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If you want to know how to pass a psychological test, the best strategy is to go in well-prepared. While nothing can replace greatstudy skills, practicing good test-taking strategiescanhelp improve your performance on psychology exams.Whenever you take a test, spend a little time evaluating what you did that worked well and how you might apply those skills again in the future.At a GlanceThese tips are applicable to virtually any topic, so start working on your own personal approach to test-taking in order to determine which techniques work best for you.
If you want to know how to pass a psychological test, the best strategy is to go in well-prepared. While nothing can replace greatstudy skills, practicing good test-taking strategiescanhelp improve your performance on psychology exams.
Whenever you take a test, spend a little time evaluating what you did that worked well and how you might apply those skills again in the future.
At a GlanceThese tips are applicable to virtually any topic, so start working on your own personal approach to test-taking in order to determine which techniques work best for you.
At a Glance
These tips are applicable to virtually any topic, so start working on your own personal approach to test-taking in order to determine which techniques work best for you.
1
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As soon as you receive the exam, spend at least a couple minutes looking it over. How many questions are there? What type of questions are on the test?
In many cases, yourpsychologytests will be a mix of different questions types. For example, the test might include a number of multiple-choice questions, a true-false section, and a fewessay-style questions.
Understanding the format of the test will give you a better idea of how to budget your time.
2
Pace Yourself
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Most tests have some sort of time requirement, so it is important to answer questions as quickly as possible in order to fully complete the exam.
3
Don’t Skip Around
Some recommend starting with the easiest questions first before going back to finish the difficult questions at the end of the test. While this strategy may work for some students, it also makes it more likely that you will forget to answer skipped questions.
If you do find yourself struggling with a particular question, place a clear and obvious mark next to it and then move on to the next question. When you are finished with each section of the test, you can then quickly go back to the marked questions and try to come up with a response.
4Read Each Question CarefullyBlend Images - Hill Street Studios / Getty ImagesIt may sound like a bit of very obvious advice, but reading each question carefully is one of the most important test-taking strategies you can use on any psychological evaluation or test.As you begin to read the question, you might immediately formulate a response before you’ve even finished reading the question. If you were to write your answer before you fully read the question, you might miss out on important information or even give the wrong response.
4
Read Each Question CarefullyBlend Images - Hill Street Studios / Getty ImagesIt may sound like a bit of very obvious advice, but reading each question carefully is one of the most important test-taking strategies you can use on any psychological evaluation or test.As you begin to read the question, you might immediately formulate a response before you’ve even finished reading the question. If you were to write your answer before you fully read the question, you might miss out on important information or even give the wrong response.
Read Each Question Carefully
Blend Images - Hill Street Studios / Getty Images
It may sound like a bit of very obvious advice, but reading each question carefully is one of the most important test-taking strategies you can use on any psychological evaluation or test.
As you begin to read the question, you might immediately formulate a response before you’ve even finished reading the question. If you were to write your answer before you fully read the question, you might miss out on important information or even give the wrong response.
5
Use the Process of Elimination
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Generally, the first few multiple-choice questions will be the easiest, but don’t let this lead tooverconfidence. The questions will probably become increasingly difficult the further you delve into the exam.
As the questions get more challenging, it can be helpful to start using the process of elimination.
Remember that some multiple-choice tests include more than one answer that is technically correct. Your job is to select the answer that fully answers the question and is the “most correct” out of all the possible options.
6Test YourselfGetty ImagesOne tip that can help you before you ever enter the exam room is to test yourself once in a while. Research has shown that testing can actually be an effective learning strategy.So make self-tests a part of yourregular study habits. You might give yourself a quiz at the end of every lesson or after reading a chapter in your textbook.Or, you might search online for quizzes, ask a classmate to quiz you, or check out the textbook publisher’s website for tests and other study supplements.
6
Test YourselfGetty ImagesOne tip that can help you before you ever enter the exam room is to test yourself once in a while. Research has shown that testing can actually be an effective learning strategy.So make self-tests a part of yourregular study habits. You might give yourself a quiz at the end of every lesson or after reading a chapter in your textbook.Or, you might search online for quizzes, ask a classmate to quiz you, or check out the textbook publisher’s website for tests and other study supplements.
Test Yourself
Getty Images
One tip that can help you before you ever enter the exam room is to test yourself once in a while. Research has shown that testing can actually be an effective learning strategy.
So make self-tests a part of yourregular study habits. You might give yourself a quiz at the end of every lesson or after reading a chapter in your textbook.
Or, you might search online for quizzes, ask a classmate to quiz you, or check out the textbook publisher’s website for tests and other study supplements.
What This Means For YouThere’s no sure-fire way to ace a psychology test or pass a psychological evaluation. Preparation is key, so the best thing you can do is to brush up on your study habits. However, knowing how to take a test effectively can help you to do your best. So be sure to scope out the test, pace yourself, answer questions in order, read each question carefully, and use the process of elimination.How to Study for a Psychology Test
What This Means For YouThere’s no sure-fire way to ace a psychology test or pass a psychological evaluation. Preparation is key, so the best thing you can do is to brush up on your study habits. However, knowing how to take a test effectively can help you to do your best. So be sure to scope out the test, pace yourself, answer questions in order, read each question carefully, and use the process of elimination.
What This Means For You
There’s no sure-fire way to ace a psychology test or pass a psychological evaluation. Preparation is key, so the best thing you can do is to brush up on your study habits. However, knowing how to take a test effectively can help you to do your best. So be sure to scope out the test, pace yourself, answer questions in order, read each question carefully, and use the process of elimination.
How to Study for a Psychology Test
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bayram B.Scale for test preparation and test taking strategies.Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2013;13(1):279-389.Tennessee Department of Education.Five best practices to support student ACT success.Yang BW, Razo J, Persky AM.Using testing as a learning tool.Am J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(9):7324. doi:10.5688/ajpe7324Additional ReadingDes Moines University.Multiple choice test taking strategies.Penn State.Test taking tips.
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bayram B.Scale for test preparation and test taking strategies.Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2013;13(1):279-389.Tennessee Department of Education.Five best practices to support student ACT success.Yang BW, Razo J, Persky AM.Using testing as a learning tool.Am J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(9):7324. doi:10.5688/ajpe7324Additional ReadingDes Moines University.Multiple choice test taking strategies.Penn State.Test taking tips.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bayram B.Scale for test preparation and test taking strategies.Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2013;13(1):279-389.Tennessee Department of Education.Five best practices to support student ACT success.Yang BW, Razo J, Persky AM.Using testing as a learning tool.Am J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(9):7324. doi:10.5688/ajpe7324
Bayram B.Scale for test preparation and test taking strategies.Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2013;13(1):279-389.
Tennessee Department of Education.Five best practices to support student ACT success.
Yang BW, Razo J, Persky AM.Using testing as a learning tool.Am J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(9):7324. doi:10.5688/ajpe7324
Des Moines University.Multiple choice test taking strategies.Penn State.Test taking tips.
Des Moines University.Multiple choice test taking strategies.
Penn State.Test taking tips.
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