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that students perform better on tests when they feel that they look good. It has to do with your confidence level. Even if you're not consciously thinking about it, going to class in sweats with greasy hair may be negatively affecting your confidence level, which may hurt your test performance. So, take the time to shower and get ready as you usually would for class or work. Also, a quick shower can be refreshing and will help to wake you up.

-Eat a healthy breakfast. We've all heard it before - studies have shown that eating a healthy breakfast helps students to perform better in school. Eating a well-balanced meal will give you energy and help you to concentrate. Not only that, but you won't be distracted during the test because you're wondering whether anyone else can hear how loud your stomach is growling.

-Be prepared. Organize everything you will need for the test the night before so that you don't forget anything. For example, make sure you have several sharpened pencils with erasers or a calculator if you are allowed to use one. If you are lucky enough to be taking an open book/note test, make sure you have your textbook and/or notes with you. It also helps to mark the pages with post-its or paperclips so that you can find what you are looking for more quickly during the test.

-Read over the exam before you begin to get an idea of what you are in for and how much time you should spend on each problem/section.

-Answer the questions that you are certain about and leave those that you are unsure about for the end. Just make sure that you don't forget to come back to them later.

-Read over each question twice to make sure that you are understanding it correctly. Test designers like to make things more difficult by using tricky wording.

-Keep an eye on the clock. Stay aware of the time throughout the test, so that you are not wasting too much time on any one problem. Constantly looking at the clock can be distracting and can make you stressed out, but glancing up once in awhile to make sure you're on track is a good idea.

-Show your work. Every teacher is different, but many instructors will give you some credit for an incorrect answer if you've shown them your work and they can see that you were on the right track. If you don't show your work, one tiny mistake can result in you getting no credit whatsoever.

-Check your answers. If at all possible, look over your test carefully before you turn it in. You may notice something that you didn't catch the first time around or you may realize that you forgot to go back and answer a question that you were struggling with.

Learn more about this author, Marie Gerber.
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