Once you’ve have studied and prepared yourself for the GED test, here are a few tactics and strategies that you can use on test day to help you be successful.
Allow plenty of time to get to the test site. Taking a test is pressure enough. You don’t need the extra tension that comes from worrying about whether you will get there on time.
Read all directions and questions carefully. Answer the question given, not one you expected. Look for key words, such as except, exactly, and not. Carefully examine tables, graphs, and diagrams so you don’t miss important information.
Don’t expect trick questions. A straightforward presentation is used in all GED test sections.
When you have difficulty finding and answer, eliminate choices that are definitely wrong. Then consider the remaining choices.
Don’t let one or two challenging questions upset you. Some questions are definitely harder than others. Remember you do not have to get 100 percent on this examination. No one does.
Don’t get bogged down on any one question. If a question is taking too much time, circle it and make a guess. Then, if you have time at the end of the examination, go back and review the circled questions.
Change answers only if you have a good reason for doing so. Don’t change your answer on a hunch or a whim. Most often the first judgment that you make is correct.
Check answer order frequently. Make sure you are putting your answers in the right spaces.
Use your time wisely. After taking a few practice tests, you will be familiar with the proper pace needed to complete each test.
Be careful not to make stray pencil marks on the answer sheet. These may interfere with the rating of your performance. If you wish to change an answer, be sure to erase your first mark completely. The rating machine will automatically mark an answer wrong if more than one choice is made. Also, do not fold or crease the answer sheet.
Answer all questions, even if you have to guess. Your score will be determined by the number of correct answers; no points are deducted for wrong answers. For this reason it is better to guess at an answer than to not respond at all. Of course, wherever possible, eliminate as many wrong answers as you can before guessing. Every answer you eliminate improves your chance of guessing correctly.
Remain as calm as possible. If you consider yourself a person who “goes to pieces” on tests, cheer up! Psychologists claim that more than 90 percent of us think we don’t perform well on test of any kind. Nobody likes tests. But more than 80 percent of the people who have taken the High School Equivalency test in the New York area, for example, have passed them. They must be doing something right. And so can you – with the right attitude and careful preparation.
As long as you have prepared properly, sing some of these tactics should give you an edge and help you be successful with your GED experience.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Some GED Study Hints
Educators agree that, for learning to be efficient, certain steps must be followed. As a mature person, you will probably appreciate the value of carefully following these ten tips for successful study.
1. Physical conditions. Find a quiet place to study. Tolerate no distraction – noise or music. Don not work in an overheated room.
2. Timing. You will learn faster and remember longer if you study in several short sessions rather than in one long session. Do not attempt to study for an entire weekend. Fatigue will set in after a few hours. It is wiser to spend some time each day rather than to “cram” your work into one or two days.
3. Schedule for study. A study schedule must be workable, realistic, practical, and, above all, suited to you and your other obligations. Decide which days and hours you can spare for study. Make a schedule, and stick to it.
4. Using odd moments. Put spare time and wasted moments to work. Riding on the bus or train may be a good time to memorize troublesome spelling words and to study rules of grammar or definitions of unfamiliar terms.
5. Efficiency. Most people find that learning occurs faster in the early part of the day. Perhaps you can work into your schedule some time for study before your day’s work begins or on weekend mornings. Certainly you should not schedule study in the later hours of the evening.
6. Review periods. On certain days, plan to review. Take stock of yourself in these study periods. This review will serve at least two purposes. It will definitely reinforce the learning, and the gratification of knowing that you have acquired new material will stimulate you to learn more.
7. Writing while you learn. Wherever possible, write what you are studying. Spelling can best be learned by writing. Get into the habit of writing down key ideas of the passages you read. This writing will focus attention on your learning, will help you avoid distractions that may cause your mind to wander, and will provide an opportunity to chick up on yourself. Also, educators believe that the more senses employed while studying, the more effective the learning will be.
8. Reading. The best way to improve reading comprehension is by practicing reading. You will find that a great part of the test involves the interpretation of reading material. Read your newspaper very carefully. Make it a habit to read the editorials. If possible, engage a member of your family or a friend in frequent discussions of the ideas presented in your newspaper. You can also uses specific reading exercises, but remember, there is no substitute for general reading.
