Suggestions for Preparing for and Taking Math Tests

Suggestions for Preparing for and Taking Math Tests

1. Keep a list of things to remember - problems stressed by the instructor, definitions, terms, diagrams and graphs, formulas.
Keep up with the work - some courses can be passed by cramming, but math isn’t one of them. Skills in math, as in sports, must be practiced.

2. Study copies of old exams, chapter tests from the book, or make up your own. Then practice them with the same limits as the real exam.
Get a good night’s sleep before the test so that you are rested and alert;
a quick review before the test should be a summary only.
Arrive at the test early so that you can be relaxed when the exam begins.

3. Quickly look over the test and budget your time - don’t spend too much time on any single problem or section of the test.
Do some work on each problem - try to work at least part of each problem because partial credit is better than none.

4. Check your answers and look for careless mistakes during the last few minutes of your test time (budget this important time).