the passage, you’ll be more prepared.
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11. Read the Passage Twice
Another option when it comes to reading passages is to read through the passage twice before looking at the questions. @simplyteachbetter found when her students previewed the questions, they would only look for the answers while reading and they would miss the entire context of the passage. She recommends reading the passage twice so the students get a better grasp of the context and main idea.
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12. Identify the Question Type
This does not mean multiple choice or short answers. Is the question a thinking question or a right there question? A thinking question has an answer that requires more thought. The answer cannot be found directly in the text and your school students will have to recall the relevant details and formulate an answer on their own. A right there question has an answer that can be found in the text. The student simply has to reread and find the answer.
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13. Ask the Answer
When you read a question, turn it into a statement and complete the statement with the answer. If the question asks “Which of Chelsea’s friends attended her wedding?” You would mentally change that question to “The friends that attended Chelsea’s wedding were…” Rephrasing the question in this way makes things a little clearer.
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Test-Taking Resources
These resources are great prep activities for your students.
14. Digital Lesson
If you’re looking for a digital lesson before standardized tests, the Counselor Station has several available. She addresses testing anxiety, student attitudes, and test prep strategies.
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15. PIRATES
Introduce your middle school students to PIRATES as their key to success. PIRATES is an acronym that will assist your students when they’re struggling on a test.
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16. Prepare Your Students
The Owl Teacher always reviews types of questions, question formats, and vocabulary strategies with her students before a test.
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17. Test Prep Centers
Test Prep Centers get your students excited about testing. Not So Wimpy Teacher created some prep resources for both reading and math. These bundles are aimed at elementary grades, but you can easily adapt the idea to fit your students’ needs. Each center covers a critical skill needed for testing.
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18. Testing Strategy Flip Book
Prepare your middle school students with this testing flip book. Your students will feel artistic while they’re actually prepping for their tests.
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19. Relax Flip Book
If you’re needing to address your students’ attitudes toward tests, give them this Relax flip book. The book shares tips to calm them down, but also tips for their tests!
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20. Foldable
If you don’t want to go through the process of a flip book or you think your students won’t enjoy one, just give them this free foldable. This resource includes both relaxation tips and testing tips. This will be super helpful for your secondary students.
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21. Bulletin Board
A bulletin board is a great visual reminder for your students! Display the strategies students struggle with the most.
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22. Bookmarks
Another visual reminder for your students is a bookmark! You can share strategies and vocabulary tips with them and they’ll have them available at their fingertips.
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23. Escape Room
Once you’ve taught your testing strategies, give your students some fun with an escape room. Students have to save their teachers and fellow students from becoming zombies. They will complete four challenges focusing on strategies, reading passages, and attitudes.
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24. Jeopardy
Grab some real-time student data with a game of jeopardy. This is a great way to test your students’ understanding of the strategies and types of questions.
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