What to do when you have a big test that covers LOTS of things:
So many classes I have taken just have a midterm and then a cumulative final. And these seem so daunting and scary because it can literally make you fail the class if you do bad on one. Studying for these major exams is so stressful too. You have months of material to sift through.
It's not hopeless and you don't need to stress so much! I have some tips to help after years of stress and tears.
If your teacher relies heavily on the textbook, find the chapter summaries and use those as a guide. Those will highlight the main topics in the chapter. It will help you identify what you know well and what you need to study.
If you have quizzes in the class, study the quiz questions. Chances are the test will have some of the same or very similar questions. Teachers love to recycle.
Get a separate sheet of paper. Go through your notes and write down important dates/time frames. Make a new section. Write down important people or species. New section. Major events/key words. New section. Numbers/equations/formulas. New section. Subjects and topics covered. New section. Other important things like experiments or super important things. Congrats! You now have a set of skeleton notes with the bare bones. This is going to be your holy grail. It has all the big important information without the messy, niche details. Don't write the meanings of any of these things. Just write them in a list. Below is an example of my last start to one of these.
Review any homework assignments
Look at vocab. If you understand the vocab and when to use the words, you're in a really good spot.
Have a good understanding of all the major subjects and a really good understanding of a few main niche things from each subject.
You won't know everything and that's ok. Don't try to know everything.
If you have other pieces of advice, please add on!
hey friends <3 here are some of my best memorization tips (feel free to add your own tips in the notes and I'll reblog)
study early in the morning. research has shown that studying early (6-10 am) helps you retain more information
draw a thought map. sometimes they're called spider webs, or brain dumps, or something similar. it's just an organized place to put everything that you plan on memorizing
assign meaningfullnesss to things. there has been a ton of research on this and it's a very effective way of memorizing; but sometimes it can be hard to harness. the way I recommend doing it is to assign it something you already know that you have emotional ties to (characters from your favorite show, titles of your favorite book series, food names, etc.) something that you know well enough and that will be easy/convenient to remember
use mnemonics. mnemonics are sounds/phrases that help you things. for example: ROY G BIV are the colors of the rainbow and it sounds like a name. you use the first letter of the word and come up with a different word for it or put it into a phrase.
write in blue pen. i know this tip sounds suspicious (and vaguely fake) but I've used it a million times and it works so well! plus blue is very aesthetic for your studyblr posts ;)
sleep on it. taking a short nap after studying can help you retain your information better and not stress out about it. sleep for about 15-20 minutes and you'll wake up feeling more refreshed and have an easier time remembering.
~MY BEST TIP~
pretend you're teaching the subject to someone else. use any techniques thay your teachers/professors have used she teaching you. make presentations, orally explain it (perhaps to your pet or stuffed animals), make study games. this is SO helpful and I cannot recommend it enough :)
â for more studyblr content, follow my blog! @saturn-academia
â this post was specifically requested by one of my followers! if you have any specific study tips you'd like me to post, just send me an ask or dm me :) I also make moodboards for anyone's studyblr/personal blog so just lmk if you're interested!
â my dms are always open so feel free to message me about whatever anytime :)
This post is for my high school/college beloveds with upcoming finals (it's gonna get looong so i'm putting it under the cut <3).
Info incuded: managing test anxiety, test preparation advice, plus specific tips for multiple choice tests, standardized tests, essay tests, math tests, and reading tests.
Some background on me so you know I'm not just pulling this out of my butt: I have an education degree, as well as 5+ years tutoring/teaching experience (including 2 years tutoring college-level English/Writing and Study/Organizational Skills).
Managing Test Anxiety
One thing to keep in mind: Teachers generally want you to succeed! They are testing to find out not just what you know, but how well they taught specific content/skills.
Usually teachers will do their best to help you prepare, give you necessary materials, and answer questions beforehand.
Communicating with teachers can seem intimidating, but as a teacher myself, I can assure you that (most) teachers want to help and try to be approachable.
