Be a BETTER Test Taker

1. Be a BETTERTest Taker

2. Tests • Tests are ways for your teacher to see if you understand what they have taught you. • Your teacher won’t ask questions that you haven’t already discussed in class.

3. Why is the CST Different? • The CST is a test taken by every student in California. • Each grade level has it’s own test. However, some questions may be from your previous grade level and some might be for the next grade you will be in next year. • For Example: If you areinfourth gradeyou may be asked a few third grade questions (Easy!!) and a few fifth grade questions (Difficult!) Which Means: • It may have questions on it that have not been discussed in your class.

4. Do you use any strategies to help you TAKE the test?

5. Always: • Read the Directions • Read and understand thesample question

6. Long Paragraphs READ THE QUESTIONS FIRST! • They will help you understand the main idea • They will give you clueson what to look for.

7. Multiple Choice Problems • Do the _____ problems first. • Answer: the Easy ones!! • What should you do if you come to problem you do not know? • Answer: • make a small pencil mark next to the problem number to remind you to come back when you have time.

8. ReadALLthe choices! • Example: What bird is a symbol for the United States? • a.) the golden eagle • b.) the turkey • c.) the peacock • d.) the bald eagle

9. The Main Idea tells what the paragraph or story is about. The test has many different ways of asking you what the main idea is. • This passage is mostly about____. • A good title for this passage is _____. • A good summary of this story is ____. • The author probably wrote this story in order to ___. Main Idea

10. Details • Details answer questions like Who What, When, Where Why and How. Ask your teacher if you are allowed tounderlineimportant detailsas you read them in the paragraph.

11. Read between the lines Wolves of the Sea Orcas are considered apex predators. They are sometimes called the wolves of the sea because they hunt in packs like wolves. They are the fastest marine mammal and can hunt animals as large as blue whales although it may take them several hours to wear the larger prey out. • Draw your own conclusions. You can guess from the story that Orcas: a.)Could not survive in salt water. b.) Usually travel in groups. c.) Like to play. .

12. Vocabulary When asked a question about a word that you do not know the meaning, use the REPLACE and CHECK strategy. Example: In times of war, a young man who fought bravely on the battlefield would be rewarded with knighthood. In the sentence, bravely means: a.) cowardly b.) courageously c.) honestly d.) shyly

13. Guessing Rules • Eliminate the clearly WRONGchoice. • Example: What is the most poisonous animal on earth? a.) the box jellyfish b.) the king cobra c.) the jersey dairy cow d.) the black widow spider

14. Guessing Rules clues • Reread the question for • Example: In the poem Hey Diddle Diddle what feline animal plays an instrument? • A. donkey • B. cat • C. dog • D. spoon

15. Guessing Rules • For math: estimate! • Example: 197 + 203 • 350 • 254 • 400 • 525

16. All of the Above Example: Choose the answer that describes the city of Lemoore, CA. a.) Engvall Elementary is an elementary school in its school district. b.) It was once located next to the largest lake in the central valley. c.) It has a Starbucks Café. d.) All of the above We know that the a and c are true. If two of the answers are right, then it has to be d. All of the Above.

17. It’s not a race! • Don’t rush! • Don’t worry about who finished before you! You won’t get a trophy for finishing first!

18. That’s all folks!

19. Quiz What questions should you do first? • The hard problems • The easy problems • The first problem

20. Quiz • What should you do when you come to a hard problem? • Skip them and don’t come back. • Skip them but put a small pencil mark next to the number to remind you to come back. • Take your time and finish the problem when you first come to it.

21. Quiz • When doing math problems what should you do if you have to guess? • Estimate • Pick the answer that has your favorite number. • Do the problem at least 10 times.

22. Quiz • What should you do before starting the test? • Sharpen your pencil. • Read the directions and sample question. • Stay up all night and study.

23. Quiz • What should you look for in test paragraphs? • The main idea • Details • Clues • All of the above

24. Quiz • When guessing, what choices should you read? • All of them • The first one (when you guess, what’s the use in reading them all) • None. Just pick your favorite letter.

25. Quiz • When Guessing, what answer should you eliminate? • The last one. • The first one. • The one that is clearly wrong.

26. Quiz • When you have a question with “all of the above” as an option what should you look for? • At least one of the answers need to be correct. • At least two of the answers need to be correct. • All of the answers need to be correct.

27. Quiz Why should you reread paragraphs? • There are clues in them that can help you with the questions. • There are hidden messages in them that can help you take over the world. • It will allow you to practice your silent reading skills.

28. Quiz • When you do a “long paragraph” question, what should you do first? • Read the entire paragraph at least three times • Read the questions first: they will give you clues on what to look for in the paragraph. • Read only the first and last sentences.

29. Good Bye Now!