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Regardless of whether or not you know your material inside and out, taking a test is always a somewhat stressful affair. It's like being stuck under a spotlight and being expected to perform to the best of your abilities. Unfortunately, tests have a way of knocking you down a peg, especially if you come across a question early in the test that you just don't know the answer for.

Fervent studying is always the best path to succeeding on a test, regardless of the subject matter. That said, however, even knowing all your stuff isn't a guarantee that you'll do as well as you could. Here, then, are some tips to help make tests a little easier for you.

1.) Look the entire test over before you start. You'd be surprised how often you're missing a page. More important, though, you might come across a question you know right off the bat and can answer in no time flat - and a good start is an excellent way to build your confidence. Once you get on a roll your chances of doing well will increase quite a bit, as the floodgates to your brain open.

2.) If you can't get a question right away, leave it and come back to it. Don't muddle over the same multiple choice problem or single-line answer for minutes on end, as you'll run out of time for the rest of the material. Do everything you can first, and then return to the real posers. You shouldn't spend more than thirty seconds or so without your pencil or pen moving.

3.) If you're faced with multiple choice questions - and boy, do I HATE multiple choice questions - read them over very, very carefully. It's amazing how similar some of the possible answers are, and it's very easy to trip yourself up discovering the right one. For that matter, read EVERY question carefully, as one missed word in a sentence can blow your entire answer.

4.) If you absolutely CAN'T think of an answer for a number of multiple choice questions and have no clue which of the options is correct, choose the same letter or number for all of them. You'll increase the chances that one of them is right, than you will if you just blindly choose and hope for the best.

5.) For multiple choice sections done electronically, MAKE SURE you use the proper writing implement. Electronic scanners don't pick up on every shade of pen. When in doubt, use a pencil. In fact I recommend using a pencil for virtually every answer, as your sheet will look an absolute mess if you have scribbled-out mistakes in pen all over the place. The teacher can't give you marks if they

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