Secret Key #1 â Plan Big, Study Small
Thereâs a lot riding on your performance. If you want to ace
this test, youâre going to need to keep your skills sharp and the material fresh
in your mind. You need a plan that lets you review everything you need to know while
still fitting in your schedule. Weâll break this strategy down into three categories.
Information Organization
Start with the information you already have: the official test
outline. From this, you can make a complete list of all the concepts you need to
cover before the test. Organize these concepts into groups that can be studied together,
and create a list of any related vocabulary you need to learn so you can brush up
on any difficult terms. Youâll want to keep this vocabulary list handy once you
actually start studying since you may need to add to it along the way.
Time Management
Once you have your set of study concepts, decide how to spread
them out over the time you have left before the test. Break your study plan into
small, clear goals so you have a manageable task for each day and know exactly what
youâre doing. Then just focus on one small step at a time. When you manage your
time this way, you donât need to spend hours at a time studying. Studying a small
block of content for a short period each day helps you retain information better
and avoid stressing over how much you have left to do. You can relax knowing that
you have a plan to cover everything in time. In order for this strategy to be effective
though, you have to start studying early and stick to your schedule. Avoid the exhaustion
and futility that comes from last-minute cramming!
Study Environment
The environment you study in has a big impact on your learning.
Studying in a coffee shop, while probably more enjoyable, is not likely to be
as fruitful as studying in a quiet room. Itâs important to keep distractions to
a minimum. Youâre only planning to study for a short block of time, so make the
most of it. Donât pause to check your phone or get up to find a snack. Itâs
also important to avoid multitasking. Research has consistently shown
that multitasking will make your studying dramatically less effective. Your study
area should also be comfortable and well-lit so you donât have the distraction of
straining your eyes or sitting on an uncomfortable chair.
The time of day you study is also important. You want to be rested
and alert. Donât wait until just before bedtime. Study when youâll be most likely
to comprehend and remember. Even better, if you know what time of day your test
will be, set that time aside for study. That way your brain will be used to working
on that subject at that specific time and youâll have a better chance of recalling
information.
Finally, it can be helpful to team up with others who are studying
for the same test. Your actual studying should be done in as isolated an environment
as possible, but the work of organizing the information and setting up the study
plan can be divided up. In between study sessions, you can discuss with your teammates
the concepts that youâre all studying and quiz each other on the details. Just be
sure that your teammates are as serious about the test as you are. If you find that
your study time is being replaced with social time, you might need to find a new
team.
Secret Key #2 â Make Your
Studying Count
Youâre devoting a lot of time
and effort to preparing for this test, so you want to be absolutely certain it will
pay off. This means doing more than just reading the content and hoping you can
remember it on test day. Itâs important to make every minute of study count. There
are two main areas you can focus on to make your studying count:
Retention
It doesnât matter how much time you study if you canât remember
the material. You need to make sure you are retaining the concepts. To check your
retention of the information youâre learning, try recalling it at later times with
minimal prompting. Try carrying around flashcards and glance at one or two from
time to time or ask a friend whoâs also studying for the test to quiz you.
To enhance your retention, look for ways to put the information
into practice so that you can apply it rather than simply recalling it. If youâre
using the information in practical ways, it will be much easier to remember. Similarly,
it helps to solidify a concept in your mind if youâre not only reading it to yourself
but also explaining it to someone else. Ask a friend to let you teach them about
a concept youâre a little shaky on (or speak aloud to an imaginary audience if necessary).
As you try to summarize, define, give examples, and answer your friendâs questions,
youâll understand the concepts better and they will stay with you longer. Finally,
step back for a big picture view and ask yourself how each piece of information
fits with the whole subject. When you link the different concepts together and see
them working together as a whole, itâs easier to remember the individual components.
Finally, practice showing your work on any multi-step problems,
even if youâre just studying. Writing out each step you take to solve a problem
will help solidify the process in your mind, and youâll be more likely to remember
it during the test.
Modality
Modality simply refers to the means or method by which
you study. Choosing a study modality that fits your own individual learning style
is crucial. No two people learn best in exactly the same way, so itâs important
to know your strengths and use them to your advantage.
For example, if you learn best by visualization, focus on visualizing
a concept in your mind and draw an image or a diagram. Try color-coding your notes,
illustrating them, or creating symbols that will trigger your mind to recall a learned
concept. If you learn best by hearing or discussing information, find a study partner
who learns the same way or read aloud to yourself. Think about how to put the information
in your own words. Imagine that you are giving a lecture on the topic and record
yourself so you can listen to it later.
