Test Taking Tips and Strategies

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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• Why do I have to take this exam?
• Registration Bring ID and Admission Ticket

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Before the Test

• In preparing for the test 1. Register 2.
  Study 3. Rest
• Be awake Educational research indicates the
  mind not fully activated until three hours after
  waking.
• The Praxis takes 2 hours plan to be at the test
  site at 730
• Finished by 1100 a.m.
• You may not leave until the time has expired

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Before the Test (continued)

• Bring supplies
• Bring and Use a Watch
• Bring a four-function calculator
• Bring several number two pencils
• No food or drink, special calculators or paper
• Not allowed to wear hats
• Tip Be ready for unusual testing circumstances

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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• This is an objective test 110-150 questions
• Each Praxis Test is different- Review the TAAG
• There are similar strategies to each test
• 1. Answer each question
• 2. Equally weighted skip around
• 3. Get to each question
• 4. Use time to your advantage

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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• 5. Circle the details in your question book so
  that you dont miss any of them.
• 6. If you do not immediately know the answer,
  narrow down your choices, then make a guess.
• 7. Dont lose focus, get stressed, and dawdle
  when you dont know an answer. Move on.
• 8. Read carefully, as there are usually hints

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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• 9. Use time to your advantage
• 10. Know strengths and weaknesses make sure you
  get all the points possible for your strengths.
• 11. Use all allotted time and check your work
• 12. Spend time getting the graphs right- answers
  are on the page in front of you.

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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• 13. Test divided up into content sections within
  your content area. For example
• Social Science--130 questions in 2 Hours.
• I. U.S. History - 29 22
• II. World History - 29 22
• III. Government - 21 16
• IV. Geography - 19 15
• V. Economics - 19 15
• VI. Behavioral Sciences - 13 10

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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• Elementary Education Praxis 150 questions
• I. Reading/Language Arts - 51 34
• II. Mathematics - 25 17
• III. Science - 21 14
• IV. Social Studies - 21 14
• V. Fine Arts - 21 14
• VI. Physical Education - 11 7

Individualize Your Study Plan to Fit Your
Strengths and Weaknesses
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Test Taking Tips and Strategies

• Physical Education Praxis 150 questions
• I. The Art of Human Movement - 38 25
• II. The Science of Human Movement - 37 25
• III. The Role of Physical Education as a
  Profession 15 10
• IV. The Role of P.E. Within Total School
  Curriculum 15 10
• V. Planning the Teaching/Learning Process 15
  10
• VI. Implementing the Teaching/Learning Process 15
  10
• VII. Evaluating the Teaching/Learning Process 15
  10

Individualize Your Study Plan to Fit Your
Strengths and Weaknesses
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How are these tests created?

• Praxis tests challenge both content knowledge and
  your ability to reason.
• Quote, When the Praxis tests were first being
  developed by teachers and teacher educators
  across the country, it was almost universally
  agreed that prospective teachers should be able
  to analyze situations, synthesize material, and
  apply knowledge to specific examples.

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How are these tests created?

• Each test written by educators in their own
  field.
• Quote from the P.E. test at-a-glance Booklet,
• The test is broad in scope because of the
  variety of programs in which physical education
  students are enrolledApproximately half the
  questions concern the art and science of human
  movement the other half relate to teaching
  physical education, including planning,
  implementing, and evaluating the
  teaching/learning process.

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How are these tests created?

• (continued) Generally, 70 percent of the
  questions measure knowledge and comprehension of
  basic concepts and principles, and 30 percent
  measure higher order thinking skills, such as
  application and evaluation.
• Test takers often say the test reflected
  questions about common sense.

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Example of Content Knowledge

• An example
• In which of the following theories is the
  influence of rewards most likely to be emphasized
  in explaining behavioral change?
• (A) Information-processing theory
• (B) Operant conditioning theory
• (C) Classical conditioning theory
• (D) Cognitive development theory

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Example of Content Knowledge and knowing how to
apply it

• According to most researchers on bilingualism,
  which of the following would be least helpful for
  children whose native language is not English and
  who have limited English proficiency to acquire
  knowledge of a subject?
• (A) Teaching them the subject exclusively in
  English.
• (B) Teaching them the subject in their native
  language until their English skills permit
  instruction in English.
• (C) Developing their English skills while they
  are learning the subject.
• (D) Strengthening native language skills to
  support subject-matter instruction.

