Testing can be stressful and scary but with certain tools it doesn’t have to be that way. With the spring testing season coming upon us I found it important to inform fellow raiders on ways you can improve your test taking for this spring. Whether it’s the SAT, an AP, an MCAP test, or even just a test in your regular classes here are some tips to help you!

Getting a good night’s sleep!

One of the most important things you can do to ensure to perform well on your test is to get a proper night of sleep the night before. With a full night of sleep you will be able to cope with some of your anxiety and nervousness before the test. It also has been shown that you are more likely to remember all of the content from your classes. But what is a proper night of sleep for a teenager? The CDC states that teenagers from the ages of 13-18 should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep per 24 hours. So when preparing for your next test don’t forget to get a good night of sleep in!

Go into the test with confidence!

The day of the test makes sure that you are confident in your knowledge of the content and that you have studied and prepared yourself for the test. If you have prepared yourself then you should have nothing to worry about! Stressing about the test and saying negative things to classmates like “I’m totally going to fail,” I definitely didn’t study enough,”etc. Phrases like these will only diminish your confidence and make it harder for you to remember the content for the test. So when entering a test make sure you have confidence and remember you got this!

Pay attention!

When starting your test make sure you listen to ALL of your test proctor’s instructions and read ALL of the directions on the test. Most students overlook these instructions or simply ignore the proctor because “they are not important” or “I know how to take a test! I don’t need them!” but how will you be able to write or answer a perfect response if you didn’t know exactly what to do! It’s important that you pay attention because you need to be sure of what exactly they want of you!

Breakfast is the most important part of your testing day!

On the morning of your test don’t forget to eat a nutritious breakfast. It’s important for you to eat a breakfast that is full of protein so you will be fully sustained and ready for your test. You don’t want a grumbling stomach to distract you from the test. Also with a full stomach you can really focus on the test and give your brain the fuel it needs to perform well on the test. You also do not get many snack breaks during the tests. So it is really important that the day of your test you eat a full breakfast!

Complete a “brain dump” prior to starting the test!

Before you start the test, using a scrap piece of paper do a “brain dump”. What is a brain dump? A brain dump is when you write down all of the information you need. So it could be formulas, facts, or even reminders or affirmations. This is helpful to do because it helps clear your mind for the information on the test. It is also helpful because it helps remind you of the steps to take or reminds you to not forget a certain thing that you usually do. It is also supportive to have a little affirmation at the top of your paper to remind yourself that you got this!

When taking your next test try to apply some of these tips to help you excel! Testing season can be a stressful time, so remember to take a deep breath and think back to how you have been working hard all year for these tests! You got this!