Understand that not all stress/anxiety is bad. Stress is the body's natural response to dangerous situations. Under stress, the body experiences heightened senses and increased motivation. Having a positive mindset about stress can improve your performance; while viewing stress as negative can hurt your performance. (Side note: I am talking here about manageable stress. If you have concerns about severe anxiety/stress, please seek professional help!!)
The better you prepare, the less anxious you will feel about the test. See preparation tips below!
Recreate testing conditions and do a practice run. Set a time limit, get rid of all distractions, and give yourself a practice test. Doing this will take a lot of the pressure off of the actual test.
On the day of the test, do something to distract yourself. Read a favorite book, do some brain puzzles (sudoku, or brain challenge apps are great for this!), or something active! If you suffer from physical symptoms of test anxiety, like sweating, difficulty breathing, nausea, etc., physical exercise can be very helpful. Releasing the tension in your body ahead of time can often lessen those physical symptoms.
Practice positive affirmations before and during the test. When you feel overwhelmed, "fake it 'til you make it" with confidence. Tell yourself "I know the answers, I have prepared well for this, I will succeed." And remind yourself: grades do not determine your worth as a person. One test, even if you fail miserably, will not ruin your entire life! Everything will be okay. A statement that I love to share with my students is: â[tests are] one examination of a small body of knowledge that you have learned over a set period of time.â (x)
Write down your concerns ahead of time. This is a great exercise if you have a lot of anxious thoughts leading up to a test. Take a few minutes right before the test to put it all down on paper. Expressing these concerns on paper can help you clear your mind from those negative thoughts.
Practice tunnel vision. Do your best to focus only on yourself. If other students get up and turn in their test early, that's okay! Some people test quicker than others, that doesn't mean you are slow or doing poorly. Continue taking your time and performing your best. Imagine yourself alone in the room and try to block out everyone else.
Pace yourself. Know how much time you will have, and create "benchmarks" to look for. Don't obsess over the clock, but keep track of 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 time benchmarks. Once you're 1/4 of the way through your test, make sure you are on track. If you aren't, adjust your speed accordingly.
Don't obsess over any one question. If you get stuck, skip it and move on, or just guess. Use the time you would've spent on that question to answer questions you know the answers to.
Physical things to try during the test:
Deliberately clench and unclench your fists and other muscles every so often. This can help you force your body to relax, and release nervous tension.
Practice breathing exercises. Find one or two that you like, and implement them during the test.
Test Preparation
Start studying a week before the test. This one is tough, but it really, really pays off. The earlier you start, the more prepared you will be. 5-7 days out: Find out what you need to know (use study guides, class notes, and/or communicate with your teacher to find out what the test will cover. Create a study plan, and make your own study guide (Quizlet is my favorite free resource for this, but use whatever tools work for you!). 3-5 days out: Follow your study plan, use your study guide to review the material, do one or two practice tests (Quizlet has this option! You can customize your practice test (choose between Multiple Choice, True/False, Fill in the Blank questions, or do a mix of different kinds of questions!) and only test yourself on specific information in your study guide.
Study in chunks! A rule of thumb for your attention span is this: you can only effectively take in information for your age in minutes. So if you're 20, study in 20 minute blocks. You can have an hour-long study session, but give yourself a few breaks! Stretch, do a few jumping jacks, walk around, text a friend, etc. Your brain will thank you, and it will help break up the monotony of intense studying.
Review everything one last time the day before the test, then get a good night's sleep and don't study the day of!!! Even if you studied well the week before, trying to cram last minute will stress you out more than necessary, and can confuse you! All the info should be in your long-term memory at this point, and cramming will cause your brain to hold it all in short-term storage, which will not be very effective during the test.
Show up to the test early and prepared. The last thing you want is to be running late or feeling rushed before the test. This applies to online testing as well. Set up your computer, have a drink or snack handy if it will be a long one, and eliminate distractions ahead of time.
Multiple Choice Tests
Read carefully. This may seem obvious, but take your time, and read each question carefully. If you skim through it, you might miss keywords that specify what the question is asking. Keywords to look for include: best, greatest, never, always, common, not, except, sometimes, more, generally, most, usually.
