TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
How should you attack the SOL test?
The Night & Hour Before the SOL
 Read through any material your
teacher gave you
 Take a practice test online – SOL 101
website from the Freeman website
 Go to bed at a reasonable hour
(11pm) 
 Eat breakfast in the morning
 Get to school on time so you don’t
feel rushed
 Go to the bathroom before you sit
down 
Look at the question first
 Take your scratch paper and cover up
the answer choices before you read
the question.
 Get an idea of what the answer is and
then look at your answer choices to
match it up.
Answer choices
 Look at the answer choices one at a
time
 Take your scratch paper and pull it
down one choice at a time
 Don’t confuse your brain by looking at
too many choices at one time
 Start with choice D. The most
inviting wrong answer falls to A some
times.
Tools on Test
 Did you know that the tools on the
test are there to help you?
 Highlighter- use the highlighter to mark
up key concepts or to mark areas of the
passage that pertains to a specific
question.
 X marks – mark out answers that you
KNOW are not right so that your eye
doesn’t constantly read over them.
TestNav Tools for Math
Chemistry
Calculator
Erase an
answer
mark or a
mark where
you
eliminated
a choice
Element table
English
Hit this
button
To
eliminate
answer
choices
Highlighter –
Mark parts of
questions or texts to
remember
Explains
tools
Other Hints
 Try to eliminate
two of your answer
choices
 Use your scratch
paper to make
notes about
reading passages
as well as
questions.
From Wise Cty strategies from BYU
 Read the test directions very carefully and
watch for details.
 You may find that more than one answer may seem
possible on multiple choice questions.
 Rely on your first impressions.
The answer which comes to mind first is often correct.
Nervously reviewing questions and changing answers
can do more harm than good.
 Return to difficult questions you marked for review.
 Make sure you answered all questions.
Wise Cty from Austin Community
College test-taking tips
 Keep a positive attitude. Decide to do your best and
focus on the material you know.
 Concentrate on the test. Don't worry about your
ability, the behavior of other people, the number of
questions, or even short memory lapses.
 Pay close attention to one question at a time. This
kind of concentration reduces anxiety.
 Relax as much as you can. If you're too nervous to
think or read carefully, try to slow down physically.
Take several slow, deep breaths. Then start to work.
Wise County continued
 Answer the easiest questions first. You'll feel more
confident, and you may also find some helpful ideas
for the more difficult questions.
 Read each test question carefully. If you don't
understand what is being asked, skip it and come
back to it later.
 Review the test questions and your answers to them.
Make any changes you think are important, but don't
change your answers unless you have a good reason
to do so.
 Think if any of the later questions gave you
information that might clear up things you weren't
sure about.
Alleghany County schools test tips
 Read the entire direction line twice.
 ·
It is important to read the entire direction line
carefully so you know exactly what to do.
 ·
Some questions will tell you to look for the
answer choice that is correct.
 ·
Some questions will tell you to look for the
answer choice that has a mistake.
 Look for CUE WORDS

A CUE WORD is a word in the test question
that tells you what to look for in the answer.

Sometimes cue words are written in all
CAPITAL LETTERS. They may be printed in
bold, italics, or underlined.
Allegany County Cue Words
 Some cue words you may see on the SOL Test:
-------------------------------------------------------------------- NOT
For both of these words, you are to find
 EXCEPT
the answer that is unlike the others
------------------------------------------------------------------- MOST
If you see one of these words, you are to
 BEST
find the answer that is the most logical
or makes the most sense.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- LEAST
When you see this word, you are to find the
answer that is the least logical or makes the
least sense.
BREATHE
 All we ask is that you try to do your
best.
 Smile when it is over and believe in
yourself and your abilities