MILESTONES Test Taking Tips It’s Almost Here!!

Before the Test Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Go to bed one hour before you usually do. Eat a healthy breakfast at home, or make sure to eat breakfast when you arrive at school.

The Morning of…. Come prepared – bring at least three #2 pencils. No mechanical pencils allowed (in other words, no pens requiring you to fill them with led). Bring a book to read in case you finish early. Use the restroom before the test.

Don’t Panic! Think positive Come in with the mindset that you will do your best. DON’T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF!

OMG! – I’m Scared! Feeling scared is normal! If you start: Breathing fast Sweating Hands start to shake Or anything like the above…

CALM DOWN – You are Prepared PUT YOUR PENCIL DOWN. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH. SAY TO YOURSELF, “I CAN DO THIS.” Count to ten and begin again.

Language arts Read all of the directions. Please do not skip this! Underline the key words in the questions/directions. Use process of elimination on every question (it really works, so don’t forget to do it).

ANSWER EVERYTHING Do not leave anything blank! If you don’t have a clue what you are being asked to do – guess. At least you have a 25% chance of getting the answer correct.

Write on your test paper… Underline and draw arrows when asked to identify different parts of grammar. The markings will make it easier to see what you need to identify. Label parts of speech to help you with certain questions…just like we did in class.

More Tips Don’t be afraid to read a question twice. You will not always clearly understand what is being asked the first time your read the question. However, don’t stay too long on one question. As you know, this is a timed assessment.

MONITOR YOUR TIME Check the board occasionally to see the times indicated under: TIME NOW: ____________ TEST ENDS: ____________

OTHER INFORMATION Expect to see passages that are 1½ to 2 pages long. Expect to see passages with graphs that you will have to analyze. Expect paired texts where you will be asked to compare and contrast information and then take a position. Remember to state your claim and support it thoroughly. The test has been designed for you to get everything done. Don’t rush because you just want to get finished.

VOCABULARY Remember, there will be some vocabulary you are unfamiliar with. USE CONTEXT CLUES, PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, AND THE ROOT to help determine its meaning. Also, re-read at least two sentences before the word and two sentences after to help you determine its meaning.

VOCABULARY cont’d Do not skip over a word knowing that you do not know its meaning. Circle it, read further, go back, figure it out and write the definition above it.

Pay Attention to Key Words AUTHOR’S PURPOSE THEME MAIN IDEA INFER TEXT EVIDENCE COMPARE AND CONTRAST

UsE Text Evidence Remember to cite your evidence, in other words, provide specific examples from the text. Use the stems used all year with our constructed and extended response questions, e.g. According to the text… Based on what I read… In Article 1 it stated, “ “ However, in Article 2 it stated, “ “ If you do not cite text evidence/provide examples when requested, you will not get credit for your answer.