Before reading the options, try to answer the question in your head. Even if you come up with a vague answer, it will give you a starting point for what to look for in the possible answers.
Look for grammatical clues. For example, does the question require a plural answer? Is the fill-in-the-blank preceded by "a" or "an"? Clues like these can help you narrow down the options.
When you settle on an answer, read the question and answer together to make sure it makes sense. Does your selection actually answer the question?
Guessing Strategies:
Use process of elimination. If possible, mark on your test and cross out any answers you know are incorrect. This will improve your odds of guessing the right answer.
Guess the option that is generalizing, rather than an absolute statement. Answers with "usually, generally," etc. are more likely to be correct than answers with "always, never, all, must," etc.
Guess the option that is longest or has the most detail included. Look for answers with specific dates, names, or other details, rather than the shorter/simpler options.
If all else fails, go with your gut! I think we have all experienced this. You have no clue what the answer is, but you "feel" like you should guess a specific option, and it turns out to be right! While this isn't a foolproof method, there is some science to it. Our brains can sometimes remember how we feel about a person, without knowing their name. So even if you have no idea why you're leaning towards a certain answer, your brain might just "know" that it's right.
Standardized Tests*
*disclaimer: these are geared specifically toward the ACT and SAT, but most tips can still be applied to other standardized tests.
Find out what to expect ahead of time. Research the test, find out how many sections there are, the time allowed for each section, total time of the test, timing and placement of any breaks, and how many questions per section.
Buy practice books and use them! There are some free resources online, but if you are able to afford it, practice books will be very helpful. These give you an opportunity to take practice tests, and give you specific tips for each section. Check out thriftbooks.com for cheap, used options.
Pace yourself. Figure out roughly how much time you'll have for each question/section. Check in with the clock every 5-10 minutes, but try not to obsess. If you finish early, go over and check your work, or go back to specific questions that you weren't sure about.
Only guess if it will help you. Find out the scoring system. Sometimes you will be penalized for the wrong answer, while other times only the right answer is counted toward your score. If the former is true, don't guess unless you have at least a 50/50 shot; if you're completely unsure, leave it blank. If the latter scoring system is used, guessing can only help you no matter your odds, so answer every question.
Don't argue with the test. These tests are objective, and there is only one right answer. Your test will be graded by a machine, not a person. Don't try to argue a case in your head for every possible answer. Instead, look for the one correct option.
Additional resources:
Video: Common mistakes students make on the SAT (but also good tips in general)
Examples of SAT essay prompts, with sample essays and scores
Examples of ACT essay prompts, with sample essays and scores
Essay Tests
Ask your teacher for feedback. Work with your English/Writing teacher. Ask them for specific advice if you struggle with writing essays. What are your strengths that you can capitalize on? How could you improve your weaknesses?
Read the prompt carefully. Try putting it in your own words as a concise question. This will guide the focus of your essay. Does the prompt ask about specific details in a reading section? Mark up the text as you encounter those details. If it doesn't tell you what to look for, create your own list of evidence/details to mark.
Use about 5% of your time to create a plan. Follow this format: short intro, three body paragraphs (one main idea per paragraph), short conclusion.
Don't say the same thing over and over. Be as concise as you can while fully answering the prompt.
But--if you have met the minimum length requirement, and still have more good information to include, don't stop! Keep going and say everything you have to say.
Save time to proofread and edit at the end. This can save you a lot of points, and help you catch any weaknesses in your arguments.
Things to keep in mind as you proofread: Did you fully answer the question? What are possible weaknesses in your arguments? Are there different sides or interpretations? Include those, and use analysis and evaluation to show strengths and weaknesses. Explain why your argument is better/more correct.
Your introduction and conclusion should be interesting, but short. Keep them to the point, and avoid blatantly restating everything that's already in your body paragraphs. In your conclusion especially, try to add some new information, or give an interesting example that proves your argument. This will help your essay stand out and be less boring.
More resources:
In depth writing advice.
