Study and Test Taking Tips

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2025!

January is a busy month, we are wrapping up first semester! With that, students are preparing to taking their final exams. Which can cause a bit of stress but remember not all stress is bad, stress can challenge us to in many ways to achieved great things. Royals lets show our integrity, commitment and pride and tackle these exams. Preparing is key to help elevate and navigate stress , so we have put together some study and test taking tips for you. 

How Can I Get Better at Taking Tests?

Here are some tips for taking tests:

• Go into the test with confidence. In other words, make sure you’ve done enough studying to feel confident that you know the material. Staying confident makes it easier to remember everything you need to know.
• Get enough sleep the night before the test. Your memory recall will be much better if you've had enough sleep. A scientific study showed that people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.
• Put away all your study materials before the test. Many students will still be frantically reviewing the material 10 minutes before the test gets handed out, but this won’t help you do any better. It’s more important for you to clear your mind and relax during this time, so you’ll save your mental energy for the actual test.
• Listen closely to any instructions. As the teacher hands out the test, be sure you know what's expected of you.
• Read through the test first. When you have the test in front of you, go through it to see how long it is. This will let you estimate how much time you have for each section and ask the teacher any questions. If something seems unclear before you start, don't panic: ask.
• Answer the questions in any order. As you take the test, if you don't know an answer try not to get stuck on it. Instead, answer the best way you can, or skip over the question and come back to it later. You may find it easier to answer a question you’ve skipped after you've answered other questions.
• Relax. If you're so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break. You can wiggle your fingers and toes, take 4 or 5 deep breaths, or picture yourself on a beach or some other calm place. You can even stretch a little at your desk (but try to avoid distracting the other students).
• Running out of time? It’s OK if you don’t finish every question on the test. Do your best to answer the questions you can, and keep an eye on the clock so you know how much time is left for any remaining questions you still need to answer. You can always guess if you’re stuck on some of the questions and time is running out.
• Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand a test in early, it's usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking your work. Take a minute to breathe deeply and clear your mind before reviewing your answers. You may end up adding more details to some of your answers that you didn’t think you'd have time for.

Also check out this website for more study skills:

https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/

Connect with Our Student Advocacy Counsellors: Here to Support 

Seeking guidance or want to discuss well-being? Our Student Advocacy Counsellors are here for you.

Our Counsellors are:

Erin Mac Donald (A-K)  erin.macdonald@nlsd.ab.ca

Kimberly Turchyn (L-M) kimberly.turchyn@nlsd.ab.ca

Reach out by email or call 780-639-0039. Let's continue our journey of growth and gratitude together.