DSTP Test Taking Strategies and Tips

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DSTP Test Taking Strategies and Tips

• Presented by Debbie Trapani
• February 6, 2007

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Following Directions

• It is important to follow directions when taking
  the test.
• Directions tell you to
• CIRCLE, UNDERLINE, FILL IN THE BLANK, LIST, CROSS
  OUT, or WRITE AN ANSWER.

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Testing Terms

• Compare finds the likeness between two or more
  things.
• Contrast finds the difference between two or more
  things.
• Define gives a brief, clear meaning of a word.
• Discuss is to present details, important
  information and facts about a subject.
• Describe is to write about a topic in details
  using facts and giving explanations.

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Testing Terms

• Explain is to make clear how or why events or
  things happen.
• Illustrate uses diagrams, drawings or a graph to
  explain something.
• List puts short, clear answers in a series when
  there are several answers to a question.
• Summarize briefly states the main facts or ideas
  of a story or event.

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Strategies for Better DSTP Responses

• Assign more writing and purposeful discussion to
  students
• Align your expectations with DSTP expectations.
• Model how to write exemplary responses using
  think-alouds.
• Require that students complete fewer questions,
  but complete them with greater degrees of
  quality.
• Teach students to score written responses. Use
  the sampler items that are available on the
  website.
• Have kids score their own work and the work of
  other students.
• Have students highlight main ideas and details in
  their responses.

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Passage Based Reading

• Read/sign the questions first so that you can
  read and think about answering the question.
• Some questions are based on two passages of a
  shared theme or issue.
• Answer based on what is stated or implied in the
  passage or any other material that introduces the
  passages.

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Passage Based Reading

• Pay attention to the language used in the passage
  as you answer the questions.
• Be sure you understand what each passage is about
  when you are reading questions about two
  passages.
• Pick answers where the word meaning is closest to
  how the word is used in the passage.
• If two answers are good, pick the best of the
  two.
• If you need to answer a question about the
  similarity or difference between the two
  passages, be sure the choice is true for BOTH
  passages.

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Skimming and Scanning

• Skimming and scanning helps you locate
  information needed to answer questions quickly.
• Skimming reading something quickly to learn the
  main idea of the information.
• Scanning reading something quickly to search for
  a specific detail or answer.

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Elimination

• When you have multiple choice questions, there
  are several answers to choose from.
• Usually you can eliminate at least one answer
  because it is obviously wrong!
• Cross out or eliminate the answer that does not
  belong.
• Example Lee and Lou are twins. They are fifteen
  years old. Today is their birthday.
• Lee and Lou are
• a. Twins
• b. friends
• c. having a birthday party
• B and C were not in the statement. Eliminate B
  and C. Choose A.

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Multiple Choice Test Taking Tips

• Read the question before you look at the answer.
• Come up with the answer in your head before
  looking at the possible answers, this way the
  choices given on the test won't throw you off or
  trick you.
• Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
• Read all the choices before choosing your
  answer.
• If there is no guessing penalty, always take an
  educated guess and select an answer.
• Don't keep on changing your answer, usually your
  first choice is the right one, unless you
  mis-read the question.

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Multiple Choice Test Taking Tips

• In "All of the above" and "None of the above"
  choices, if you are certain one of the statements
  is true don't choose "None of the above" or one
  of the statements are false don't choose "All of
  the above".
• A positive choice is more likely to be true than
  a negative one.
• If there is an "All of the above" option and you
  know that at least two of the choices are correct
  select the "All of the above" choice
• Usually the correct answer is the choice with
  the most information.

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Math Test Taking Tips

• Read the directions carefully and don't forget
  to answer all parts of the question.
• Make estimates for your answers... i.e. if you
  are asked to answer 48 x 12 ?, you could expect
  a number around 500, but if you end up with an
  answer around 5000, you'll know you did something
  wrong.

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Math Test Taking Tips

• Show all your work (especially when partial
  credit is awarded) and write as legibly as
  possible.
• Even if you know the final answer is wrong,
  don't erase your entire work because you may get
  partial credit for using the correct procedure.
• Check over your test after you are done with it.
  If you have time redo the problem on a separate
  piece of paper and see if you come up with the
  same answer the second time around. Look for
  careless mistakes such as making sure the decimal
  is in the right place, that you read the
  directions correctly, that you copied the numbers
  correctly, that you put a negative sign if it is
  needed, that your arithmetic is correct and so
  on.

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Elimination in Math

• Units of Measure In the answers, check the unit
  of measure and compare it with the unit used in
  the problem. Eliminate those that do not match!
• Example To make their cookies, Monica needs 8
  ounces of butter and Jill needs 3 ounces of
  butter. Altogether, how much butter do they need?
  
• a) 11 pounds b) 11 feet c) 11 ounces
• A and B can be eliminated based on the unit of
  measures that do not match.
• Rounding off Round off your numbers so you can
  add quickly.
• Example 6841109 rounded off to 7040110
• a) 120 b)109 c)118
• A and C can be eliminated based on the rounded
  off answer 110 that is close to 109.

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Elimination in Math

• Multiplying decimals Count all the numbers
  after the decimal point. Make sure the answers
  have that many numbers. If not, eliminate these
  numbers.
• Example 13.2 x 1.6 ____ (2 numbers)
• 21.12 b) 211.2 c) 2112
• Multiplying zeros Count the number of zeros in
  the problem. The answer should have the same
  number of zeros.
• Example 100 x 20____ (3 zeros)
• a) 200 b) 2000 c) 20

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Math Clue Wordshelp you solve math story
problems.

• Clue Words for ADD
• In all
• Altogether
• Sum
• Total
• How much
• Clue words for SUBTRACT
• Difference
• How much more
• Less

• Clue words for MULTIPLY
• Product
• Total
• Altogether
• Clue Words for DIVIDE
• Separate into
• Quotient
• Each
• Equally
• Average

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Finding DSTP information online

• Google DSTP or Delaware State Testing Program.
• Click on the hexagon that contains the
  information you need.
• Check out the anchor papers earning scores 1-5 in
  different content area parts of the test.
• Use item samplers for practice in class.