Same Study skills › Studying for tests › Test-taking strategies
What test-taking strategies do schools teach?
Schools teach a short set of habits for tests: read the question twice and underline the key words, read every answer choice, cross out the ones you know are wrong (process of elimination), answer the easy questions first, and go back to check. For reading tests, many classes use an acronym such as UNRAAVEL that turns these steps into a checklist.
- Read every choice before picking.
- Cross out the ones you know are wrong.
- Choose from what's left, then check in the text.
Why schools teach it
Knowing it isn't the same as showing it
Kids lose points on things they know: misreading the question, picking the first answer that looks right, or running out of time. A few habits fix most of that.
Process of elimination also turns a guess into a better guess: crossing out two wrong answers raises the odds from one in four to one in two. Checking classroom acronyms is worth it; every school's version is a little different.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What is the question really asking? Underline it.
Which answers can you cross out? Why?
EliminateCan you find proof in the passage?
Look backDo the easy ones first, then come back.
Time
Skip this
- Picking the first answer that sounds right.Read all of them. Two are often close.
- Changing answers on a hunch.Change only with a clear reason.
- Leaving blanks when there's no penalty.Eliminate and make the best choice.
See it in action
One question, step by step
Which gas do plants take in to make food? A. oxygen B. carbon dioxide C. helium D. sugar
Cross out
C (helium has nothing to do with plants) · D (sugar is what plants make)Compare what's left
A. oxygen or B. carbon dioxide? Plants give off oxygen.Choose and check
B. carbon dioxide. The passage says leaves let carbon dioxide in.
Ask your child's teacher which test acronym the class uses, if any.
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Parents also ask
What is UNRAAVEL?
A checklist some schools use for reading tests, with steps like underlining the title, predicting, reading the questions first and eliminating wrong answers. Versions differ, so check your child's class chart.
Should kids read the questions before the passage?
Many teachers suggest skimming the questions first so kids know what to look for.
What about test anxiety?
Preparing with retrieval practice helps most. A brain dump at the start of the test can also help.
Do these strategies work for state tests?
Yes. They're the same multiple-choice and reading formats.