Asserts that competency testing as part of a writing program does not have to be a liability to the writing center. Describes the situation at Boise State University, where the writing center helps the students to prepare for the competency exams. Discusses each exam and the process of helping the students. (PRA)

Academically sound methods for preparing students for standardized tests include establishing tests' importance, forming preparation teams, gathering information, aligning curricular and test objectives, teaching test-wiseness skills, informing stakeholders, involving students in preparation plans, infusing curriculum with test content, and…

Parents are an essential component in their children's SAT success, says Starlett Craig, director of outreach and enrichment programs at Clemson University in South Carolina. Clemson is home to a successful two-week SAT summer camp, where students are immersed in workshops that prepare them for the exam. But whether a child goes to a SAT camp or…

What can teachers do in their classrooms to help students prepare for a high-stakes, standardized, multiple-choice reading test without sacrificing what they know to be best practice? Decreasing class sizes or other solutions that require substantial changes in school finance are not usually realistic options. This article outlines five…

This guide is designed to assist prospective examinees in preparing for the certification/registration examination of the Medical Library Association (MLA). The format of the examination and the types of questions to be found on the examination are discussed, and suggestions for test preparation are provided. Several practice "mini"…

Describes a classroom guidance unit designed to assist middle school students in exploring their skills, habits, and attitudes related to taking examinations. By presenting appropriate test-taking habits and attitudes in a stimulating, group-oriented format, the unit offers an opportunity for students to acquire important academic skills.…

This document contains a description of the Georgia High School Graduation Test in Science. The test item specifications, reflecting the Georgia State Quality Core Curriculum, are used by writers and reviewers who are responsible for the development of test items. Much of the content in the description is based on earlier test versions developed…

This document contains a description of the Georgia High School Graduation Test in Science. The test item specifications, reflecting the Georgia State Quality Core Curriculum, are used by writers and reviewers who are responsible for the development of test items. Much of the content in the description is based on earlier test versions developed…

Testing professionals need to work with teaching staff and parents to help students prepare for standardized testing. Year-long preparation involving teachers and parents is a better alternative than teaching test wiseness strategies at the last minute before a standardized test. (Author/PN)

This book helps educators improve students' ability to write clear, coherent essays in response to on-demand writing prompts. While it focuses on students' abilities to succeed at on-demand writing, it also promotes the teaching of writing as an expression of art and self. For grades 4-12, it provides examples of responses to narrative and…

Describes a process for using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator with career clients who are test aware and test expected, or referred by colleagues. Suggest that the MBTI as an option to the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory may avoid dealing with specific career titles too early. (Author/JAC)

A district training directive led the Chicago Student Assessment unit to examine what kind of test preparation would be appropriate and spark improvements in real student learning. Two booklets were developed for teachers that outlined necessary test-taking skills, motivational techniques, and ways to assess critical-thinking skills. (MLH)

It is well known among scholars and practitioners that stress and anxiety responses are genuine scientifically measurable reactions to a perceived stressor. It is also common knowledge that high levels of stress and anxiety have a multitude of negative psycho-physiological effects. These effects can contribute to the development of depression and…

During oral exams at the German distance learning university, we noticed that students fear that they will be faced with questions that they have not anticipated. In our opinion, this is mainly because students have no chance to train and thereby gather positive experiences with exam situations as they are distributed all over Germany and thus it…

It is concluded from a review of the literature and consideration of the type and objectives of tests and programs in English as a second language that, just as limiting an instructional program to what is to be tested in standardized tests would be inappropriate, so would constructing such a program without regard for what was to be tested. It is…