10 Common Mistakes You Make on Tests

10 Common Mistakes You Make on Tests 1. Leaving an Answer Blank There is nothing wrong with skipping over a tough question to give yourself some extra time to think it overjust as long as you remember to go back to the question later. The danger is forgetting to go back to every question you’ve skipped. A blank answer is always a wrong answer! Solution: Each time you skip a question, put a check mark beside it. 2. Answering a Question Twice You’d be surprised how many times students choose two answers in multiple choice. This makes both answers wrong! Solution: Review your work and make sure each true/false and multiple choice question only has one answer circled! 3. Transferring Answers Incorrectly From Scratch Paper The most frustrating mistake for math students is having an answer correct on the scratch paper, but transferring it wrong to the test! Solution: Double check any work you transfer from a scratch sheet. 4. Circling the Wrong Multiple Choice Answer This is a costly mistake, but one that is very easy to make. You look over all the multiple choice answers and pick the one that is correct, but you circle the letter next to the correct answer- the one that doesn’t match your answer! Solution: Make sure the letter/answer you indicate is the one you really mean to select. 5. Studying the Wrong Chapter Whenever you have a test coming up, make sure that you understand which chapters or lectures the test will cover. There are times when a teacher will test you on a specific chapter that is never discussed in class. On the other hand, the teacher’s lectures may cover three chapters, and the test may cover only one of those chapters. When that happens, you can end up studying material that won’t appear on your exam. Solution: Always ask the teacher what chapters and lectures will be covered on a test. 6. Ignoring the Clock One of the most common errors students commit when taking an essay test is failing to manage time. This is how you end up in a panic with 5 minutes to go and 5 unanswered questions staring back at you. Solution: Always take the first few moments of an exam to assess the situation when it comes to essay questions and answers. Give yourself a time schedule and stick to it. Give yourself a set amount of time to outline and answer each essay question and stick to your plan! 7. Not Following Directions If the teacher says â€Å"compare† and you â€Å"define,† you are going to lose points on your answer. There are certain directional words that you should understand and follow when you take a test. Solution: Know the following directional words: Define: Provide a definition.Explain: Provide an answer that gives a complete overview or clear description of the problem and solution for a particular question.Analyze: Take apart a concept or a process, and explain it step by step.Contrast: Show differences.Compare: Show likenesses and differences.Diagram: Explain and draw a chart or other visual to illustrate your points.Outline: Provide an explanation with headings and subheadings. 8. Thinking Too Much It’s easy to over-think a question and begin to doubt yourself. If you tend to second-guess yourself, you will inevitably change a right answer to a wrong answer. Solution: If you are a thinker who tends to over-think, and you get a strong hunch when you first read an answer, go with it. Limit your thinking time if you know you tend to doubt your first instincts. 9. Technological Breakdown If your pen runs out of ink and you can’t complete an exam, your blank answers are just as wrong as they would have been for any other reason. Running out of ink or breaking your pencil lead halfway through a test sometimes means leaving half your exam blank. And that leads to an F. Solution: Always bring extra supplies to an exam. 10. Not putting Your Name on the Test There are times when failing to put your name on a test will result in a failing grade. This can happen when the test administrator doesn’t know the students, or when the teacher/administrator won’t see students again after the test is over (like at the end of a school year). In these special situations (or even if you have a very stern teacher) a test that doesn’t have a name attached to it will be tossed out. Solution: Always write your name on a test before you get started!

The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School

The Pros and Cons of Year-Round School Year-round school in the United States is neither a new concept nor an unusual one. Traditional school calendars and year-round schedules both provide students with about 180 days in the classroom. But instead of taking off much of the summertime, year-round school programs take a series of shorter breaks throughout the year. Advocates say the shorter breaks make it easier for students to retain knowledge and are less disruptive to the learning process. Detractors say the evidence to support this assertion is unconvincing. Traditional School Calendars Most public schools in America operate on the 10-month system, which gives students 180 days in the classroom. The school year typically begins a few weeks before or after Labor Day and concludes around Memorial Day, with time off during Christmas and New Years and again around Easter. This school schedule has been the default since the earliest days of the nation when the U.S. was still an agrarian society, and children were needed to work in the fields during the summer. Year-Round Schools Educators began experimenting with a more balanced school calendar in the early 1900s, but the idea of a year-round model didnt really catch on until the 1970s. Some advocates said it would help students retain knowledge. Others said it could help schools reduce overcrowding by staggering start times throughout the year.   The most common application of year-round education uses the 45-15 plan. Students attend school for 45 days, or about nine weeks, then take off for three weeks, or 15 school days. The normal breaks for holidays and spring remain in place with this calendar. Other ways to organize the calendar include the 60-20 and 90-30 plans. Single-track year-round education involves an entire school using the same calendar and getting the same holidays off. Multiple-track year-round education puts groups of students in school at different times with different vacations. Multitracking usually occurs when school districts want to save money. PeopleImages / Getty Images Arguments in Favor As of 2017, nearly 4,000 public schools in the U.S. follow a year-round schedule- around 10 percent of the nations students. Some of the most common reasons in favor of year-round schooling are as follows: Students tend to forget a lot during the summer, and shorter vacations might increase retention rates.School buildings unused in the summer are wasted resources.Short breaks provide time for students to receive enrichment education.Remediation can occur when it is most needed during the school year.Students get bored during the long break of summer.It gives families more options for scheduling vacations, rather than restricting travel to summertime.Other countries around the world use this system.Schools on year-round schedules can accommodate more students through multitracking. Rushay Booysen / EyeEm / Getty Images Arguments Against Opponents say year-round schooling hasnt proven to be as effective as its advocates claim. Some parents also complain that such schedules make it more difficult to plan family vacations or child care. Some of the most common arguments against year-round schools include: Studies have not conclusively proven the academic benefits.Students forget information just as easily with a three-week break as 10. Therefore, teachers on a year-round system end up with four periods of review instead of just one at a new school year.Summer programs such as youth camps suffer.Student summer employment becomes virtually impossible.Many older school buildings do not have air conditioning, making a year-round schedule impractical.Band and other extracurricular programs can run into problems scheduling practices and competitions, which often take place during the summer months.With multitracking, parents could have students at the same school on different schedules. School administrators considering year-round education should identify their goals and investigate whether a new calendar can help achieve them. When implementing any significant change, involving all stakeholders in the decision and the process improves the outcome. If students, teachers, and parents dont support a  new schedule, a transition could be difficult. Sources National Education Association staff. Research Spotlight on Year-Round Education. NEA.org, 2017. Niche.com staff. Schools Without Summer Break: An In-Depth Look at Year-Round Schooling. Niche.com, 12 April 2017. Weller, Chris. Year-Round School is Booming but Its Benefits Are Overhyped. BusinessInsider.com, 5 June 2017. Zubrzycki, Jacklyn. Year-Round Schooling Explained. Edweek.org, 18 December 2015.