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More strategies

• Praxis questions try to confuse students, or at
  least make you think and spend time.
• For example, test questions routinely use the
  words, NOT, EXCEPT and LEAST
• The significance of these words are found in the
  way sentences, paragraphs, and meaning changes
• Pay attention to what the question asks, then
  reason out the BEST answer.

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Improving your ability to guess correctly

• There is a common pattern to the response choices
  on Praxis tests.
• Answer choices will have two very similar answers
  that seem correct, one that is definitely wrong,
  and one that seems plausible.
• Your goal is to eliminate as many as possible.
• If an answer seems ridiculously basic or
  simplistic, reread the question and look for
  tricks.

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Types of Questions

• Multiple-choice question types
• I. Complete the statement
• II. Which of the following
• III. Roman Numeral Choices.
• IV. Least, Except, Not
• V. Questions about Graphs, Tables, or Reading
  Passages

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PRAXIS Fee Waiver

• There are a limited number of fee waivers
  available
• By quota
• Financial need
• Financial aid
• Apply very early
• Instructions in the registration booklet

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Praxis Review Session

• Read the Test At A Glance Booklet (TAAG)
• one third of the persons who fail the test have
  not read the tag
• Form a study group
• Schedule study sessions
• Know topics covered on the test obtained from the
  TAAG booklet
• Review course syllabi

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Praxis Review Session

• Familiarize yourself with the test before taking
  it
• Read the directions carefully
• Plan your approach
• Pace your activities
• Organize your response

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Study your plan and plan your study
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About the PRAXIS II

• Emphasis is on thinking skills
• convergent, divergent, literal, analytical,
  critical, creative, knowledge, comprehension,
  application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation,
  interpretation, memory, and translation
• Know Terms
• practice, reinforcement, transfer, mastery,
  understanding, motivation, cognitive, abstract,
  asserted, and others.
• Review
• terms in content areas and others related to
  developmental stages, curriculum development,
  instructional strategies and assessments.
• Practice
• reading charts, graphs, maps, and other graphics

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PRAXIS Review SessionThe Questions

• Key Questions to ask yourself
• 1. What is the question asking?
• 2. What is knowledge base needed to answer the
  question?
• 3. What are the processes used to answer the
  question?
• 4. What are the obviously wrong answers I can
  eliminate?
• 5. What is the answer?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What is question number 1 asking?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What is question number 1 asking?
• What is the focus of the essay derived from the
  topic sentence?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What do you need to know to answer the question?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What do you need to know to answer the question?
• Something about an essay.
• Something about a topic sentence and focus

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What are the processes used to answer the
  question?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What are the processes used to answer the
  question?
• Application, analysis, synthesis, interpretation
  and evaluation

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• Can you eliminate the obviously wrong answers?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• Can you eliminate the obviously wrong answers?
• Did you choose A? Why or Why not?
• Was a description of teacher skills needed to
  lead effective small group discussion the focus?
• How about C? Was a listing of teacher reasons for
  using lecture v.s. small group discussion the
  focus?
• Was the focus an argument to eliminate lecturing
  and full-class discussion?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• What is the answer?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• Try answering question number 2 on your own.
• 2. Which of the following is most accurate
  concerning the findings of cross cultural
  research on the capacity of people to use
  abstract reasoning?
• (A) All children develop use of abstract
  reasoning at the same age.
• (B) Children who have not attended school can use
  abstract reasoning in a wider variety of tasks
  than can children who attended school.
• (C) People who perform poorly on standard tests
  of cognitive skills may be capable of abstract
  reasoning in more familiar contexts.
• (D) In some cultures, the capacity for using
  abstract reasoning in all situations precedes the
  capacity for using concrete operation thinking.

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• Now work together with a group of two or three
  and discuss your choice.
• Decide if you eliminated the same answers.
• Did you choose the same answer?

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Sample PRAXIS II Questions

• Try working through some other types of
  questions.
• Remember you can use the Talent Development
  Center for support