9. The dictionary. An important book that can help you prepare for the High School Equivalency Examination is the dictionary. It is important to have one nearby as you study.
10. S Q 3R. A popular way to remember the five important steps needed to study effectively is the S Q 3R method.
S stands for survey. You examine the material to be learned to get a general idea of the content.
Q stands for question. You turn the topic, the title of the section you are studying, into a question or questions. For example, if the title of the section is Drawing Conclusions,” you turn it into a challenging question: “How do I draw conclusions from what I read?”
The first of the three R’s stands for read. You use the reading skills that are taught in this book, such as locating the main idea, finding details, reading critically, detecting propaganda, determining cause and effect, and comparing and contrasting ideas.
The second R stands for recite. You close the book and speak aloud from memory. Include especially the main ideas you have located and any name, word, or fact you find difficult to remember.
The third R stands for review, which literally means to “view” or see again. You look over your notes, the lines you have highlighted, or the outline you have made. Do this again until you are sure you have mastered the material, for example, spelling words that trouble you or a rule of punctuation you find hard to remember. This is a summary of the S Q 3R method of study:
S urvey
Q estion
R ead
R ecite
R eview
1. Physical conditions. Find a quiet place to study. Tolerate no distraction – noise or music. Don not work in an overheated room.
2. Timing. You will learn faster and remember longer if you study in several short sessions rather than in one long session. Do not attempt to study for an entire weekend. Fatigue will set in after a few hours. It is wiser to spend some time each day rather than to “cram” your work into one or two days.
3. Schedule for study. A study schedule must be workable, realistic, practical, and, above all, suited to you and your other obligations. Decide which days and hours you can spare for study. Make a schedule, and stick to it.
4. Using odd moments. Put spare time and wasted moments to work. Riding on the bus or train may be a good time to memorize troublesome spelling words and to study rules of grammar or definitions of unfamiliar terms.
5. Efficiency. Most people find that learning occurs faster in the early part of the day. Perhaps you can work into your schedule some time for study before your day’s work begins or on weekend mornings. Certainly you should not schedule study in the later hours of the evening.
6. Review periods. On certain days, plan to review. Take stock of yourself in these study periods. This review will serve at least two purposes. It will definitely reinforce the learning, and the gratification of knowing that you have acquired new material will stimulate you to learn more.
7. Writing while you learn. Wherever possible, write what you are studying. Spelling can best be learned by writing. Get into the habit of writing down key ideas of the passages you read. This writing will focus attention on your learning, will help you avoid distractions that may cause your mind to wander, and will provide an opportunity to chick up on yourself. Also, educators believe that the more senses employed while studying, the more effective the learning will be.
8. Reading. The best way to improve reading comprehension is by practicing reading. You will find that a great part of the test involves the interpretation of reading material. Read your newspaper very carefully. Make it a habit to read the editorials. If possible, engage a member of your family or a friend in frequent discussions of the ideas presented in your newspaper. You can also uses specific reading exercises, but remember, there is no substitute for general reading.
9. The dictionary. An important book that can help you prepare for the High School Equivalency Examination is the dictionary. It is important to have one nearby as you study.
10. S Q 3R. A popular way to remember the five important steps needed to study effectively is the S Q 3R method.
S stands for survey. You examine the material to be learned to get a general idea of the content.
Q stands for question. You turn the topic, the title of the section you are studying, into a question or questions. For example, if the title of the section is Drawing Conclusions,” you turn it into a challenging question: “How do I draw conclusions from what I read?”
The first of the three R’s stands for read. You use the reading skills that are taught in this book, such as locating the main idea, finding details, reading critically, detecting propaganda, determining cause and effect, and comparing and contrasting ideas.
The second R stands for recite. You close the book and speak aloud from memory. Include especially the main ideas you have located and any name, word, or fact you find difficult to remember.
The third R stands for review, which literally means to “view” or see again. You look over your notes, the lines you have highlighted, or the outline you have made. Do this again until you are sure you have mastered the material, for example, spelling words that trouble you or a rule of punctuation you find hard to remember. This is a summary of the S Q 3R method of study:
S urvey
Q estion
R ead
R ecite
R eview
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