1. Praxis Preparation Test preparation for the Reading and Writing Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST)

2. Objective: To gain a better understanding of test taking strategies, that will allow the test taker to be more relaxed and comfortable during the PPST.

3. Please click on the title below to select the area where you would like to begin your studies. It is suggested that you begin with the General Test Taking Strategies section. PPST Reading General Test Taking Strategies PPST Writing

4. Before the test Register and note the start time Find directions to the testing center, become familiar with the route Give yourself extra time to travel Get a good night’s rest Eat a normal breakfast Ask for scrap paper and bring a pencil Take a couple minutes to breathe and relax before the test begins. Adopt a positive attitude before you even begin the test General Test Taking Strategies

5. Register and note the start time For more information check out the official Praxis Series website: www.ets.org Computer-Based Test Registration To schedule an appointment, call Prometric Candidate Services Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern Time (New York), (excluding holidays) at 1-800-853-6773, 1-443-751-4859 or call the test center directly. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY, call 1-800-529-3590 to schedule an appointment. Paper-Based Test Registration Register Online Register online for Praxis paper-based tests for fastest and most convenient service. General Test Taking Strategies

6. Find directions and be familiar with the route Whether you are taking the computer-based or paper-based test you should be familiar with the location of the testing center. If it is in a new city or on a college campus you need to know in what building and room the test will be given. Give yourself extra travel time It would be horrible to drive 90, 45, or even 15 minutes only to be denied entrance to the exam that you have been preparing for so long to take. Always allow extra time for traffic, weather, or the unforeseen car trouble. Being early also gives you some time to de-stress after your commute. General Test Taking Strategies

7. Get a good night’s rest Staying up all night is not a good idea. We have all seen students trying to catch a few minutes of shut eye in the back corner of the room. We do not like it and neither will the testing center. Cramming for the exam is not the way to prepare. Eat a normal breakfast I am positive that everyone has heard the expression “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” so on the morning of your test feed and energize your brain and body with a healthy breakfast. General Test Taking Strategies

8. Remember your pencil and ask for scrap paper Even if you take the computerized version of the PPST it might be helpful to have scrap paper to jot down thoughts and ideas, especially for the writing portion. Relax and Think Positively Give yourself a couple minutes in the waiting room to take a few relaxing deep breaths and think about how great you are going to do on your exam. General Test Taking Strategies

9. During the Test Read all of the directions carefully Read ALL of the answer choices-- the best choice could be the last Do not expect to find a pattern in the answers Do not make uneducated guesses Do not spend too much time on any one question Make sure your marks are clear Work as quickly as possible with accuracy General Test Taking Strategies

10. Make sure that you read all of the directions carefully Computer and Paper-based tests will both explain the answering method. Do not assume that because you have taken a bubble test before that this one will be exactly the same. Read all of the answers When you have finished reading the question, remember they are looking for the BEST possible answer. Make sure you read all of the choices; just because one sounds good does not make it the best choice. General Test Taking Strategies

11. No Patterns Do not expect to find a pattern within the answers. There is not one letter(A-E) that is used more often or for that matter one that is used less. Do not make uneducated guesses Using Process of Elimination (POE) will help Do not spend too much time on a question If you are stuck on a question, DO NOT waste time trying to figure it out. Use P0E, discussed on the next slide, to help eliminate wrong answer choices. General Test Taking Strategies

12. General Test Taking Strategies • Process of Elimination (POE) • POE is the process in which you identify and eliminate the obviously wrong answers to a question. Usually you can narrow down the number of possible correct answers to three, or sometimes two. At that point it's in your best interest to guess at the right answer even if you're not sure what it is. Process of elimination is one of the most powerful strategies you can use on a multiple choice answer exam.

13. Multiple Choice Questions Answer each question in your head before looking at the choices If two choices are similar, except for one or two words, choose from these answers Make sure to read ALL of the answers before deciding on your choice If you mentally pick an answer close to one choice or a couple choices, this will make POE much easier If two quantities are almost the same, choose from these choices When working with the sentence completion questions, eliminate the choices that do not fit grammatically As always pace yourself, but remember that there is a time limit General Test Taking Strategies

14. Erase Clearly Make sure that if you are changing an answer to erase all evidence of the mark. If you decide to skip over a question, make a mark on your test book or scrap paper so you do not forget to return. Work Quickly Work as quickly as you can through all of the sections. It is important to get to all of the questions. At the same time remember that accuracy is the most important thing. General Test Taking Strategies

15. Physical Breathe Tense and Relax: teach yourself how to relax the body parts that tense during testing Describe your Anxiety: take a few moment to write down what happens to you during a test, become aware and work on controlling it Mental Day dreaming: mentally yell “STOP” and shake it out Visualize Success Focus Praise yourself General Test Taking Strategies • Dealing with Test Anxiety: A little tension, or butterflies before an exam is good, but if you are freezing up during a test it is probably hurting your score. • There are two parts to test anxiety; they are: mental and physical

16. Information and tips for this website were taken from many different sources, please click the picture to see the bibliography.