15 online tools to improve your writing skills.
Math Tests
Not a tip, but this is a video I like to show my students before I give them advice on taking math tests. I think it's great for a laugh. I relate to the "student" in the video, because I always felt lost in math class. Regardless of your level of skill, here are some tips to help you do your best on math tests!
Up to 50% of students experience test anxiety specifically during math tests! See the above tips for managing test anxiety if you are in that group of students.
Ask questions in class if you don't understand something. Because math is linear and concept-based, not understanding material in class has serious consequences. Speaking up about being confused can be intimidating, but remember that it's your teacher's job to explain the material in a way you can understand. They can't help you if they don't know you're confused! And reminder, most teachers want to help. If asking questions during class is a no-go for you, try working with your teacher or a tutor outside of class time to catch up.
Start with the easiest problems. This helps you build confidence as well as use your time effectively. If you hit a problem that you're completely lost on, skip it and try to come back later.
Pay attention to point values so that you can use your time wisely. Don't spend half your time agonizing over a question that's only worth a small percentage of your total score. Spend most of your energy on high-point problems.
Try to answer every question, and show all your work. Math teachers often give partial credit even if you don't complete a problem, or if you get the wrong answer.
Estimate answers when possible so you can know if you're in the right ballpark once you've finished the problem.
Common math errors and how to prevent them:
Conceptual errors. These happen when you just don't know how to solve the problem. Solve these by working with your teacher/tutor to identify concepts you haven't grasped, and make sure you are understanding current class material.
Careless errors. These happen when you know how to solve the problem, you just make a mistake! You use the wrong sign, do the wrong operation, or leave out units in your final answer. Solve these by checking your work and reading the questions carefully.
Study errors. These happen when you don't prepare for the test beforehand. You had all the resources you needed to do well, but you didn't utilize them! Solve this by creating and using a study guide, doing practice problems ahead of time, and making sure you know what material you need to study. Use your textbook or class notes to find "objectives." These tell you exactly what you should know after that lesson/reading that chapter. Make sure you've accomplished those objectives, and you'll be good to go.
Application errors. These are common in word problems. With this mistake, you use the wrong formula or equation and end up with a "right" answer, just not the answer the question was asking for. If you struggle with this, work with your teacher or a tutor especially on word problems. Find out how to identify the right formula to use, and solve for what the question is asking.
Reading Tests
If you struggle with reading comprehension, the best way to get better is practice. The more you read, the better you will get at it. Your speed will improve, as well as your ability to take in what you are reading. Try to find books that you know will be interesting to you to motivate yourself! Or try out a variety of genres to find one or two that you like. If you want a challenge, check out this look of (one person's) recommended 25 books to read before college.
There are several strategies to try out on reading tests. My favorite is to read the questions, mark up the passage (underline keywords, names, any other info you know to look for based on the questions), then read the passage carefully and answer the questions as you go. Another option is to skim the passage first, then read the questions, then read the passage more carefully and answer the questions. A third is to just read the passage carefully, and then answer all the questions at the end. Try these out (I would recommend using practice tests) and find which option works best for you.
Look for keywords in the questions, and keep an eye out for those words and their synonyms as you read the passage.
If you have trouble focusing while you read the long passages, blocking out all but one or two lines at a time with your hand (or blank paper), or use your finger to guide your reading.
Pacing is one of the biggest challenges on reading tests. Look over the test once your time starts, and find out how much time you will have per section. Don't let yourself get hung up on any one question. Guess (unless it hurts your score) and move on. (Interesting fact: moving your lips while you read slows you down! So try not to do that.)
Mark up the test as you read. Underline, box in, make stars whenever you come across important information/details. Numbering the paragraphs can also be helpful if this is not already done for you.
Don't try to memorize the passage. Just try to gather the main idea.
Ask yourself questions as you read. Examples: How does this relate to the main idea? How does this compare with what the author said earlier? What does ____ have to do with the passage's argument? Who is _____? And pretty much any "Why...?" questions.
