Testing Tricks
What is the first thing you should do when you start the test? (After you write your name)
Read the directions.
What is the job of a summary?
To tell the big stuff that happened in a story. Not tiny details.
Can my teacher help me read a word or answer a question on TCAP?
NO! We can't help you at all! Don't worry, though. You are ready, you are capable, and we believe in you!
If I get a question that I need to figure out the meaning of a word, what should I do to help me figure out the answer?
Plug it in, plug it in! Also, make inferences and context clues.
How many paragraphs should be my goal to write during the writing test?
What is 3 paragraphs.
What should you do after you read the directions?
Read the questions?
What is the difference between main idea and a summary?
Main idea is one quick sentence with the who, what, when, where, and why. A summary is a paragraph.
Can I go to the bathroom during testing?
Only if it is a true emergency.
What is something that I could double check on my bubble sheet?
That my bubbles are neatly filled in. That my answers in my book match the ones on my bubble sheet.
State your claims is the same as what?
State your opinion.
What does the word BEST in a questions mean?
That there could be more than one that makes sense, but there is only one answer choice that you can prove.
What are the 5 "w's" that will help you with main idea, summary, and telling what the passage is mostly about?
Who, what, when, where, and why.
Should I get up out of my seat while we are taking a test?
No! Don't get up to throw something away, get a pencil, a tissue, or for anything else. If you need something, raise your hand and I will get you what you need!
If I get done with my test early, what should I do with that extra time?
Go back and make sure that the answers I have picked make sense with the question. If I haven't already found test evidence, this is the time to make sure I have proof from the story that I have chosen the correct answer.
If I am writing an informational piece, what should NOT be in my essay?
What is my opinion.
What types of answer choices did I say you may not need to look back in the story to help you find your answers?
Any answer choice with "quotation marks".
What kind of details should be in a summary?
Big ones! The big 5 "w's". Not tiny details about the characters personalities or the setting.
Can I be done before the time is up?
How can I prove that the best answer is the best answer?
Look for evidence in the story to prove the answer I picked is in the story, not just my head.
What should you do after you read the stories, but before you write your essay?
Plan your essay.
Once your extended time starts, what should you make sure is done before you run out of time?
Make sure that I have bubbled in an answer for EVERY question on that subpart.
Will there always be all 5 of the 5 "w's" in a story?
Can I write on my test booklet (the part with the stories and questions)?
Yes I can! Please circle, underline, and make notes!
If I have a questions with a Part A and Part B, how can I make sure that the two answers match up?
Draw a line and match them up.
Reading the prompt for the writing test is very important, but if I don't write what they want me to write about what is going to happen?