Tests require a special kind of savvy, a kind of critical thinking and knowledge application that is not always a part of classroom reading experiences. Who better to teach you how to prepare your students for reading tests than someone who has written them? Charles Fuhrken has spent years working with several major testing companies and…

Offers tips for preparing for and doing well on the SAT. (FL)

It is commonly believed that highly subjective humans ultimately perform all testing and grading efforts and that all testing and grading is completely subjective. However, Quentin Durham argues that there is no such thing as objective testing or grading. With wit and clarity, "The Realities of Classroom Testing and Grading" suggests that all…

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)

Seventeen medical school students who participated in a commercial test preparation course were matched with 17 other students judged to be of equal ability. These two groups were compared on the basis of their scores on Part I of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). The two groups were matched closely on both the grade point average…

Test-taking skills and methods used to prepare students for taking an examination are independent of knowledge and skills in the content area being tested. Test-taking skills do not give students the correct answers, but do allow the student to concentrate on answering questions without being confused by the mechanics of the test. Students who…

The realities of inappropriate and sometimes unethical testing practices must be confronted to make sure that current assessments are as reliable and effective as possible. While this paper does not attempt to provide practical guidelines for ethical and appropriate testing, it does draw a picture of appropriate and ethical testing practices. All…

This guide book was developed for use by school staff, parents, and students. It outlines strategies and test-taking skills which may be taught in the classroom. The guide provides sample instruments to determine what students know about test taking, and practice tests at the elementary and secondary level. Time management hints for test takers…

This book describes how educators at Harrison Elementary School in Twin Falls, Idaho, used the Standardized Timed Curriculum (STC) to raise students' standardized test scores. The monograph, which is divided into eight chapters, opens with an overview of testing in schools, the growth of the test-preparation business, and the need for school…

The usefulness of before-adjunct questions with standardized multiple-choice tests in increasing reading comprehension scores was studied by examining the relative effectiveness of reading test questions first or reading the passage first. Subjects were 210 fourth graders randomly assigned to two treatment groups. The Level 9 Reading Comprehension…

The Florida Statewide Assessment Program provides "The Practice SSAT-II," for students who will be taking the State Student Assessment Test, Part II (SSAT-II). This practice test may be administered to tenth grade students taking the test for the first time and to eleventh and twelfth graders if they have previously failed the SSAT-II.…

Suggestions are made regarding ways teachers can help adult learners reduce their test anxiety. These general comments apply to content-oriented courses and may have some general applicability to all testing situations. The suggestions include clearly characterizing the test prior to its administration, planning for last-minute questions on test…

Test validity, coaching, the college admissions process, and achievement tests are discussed by the director of the Iowa Testing Programs. Data published on the SAT are examined. It is suggested that systematic instruction in problem-solving skills may improve not only test performance but also skills the test is designed to assess. (Author/MLW)

Contends that young children have little experience in answering test questions and misunderstandings easily arise when they are subjected to tests. Reports on a study of the impact of testing expectations on 110 Dutch primary school students. Finds that clear explanations about the testing situation leads to better performance. (CFR)

Based on findings of previous research, this project developed, implemented, and examined the effect of instructional materials and procedures designed to eliminate the influence on test scores of the following four factors: (1) differential levels of test-taking skills on the part of students; (2) student's lack of familiarity with and consequent…