Don't worry if the passage is on an unfamiliar topic. In general, the answers to the questions will be in the passage itself, so it's okay if you don't have much background knowledge on the topic.
Identify the genre. There will be different types of questions depending on the type of passage. Prose/Fiction passage questions will focus on: Why did the person in the story do or feel something? For these you will want to pay attention to tone/mood of the passage. For Factual/Historical passages, questions will focus more on: What happened, when did it happen, who was involved? Pay extra attention to events, dates, names, etc.
With midterms finishing and exams coming up in December, here are some tips for performing better on tests!Â
Motivation for exams can be hard to find the closer the holidays approach. However, how you manage your time during a test is half the battle! Especially if you have an exam that is a mix of multiple choice, long and short answer, using your time smartly is important. Start with the questions worth the most marks and leave short answer questions for the end. That way when you start to run out of steam you can still pump out answers to small questions in those final minutes.Â
For multiple choice exams,do the questions you know well first. Start by covering up the answers to each question. Next, think in your head what the correct answer is, and then see if that option is one of the answers listed. This will hep you to be less likely to double guess yourself! If none of the options list what you thought the answer was, leave a question like that till the end.Â
Getting enough sleep is always important for performing well on a test! Instead of staying up all night cramming, start going to bed a little bit earlier 5 nights leading up to your exam. If your exam is in the morning, you can get up a little earlier then you normally do, to refresh your memory right before your test.Â
If your exam is just writing an essay, make sure youâve planned for two to three options. Usually professors will give you a list of possible essay prompts that will show up on the exam, make sure you donât only plan for one prompt! Also when practicing writing your essays, write thesis statements and arguments that can be flexible enough to overlap with the other prompts. That way, you wonât be forcing a poorly fitted argument if you donât see any of the prompts you liked on the exam.Â
To help with your memory, create word associations to trigger definitions and concepts you need to know. This will help to reduce panic if you start to blank out on a question. For example, when studying, give each concept a characterâs name from a favourite TV show. So, if you had a psychology exam, you could assign a disorder to a character who shows those traits!Â
Hope this helps and you make it through to the holidays stress free! Please check out the blogs I used gifs from! :)
Hi! I generally think Iâm good at taking tests, the way other people are good at playing instruments, reading social situations, or balancing on tiptoes (none of which I am good at). However, just as you can increase your skill in these areas, I believe you can also learn how to be a better test-taker. Although practice does play a role, I think a bigger part is identifying the cognitive processes going on while youâre testing. Once youâre aware of your thoughts, you have the power to change them because your thinking is the one thing you can control. I donât know that my thought process is the optimal one for test-taking and this honestly may differ from person to person, but here Iâll list some things I try to consciously keep in mind that seem to work for me.
Before we begin, a note that this post will only help you be a better tester. It will not help you be more knowledgable, learn better, be wiser, or intelligent. This advice really applies best to multiple-choice tests in the vein of the SAT, ACT, and AP exams.
1. Know the material - All the test-taking tips in the world canât help you if you donât know what it is youâre doing. The higher-order cognitive processes described here only work by building upon your conception of the facts for evaluating what makes an answer ârightâ or âwrong.âÂ
2. Trust your gut - Usually, you will have an intuitive pull towards a certain answer before your mind steps in to rationalize that it might be something else. Donât listen to your wavering mind! This is really important, because if your intuition is pointing you to something it is often right. Rather than being a blind guess, intuition is often based on memory you canât quite retrieve that has unconsciously clicked into place based on context clues from the problem. Even though you havenât internally verbalized the information, your intuition communicates it to you without your knowledge. That feeling in your gut? It doesnât come from nowhere. Iâd wager you might receive tests back and chide yourself for erasing your first guess, which was the right answer. Trust your instincts instead! Although intuition isnât always perfect, in a testing scenario it is accurate more often than not. The only situation in which I advise going against intuition is if you can recall a specific, verbalized fact that disproves the answer your gut tells you -- not something that might prove another answer, but something that directly contradicts your first-guess answer.
