Test Taking Tips

Some middle school students say tests are easy. It’s the questions that are hard. But test questions aren’t so difficult if your child understands how to handle them. Help your middle schooler tackle tough questions by sharing these strategies.

True or False?

As a general rule, a question should be answered false if any part of the statement is untrue. Suggest that your child look for words like all, none, and always. These may be clues that the answer is false. Example: All the soldiers in the Revolutionary War were American. At the same time, words like often and may usually signal that a statement is true.

Multiple Choice

With these questions, it’s important that your youngster read every choice before choosing an answer. This allows your child to rule out answers they know are wrong. Using this strategy, your child may have two options to pick from instead of five, which increases her chances of selecting the correct answer.

Essay

Encourage your middle grader to read each question at least twice before answering. Making an outline will help them organize their thoughts so their writing is clear an flows smoothly. When they finish their essay, they should check spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.