"OK," your teacher says cheerily. "Don't forget your history test is this Friday!"

But in addition to your history test, you have a math test and your weekly quiz on Spanish verbs - all on Friday! Are they totally crazy? How will you get all your studying done in time?

Don't panic just yet. You need a plan. You'll need to know the most effective way to study, how to budget your time, how to keep cool for tests, and how to keep your cool overall! Look below for the secrets of studying successfully and taking tests with confidence.

Start Studying in School
That history test is coming up, and every time you even think about World War II, it sends a little shiver up your spine. How will you remember all those names, places, and dates?

Believe it or not, studying effectively for tests and quizzes actually starts in the classroom as you take notes. Note taking is a way of remembering what you were taught or what you've read about. Unfortunately, most schools don't have classes that teach you how to take notes, which can make it challenging until you get the hang of it.

If you have a teacher who writes the notes on the board, that's a bonus: You can copy them down as he or she speaks. If not, you'll need to write down the most important points from class, along with any detailed information that the teacher stresses. Does he or she give a specific example or fact, such as the name of a famous war hero or the year that an author wrote a best-known play? Write it down!

But try not to take too many notes - you'll be frantic if you try to write every word, and if you're focusing too much on getting your notes right, you might miss important points. Some people actually learn better by listening in class and just jotting down a few key points, then going over the material after class when they have more time.

If there is something that you need repeated, don't be afraid to ask the teacher to say it again; if he or she is going too fast, chances are your classmates will also be relieved to hear the information again. If you're not sure that you understood the main points, you can always ask your teacher after class if he or she can take a look at your notes. It can seem like a pain to ask about it after class, but it's much easier than wondering if you got the notes right as you study!

Finally, if you have a hard time taking notes or getting all of the information down, ask if you can bring a mini tape recorder to class. This will allow you to record as you take notes, then play back and fill in any information you missed later.

Another key to successful studying is to keep up with the readings your teacher assigns. If you read everything as it's assigned - rather than waiting to do it all the night before the test - this will help you absorb and remember the material. Plus, when you stay up to date on all your required reading, you'll already know the most important points to study for a test. But if it's the night before the test and you're just sitting down to a backlog of reading, you'll have to read everything just to be sure you don't miss anything vital.

Settling Down to Study
Depending on how neat your handwriting is, you may or may not have to recopy your notes when you study. If you've taken your notes in a hurry, you're more likely to be able to decipher an unreadable word or sentence on the day of the lesson than you are 4 weeks later when you look back over your notes in preparation for a test. And even if you're an incredibly neat note taker, some students still find that recopying and reorganizing their notes after class helps them remember the material.

As you sit down to study in your work space, think about how much time you want to devote to each section or concept - this will keep you from getting overwhelmed. For example, instead of thinking about studying all of World War II (which could overwhelm even a real historian), try thinking about it in 2-year chunks or by specific battles.

Once you have manageable pieces to work with, you can think about how long you need to study each part. Most people can really concentrate for about 45 minutes. Figure out what you'll be covering in the time period you've set for yourself, and you're ready to begin.

When you study, you'll need to review your notes and any special information from your textbook, and in the case of math or science problems or equations, do some practice problems. Pay special attention to anything the teacher seemed to stress. Naturally, if he or she said, "This will be on the test," you'll want to study that information.

Many teachers will tell you ahead of time what the format of an exam will be, which can help you to tailor your studying accordingly. For example, if you know you are going to have a quiz with multiple choice questions on World War II, you'll know to focus on studying facts and details. On the other hand, if you know an exam will contain essay questions, before you begin to study ask yourself what questions the teacher might ask about World War II. Then come up with several potential essay topics and use your notes, books, and other resources to figure out how you might answer questions on those topics.

When trying to memorize dates, names, or other information, keep in mind that it usually takes a number of tries to remember something correctly. Use special memory triggers that the teacher may have suggested or ones that you invent yourself. Read things over several times if you need to, and write down any phrases or thoughts that will help you remember main ideas or concepts.

Some people find it helps to teach the material aloud to an imaginary student. Or use a real-life study partner and take turns teaching aloud. Another study technique is making flashcards that summarize some of the important facts or concepts. You can then use these to review for a test.

Keeping Your Concentration
If you find yourself getting distracted and thinking about other things, pull your attention back into a study groove as soon as possible. You can promise yourself that when your 45 minutes of studying are up, you can take a 15-minute break. Moving around or getting outdoors for your break can actually be a good study technique - exercise is a great way to clear your head and allow the mind to absorb what you've just studied. So walk the dog around the block or kick a ball in the backyard.

When you've finished studying, you should feel like you can approach the test or quiz with confidence - not necessarily that you will get 100% of the answers correct, but that you have a very good understanding of the information. If you can, enlist the help of a sibling or parent to quiz you for a few minutes. You might also get in touch with a classmate and ask each other some questions that you think might be on the test.

Studying in a Crowd
Should you study alone or with other people in your class? Sometimes it can be useful to go over things with people who are studying for the same test: You can make sure that your notes are correct and that you understand the subject. Study groups may help you because you can work as a group to come up with ways to remember concepts and then test one another.

But for some students, study groups can spell disaster because they find it too hard to concentrate and study properly. It can be easy to become distracted and get off the topic when you're with a bunch of friends or classmates, which means that you may spend more time hanging out than actually studying.

In the end, it comes down to what works best for you. If you like to study alone and feel most confident about doing it that way, then it's fine. If you think you'd like to work in a group, try it out - just be aware of the pitfalls. One way to ensure quiet when studying with a group is to do it in the library; you'll be forced to keep things more low-key than if you're at someone's kitchen table.

Taking Tests
Are you sweating, chewing your pencil, and feeling butterflies in your stomach as your teacher hands out the test? A lot of people (adults included) get freaked out when it's time to take a test. It's natural to feel stressed out when taking a test - and sometimes a little adrenaline (a hormone secreted by your body during times of excitement or stress) is a good thing to jump-start you.

• First, be sure you've studied properly. This sounds basic, but if you're sure of the information, you'll have less reason to be worried. Also, get enough sleep the night before the test. Your memory recall will be much better if you've had enough rest. In a recent scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.
• As the teacher hands out the test, listen closely for any instructions. Once you have the test paper in front of you, read over the entire test, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete. This will allow you to estimate how much time you have for each section and ask the teacher any questions. If something seems unclear before you start, don't panic: ask.
• As you take the test, focus on addressing each question individually. If you don't know the answer, don't obsess over it. Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it once you've answered other questions.
• If you're so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini break. Wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths, picture yourself on a beach or some other calm place, or try some breathing and relaxation exercises. As we all know, it can be easy to forget things we know well - like a locker combination. The difference is we know we remember our locker combination because we've used it hundreds of times, so we don't panic and the combination number eventually comes back. During a test, if you blank out on something and start to get tense, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember.
• Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand a test in early, it's usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. You can also add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for. On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the bell rings and you're still writing, wind up whatever you're working on without panicking.

These tips should help most people, but a few people can get serious test-taking terror. If you're one of them, you may need to talk to a parent, teacher, or counselor for help. For most students, taking tests, although no fun, is a challenge that can be met - and (with the right study strategies) passed!

Updated and reviewed by: David B. Waldman, BA, MA
Date reviewed: June 2004
Originally reviewed by: Tom Sicoli, EdD

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