3. Guilty until proven innocent - Basically, your approach to any answer should be that if itâs a little bit wrong, itâs all wrong. Instead of looking for reasons why an answer might be right, look for information that makes it wrong. It could be a single word that doesnât quite fit in, but itâs still absolutely damning. This isnât innocent until proven guilty; this is the Reign of Terror where you should send every possible answer to the guillotine.
4. Answer the question - An answer may be accurate, but itâs not correct if it doesnât answer the question. Ask yourself, does the answer leave any room for doubt? Does it dance in circles? If youâre asked to analyze a chart, diagram, or passage, does the answer logically follow from the information youâre given? What specific data could you pull to support this reasoning? Are you making any underlying assumptions? If so, you probably want to pick a different answer.
5. Think like the devil - If I were a diabolical schemer rubbing my hands together, how would I design this test to ensnare unsuspecting students? This helps you identify the traps that test-makers have laid out for you, so that when you encounter one you think, âAha! You thought you could get me, but Iâm onto your plans!â
6. Pick the least common denominator - This is more often useful for teacher-written tests than standardized tests. Basically, pick the option that has the most in common with the others. For example, if the answers were
A) 2L + 6
B) 4L + 6
C) 4L + 3
D) 4L - 6
I would pick B.
7. Take a break - Honestly, standardized tests are long and tortuous. Look at the clock, the ceiling, the floor. Notice the space around you. Stretch your arms and your legs to get your blood pumping again. If this is a long (2+ hours test), honestly take two minutes every hour or so to just concentrate on your breathing. Your body was not made for sitting in a desk for hours. This helps you avoid the mid-exam slump where you feel like giving up by reenergizing your body a little instead.
8. Work for flow - You want to get in the zone. You are a test-taking beast, and nothing can stop you. Maintaining flow is important not only because it makes sure you have time to complete everything, but it also makes you feel more motivated and energized as youâre taking the test. If you give into frustration, your concentration will decline, as will your performance. Keep flow by trying to maintain a constant, steady pace. Look at the clock every 10 questions or so. If a question is too hard, skip it -- I usually bubble in an answer anyway but mark the question as one to come back to, because just seeing an empty space there throws me off. But try not to skip too many questions. This is where your intuition comes in: if you intuitively sense the answer but youâre still unsure, mark the question but bubble in your gut-check guess and keep moving. Something else that maintains flow is to answer a page of questions in the exam booklet and then transferring your responses to the answer sheet. The reasoning behind this is if youâre constantly toggling focus between the question paper and the answer sheet, you are unable to really give your attention to either. This throws you off. Instead, answer a set or page of questions first so you have a sense of logical completion and then start bubbling your answers.
Process of Elimination can be your best friend! Eliminate answers you know are wrong, then try and justify / prove the remaining answers from there!Â
Re-read, every time you re-read a text you gain so much more information, at the very least skim over the text multiple times. A time crunch can really put a damper on this strategy, I am 100% aware of that!Â
If looking at a comic/document, check the dates! It can give you a lot more context!Â
Use context clues if at all possible!Â
Trust yourself! If you have a good feeling one of these is probably âmoreâ correct than the other options, choose that one!Â
Skip the question and come back to it! Sometimes one question can answer the question you are stuck on, or can help jog your memory!Â
If all else fails, guess, the worst you can be is wrong! Donât waste your time, if you donât know, you donât know!Â
So, I wanted to make a blog post detailing the different strategies I used to review for the LET, an exam I passed last May. For non-ph people, the LET (Licensure Exam for Teachers) is an exam a teacher needs to pass to get his/her license and register as a professional in their country. Passing the exam was one thing, but registering is a whole other journey.
Okay, so first thingâs first, I know that people would want to know how long it takes to review for a certain test--oh, and not just ANY certain test, but a freaking board exam. If youâre a teacher whoâs about to take the test in September (as the test only happens twice a year, March and September), donât worry! Iâll give you all the details down here.
