Test-Taking Tips/Strategies 2023

Test-Taking
Tips and Strategies

# 1 Sleep/Eat

Get enough sleep the night

before, and eat a good

breakfast before the exam.

#2 Information to Remember

Test-taking Strategies.

❏ Be sure to read ALL directions

carefully.

❏ There are questions and graphics that

need to be used to fully answer many
questions on the ELA AIR Test.

# 3 Process of

Elimination

Don’t leave any answers blank.
Make an educated guess using

the process of elimination.

#4 Put the Answer in Your

Own Words

Before reading the answers to the questions,
try answering in your words; then choose
the answer that matches.

FIND THE CHOICE that matches your BRAIN VOICE!

# 5. Read the ?s First

Before reading the passage, read the

questions to focus your reading, BUT DON’T

just skim the passage for the answers.

REALLY READ!

# 6. LOOK BACK at the Passage

This is an OPEN-BOOK test! Look back at the

passage for the answers. LOOK forKEYwords in
questions and then SKIM for these words in the
passage when finding/verifying your answers.

LOOK BACK

❏

Look back at passages to answer the questions that ask you to determine the
meaning of an unknown word. You will be given a line or paragraph number.

❏

Look back at passages to determine main idea.

❏

Look back at passages to determine theme.

❏

Look back at passages to determine author’s tone.

IN OTHER WORDS, JUST LOOK BACK at the passage to make sure your

answer is correct.

*

# 7. Essay Portion

This is important…

❏ Writing Accounts for ⅓ of the test points.
❏ This is the main thing you have control over.
❏ Remember to manage time. You should be

spending around 1 hour on writing a portion on
the AIR.

❏ If you run out of time, it's most important that

you have shown how to make a claim and use
textual support! (Evidence/Quote)

❏ These are the helpful charts that YOU can make

during the AIR. This will save you time, and you
will not have to scroll back and forth through the
passages. HUGE TIME SAVER!***

# 8.PACE Yourself

Pay attention to your time. But also if
you are allowed EXTRA time, use it!

Don’t rush and finish early.

# 9 YOU'VE GOT THIS!

Manage Your time and you are going to be
awesome! If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a
minute to close your eyes, breathe, and regroup.

GOOD LUCK!