For any learning style, flashcards can be helpful. Organize the
information so you can take advantage of spare moments to review. Underline key
words or phrases. Use different colors for different categories. Mnemonic devices
(such as creating a short list in which every item starts with the same letter)
can also help with retention. Find what works best for you and use it to store the
information in your mind most effectively and easily.
Secret Key #3 â Practice the
Right Way
Your success on test day depends
not only on how many hours you put into preparing, but also on whether you prepared
the right way. Itâs good to check along the way to see if your studying is paying
off. One of the most effective ways to do this is by taking practice tests to evaluate
your progress. Practice tests are useful because they show exactly where you need
to improve. Every time you take a practice test, pay special attention to these
three groups of questions:
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The questions you got wrong
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The questions you had to guess on, even if you guessed right
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The questions you found difficult or slow to work through
This will show you exactly what your weak areas are, and where
you need to devote more study time. Ask yourself why each of these questions gave
you trouble. Was it because you didnât understand the material? Was it because
you didnât remember the vocabulary? Do you need more repetitions on this type
of question to build speed and confidence? Dig into those questions and figure out
how you can strengthen your weak areas as you go back to review the material.
Additionally, many practice tests have a section explaining the
answer choices. It can be tempting to read the explanation and think that you now
have a good understanding of the concept. However, an explanation likely only covers
part of the questionâs broader context. Even if the explanation makes sense, go
back and investigate every concept related to the question until youâre positive
you have a thorough understanding.
As you go along, keep in mind that the practice test is just
that: practice. Memorizing these questions and answers will not be very helpful
on the actual test because it is unlikely to have any of the same exact questions.
If you only know the right answers to the sample questions, you wonât be prepared
for the real thing. Study the concepts until you understand them fully, and
then youâll be able to answer any question that shows up on the test.
Itâs important to wait on the practice tests until youâre ready.
If you take a test on your first day of study, you may be overwhelmed by the amount
of material covered and how much you need to learn. Work up to it gradually.
On test day, youâll need to be prepared for answering questions,
managing your time, and using the test-taking strategies youâve learned. Itâs a
lot to balance, like a mental marathon that will have a big impact on your future.
Like training for a marathon, youâll need to start slowly and work your way up.
When test day arrives, youâll be ready.
Start with the strategies youâve read in the first two Secret
Keysâplan your course and study in the way that works best for you. If you have
time, consider using multiple study resources to get different approaches to the
same concepts. It can be helpful to see difficult concepts from more than one angle.
Then find a good source for practice tests. Many times, the test website will suggest
potential study resources or provide sample tests.
Practice Test Strategy
If youâre able to find at
least three practice tests, we recommend this strategy:
Untimed and Open-Book Practice
Take the first test with no time constraints and with your
notes and study guide handy. Take your time and focus on applying the
strategies youâve learned.
Timed and Open-Book Practice
Take the second practice test open-book as well, but set a
timer and practice pacing yourself to finish in time.
Timed and Closed-Book Practice
Take any other practice tests as if it were test day. Set a
timer and put away your study materials. Sit at a table or desk in a quiet
room, imagine yourself at the testing center, and answer questions as quickly
and accurately as possible.
Keep repeating timed and closed-book tests on a regular
basis until you run out of practice tests or itâs time for the actual test.
Your mind will be ready for the schedule and stress of test day, and youâll be
able to focus on recalling the material youâve learned.
Secret Key #4 â Pace Yourself
Once you're fully prepared for the material on the test, your biggest challenge on test day will be managing your time. Just knowing that the clock is ticking can make you panic even if you have plenty of time left. Work on pacing yourself so you can build confidence against the time constraints of the exam. Pacing is a difficult skill to master, especially in a high-pressure environment, so practice is vital.
Set time expectations for your pace based on how much time is available. For example, if a section has 60 questions and the time limit is 30 minutes, you know you have to average 30 seconds or less per question in order to answer them all. Although 30 seconds is the hard limit, set 25 seconds per question as your goal, so you reserve extra time to spend on harder questions. When you budget extra time for the harder questions, you no longer have any reason to stress when those questions take longer to answer.
Donât let this time expectation distract you from working through the test at a calm, steady pace, but keep it in mind so you donât spend too much time on any one question. Recognize that taking extra time on one question you donât understand may keep you from answering two that you do understand later in the test. If your time limit for a question is up and youâre still not sure of ...