ADVICE TO STUDENTS: TEST- TAKING STRATEGIES  Read and pay careful attention to all directions.  Read each passage and accompanying questions.  Read every possible answer--the best one could be last.  Read and respond to items one at a time rather than thinking about the whole test.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS CONTINUED…  Reread, when necessary, the parts of a passage needed for selecting the correct answer.  Don't expect to find a pattern in the positions of the correct answers.  Don't make uneducated guesses. Try to get the correct answer by reasoning and eliminating wrong answers.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS CONTINUED  Decide exactly what the question is asking; one response is clearly best.  Take time to thoroughly read and comprehend what is being asked and discussed.  Skip difficult questions until all other questions have been answered.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS CONTINUED…  On the test booklet, keep a record of the unanswered items to return to before you bubble in your final selections.  Make sure to record the answer in the correct place on the answer sheet.  Only change an answer if you are sure the first one you picked was wrong. Be sure to completely erase changed answers.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS CONTINUED…  Work with accuracy.  After completion of the test, use any remaining time to check your answers.  Keep a good attitude. Think positively!

General Tips: 1. Get a good night’s sleep the day before and eat a good breakfast. 2. USE RUNNERS!!! You are allowed to underline and highlight in the test booklet. 3. Read with purpose and enthusiasm! Decide to enjoy reading the selections. 4. Answer all of the questions, even if you have to take an educated guess. Cover up any distractions and try to answer the question yourself before examining all of the choices. 5. Relax during the test. Pace yourself. Always check over your answers if you finish early. 6. Circle the correct answer in your book before transferring it to your bubble sheet. 7. Make sure your circles are dark and that they match the answers in the test booklet.

Specific Tips for Skills and Reading Selections Details 1. Read the selection carefully. 2.Skim to find the key words. 3.Try to understand the order in which events happen in the selection. (Number them with your pencil to help you.) 4. Be careful. Sometimes you will be asked to decide which detail is not a part of the selection. Read the questions carefully.

Specific Tips for Skills and Reading Selections Continued… Cause and Effect 1. Look for words that connect details. 2. Use the word because to connect details. 3. Make predictions based on the characters, settings, and events in the selection. Fact and Opinion 1. Fact equals truth. Check it out for yourself. 2. Opinion equals what someone believes to be true. “I thought about it and made up my mind that ____.” 3. Read selections carefully look for key words in the questions relating to both.

Specific Tips for Skills and Reading Selections Continued… Inference and Conclusion 1. Understanding character and plot will help you understand problems and solutions. 2. Decide the point of view in the selection. From whose perspective is the selection written? Vocabulary (context clues) 1. Look for other words that have similar meanings. 2. Look for clues with the opposite meaning. 3. Use choices in place of the unknown word. 4. Don’t be fooled by multiple-meaning words. 5. Use the dictionary on practice tests. (This may help you with some word meanings on the real test.) 6. Know the terminology. Study your EOG terms daily.

Specific Tips for Skills and Reading Selections Continued… Compare and Contrast~Similarities and Differences 1. Use your senses to make the story come alive. 2. Look for key words or phrases that tell you things are being compared. 3.Break down analogies by determining the relationship of the first word pair given before answering the question. Comparison Words Contrast Words Similar Different Almost Opposite Like Not at all alike Very nearly Contrary to Just about As opposed to The same as Unlike Like Except Too However More But Most 4. Look for different strengths of modifying words. ( adjectives and adverbs) Also look for words ending in –er and –est. 5. Pay attention to detail. 6. Look for ideas that run throughout the paragraph and the selection.

Specific Tips for Skills and Reading Selections Continued… Author’s Influence and Author’s Purpose 1. Identify the mood. 2. Look for any special techniques or marks used by the author. 3. Decide what the tone is. (Ex. positive, negative, neutral) 4. Determine the author’s attitude in the selection. (Ex. approval or disapproval of something) 5. Remember PIE + R for author’s purpose (Persuade, Inform, Entertain, Reflect) Main Idea 1. Practice identifying the main idea by talking to a friend about books and other literature you read before the test. 2. Watch out for choices on the test that look or sound good, but are not correct. 3. Examine the reading selection as a whole to find the main idea.

Specific Tips for Skills and Reading Selections Continued… Poetry First read for the main idea of the poem. Look for comparisons. Identify figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole. Familiarize yourself with the poetry terms: repetition, rhyming lines, alliteration, dialect, imagery, and sensory words.