It took me 1 month to review for this test. I applied for the test on February 24, and took the test on March 25(?), so it was basically the day after I applied for this exam, I started gathering my review materials. And look, if you have any doubts, nowâs the time to cast it out. I reviewed for 4 weeks and passed the exam; you can too. With these tips, and some diligence, I think youâll be set!
Now onto how I sectioned the concepts I needed to review in a week. Generally, in one week, since there are a lot of concepts to cover, I would do 2-3 subjects a day. So my week typically went like this:
Monday: English and Filipino
Tuesday: Math and Natural Science
Wednesday: Social Science and FACLERN & CHDODEV (Facilitating Learning and Child Adolescent Development)
Thursday: Teaching Profession and Curriculum Development
Friday: PTEACH and EDTECH (Principles of Teaching and Educational Technology)
Saturday: ASESLE and SOCIEDU (Assessment of Learning and Social Dimensions of Education)
And, for example, if on Monday I had to do English and Filipino, that meant that I had to take a pre-test for both subjects, write down the concepts/info I got wrong on the test, review them, and then take a post-test. I did that for every single subject, and yes itâs possible, as I was able to review for my Ateneo law exam (which was on March 24) AND work as a part-time teacher at the same time.Â
I reviewed every morning before work, and every afternoon after work.Â
Itâs possible, but definitely not easy. It was one of the most stressful times of my life, but that was when I started to get back into bullet journaling, so I guess it was also one of the best weeks of my life.Â
Okay! So to the exciting part of this post. What were the materials I used to review? If anyoneâs curious, no I didnât apply in a LET review class because it was too late for the likes of me; I only had 1 month, and Iâd rather start cracking open my books than to waste my time finding a review centre that would accept me. Below are the actual materials that I used!
National Book Store LET Books
You heard me right. I didnât have to gather a ton of review books, I just really needed two of them. The titles were, Comprehensive LET Reviewer Based on NCBTS and Table of Specifications General Education by LORIMAR Publishing, & the Reviewer for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) 6th Edition by Cecilio D. Duka
You can find them I think in any NBS store in the Philippines! I got mine in Festival Mall Alabang, and they were pretty cheap! I think they were around P750 all in all.Â
So, how did I use these books? Well let me tell what I didnât use in these books. The information.
Yep, all the facts in English, the formulas in Math, the long paragraphs in Social Studies... I didnât even bother to take a second look at them the first time I cracked open the reviewers. The very first thing I did with each of these reviewers was to rip out the answers page and go straight to the provided test. I took the test with just my stock knowledge (info I already had in my brain before reviewing) and write down my score in each test (English, Filipino, Math, Science, Social Sciences, ICT, and the professional education subjects). I did these for three reasons:
1. I know my base knowledge on these subjects.
2. I can compare my pre-test score to my post-test score.
3. I can see if Iâm improving.
Itâs very important to take a pre-test and a post-test when reviewing because then youâll actually know if youâre improving! Donât worry about the score you get in your pre-test/diagnostic exam--either way, unless youâre a genius, itâs going to be a low score. Donât let that define you. Use that score, and the questions youâve answered wrong, as a baseline as to where you should start. This is a great strategy because youâre tackling your weaknesses at the get-go.Â
For example, you did the General Education pre-test and found out that you scored lower in Math and Science compared to the other GenEd subjects; you immediately then make those two subjects your top priority of studying before you tackle the subjects youâre already competent in. Itâs a sure-fire way to know where you stand, and what you need to do to get a higher score.Â
Loose Leaf PaperÂ
I didnât use some special, pricey Moleskine notebook. And the reason why is because my goal wasnât to write down everything I needed to learn and then take the test. It was sort of the other way around. I used yellow pad as an avenue to write my answers to the test provided by the books, and whichever question I got wrong, I would mark it down at the bottom of my yellow pad so I know which concepts I need to revisit. I then take another sheet of yellow pad and write all the info about the question I got wrong the first time so that the second time, I would know what the right answer is. Plain and simple.
Pens
The pens I used were the Muji 0.38 Black Gel pen and some Zebra Mildliner Highlighters. I would like to stress again though that I mostly used my black pen because all I did was answer test after test after test. I didnât go the info-heavy route, because that would be a waste of my time.Â
So on the day of my exam, I brought all the necessary stuff I needed. My documents, my wallet, my phone, earphones, food, pencils, pens, calculator, etc.Â
Fun fact: I was sick for the first time in months on the day of my board exam which I had to wake up at 3am for as the venue of my exam was like on the opposite of the archipelago.Â
So I also had to bring tissue or else I wouldâve been too distracted and frustrated to focus. I made sure to stop reviewing though the day before my exam, so on the actual date of the LET, I wasnât trying to rush and store some vague info about mathematical formulas because I knew I had to trust that I did my best the past 4 weeks, and rush reviewing wouldnât do me any good anyway--it would just give me anxiety.Â
The exam, I believe, would run for 4-5 hours? But I got out an hour or two earlier as I finished the exam early. The content of the exam wasnât as hard as I thought it would be, especially the Math portion, BUT I was surprised at the level of difficulty of the Science section, so I guess that balances out.Â
So a couple of productivity tips:
try to bring your reviewer notes everywhere! i found this helpful because whenever i would be standing in line, waiting for something or someone, i would whip out my reviewer and try to read leisurely the information i wrote down for myself. the word here is leisurely. you donât want to overwhelm yourself for nothing.
start bright and early! if youâre not a morning person, i think nowâs the perfect time to start. if you wake up early, you can get more down quickly, therefore having less work to do in the evening when you have to wind down.
bring a bottle of water and snacks while reviewing! youâll be using a lot of brain power, so you need to stay hydrated and full! i suggest also have iced coffee on hand if you can, as it would wake you up and give you that energy boost you need to tackle your tests.
time yourself--or donât. itâs really up to you! i didnât time myself as I would feel too pressured and not perform well. i just made sure to take a lot of tests so that my test-taking time perspective would slowly get used to taking tests faster and more efficiently each time.Â
get encouragement from your fellow exam takers! you can find them on fb groups if thatâs what you prefer; be careful though, donât use fb as often as youâd want to when reviewing. the goal here is to be motivated and inspired, not to stay idle.Â
try to review in bursts. meaning, section your review realistically with the time you have. the goal here isnât to overwhelm, but to make most of the time you have. personally, i would do the harder subject in the morning, then the easier one in the afternoon. it would usually take me 1-2 hours for each subject.Â
review in different places. if you feel lethargic reviewing in your bedroom, thatâs normal! your bedroom is supposed to be a place of relaxation, not your review workshop. Try working in different areas of your house, in a coffee shop, in your car even. I used to go to Starbucks every morning when it opens to get the best seat so that I could actually look forward to the review.Â
take breaks. i know. the examâs is in 4 weeks, and youâve got a ton of areas to cover in terms of concepts. but brute forcing your way into trying to learn every single thing about every single subject in a week wouldnât do you any good--you, just like any other human being, are prone to burn out, and at such a crucial time, being burnt out is the last problem you need. so take breaks. take as long as you need to. i canât tell you an exact time for how long you need a break because everyoneâs different, but take a long enough break that you donât hate yourself that much for going back to reviewing.Â
handwritten? digital? up to you. use whichever medium works! i personally took the test in handwritten format so that I would get used to answering on a sheet of paper, which I would have to do on the day of my exam.
and lastly, trust the process. you can review for 24 hours everyday, buy all the highlighters and pens you need, all the notebooks to put information in, all the iced coffee in the world, but the ultimate outcome of the test isnât in your hands. so trust me when I say to not only trust the process, but have the process be the only thing to focus on. donât focus on the idea of passing the LET; thatâs something out of your control. they could make a mistake with your name, they couldâve lost your answer sheet, they couldâve rejected your application altogether--all that are useless worries. focus on getting better everyday. focus on scoring higher and higher in each test you let yourself take. trust that youâre doing your best, and accept whatever the outcome is.Â
I think thatâs all! So those are my tips in passing the LET. These tips are also applicable to anyone who has an up and coming exam! Good luck!
