It Doesn't Matter If You Study - How to Take a Test

All of us have been hounded by our parents and teachers to study study study. But all that studying won't guarantee you a good result on the test. You can study for hours and know all the material but you can still do poorly on the exam. Why is this?

Basically, it boils down to how well you can take a test. For example, my sister is much better than I am at math. In fact, she has a degree in Aerospace Engineering. My sister is a rocket scientist. And yet, when we took the SAT, I did better in the math section.

I'm definitely not better than she is at math. So why did she not do as well?

The answer lies in how well you take tests.

You can study all you want, but unless you learn how to take a test, you will never realize your full potential and a lot of that studying will go to waste.

So, what is the solution? Learn how to take tests! There are a lot of resources out there for learning how to study. There are websites chock-full of information that can help you learn more than you ever thought possible. But that's not what you're looking for.

Let me share with you a tip on test taking. This is something you do before the test. Go up to the teacher or professor and ask, "What exactly should I anticipate for the test?" It seems obvious, but it can go a long way. Use whatever information your instructor gives you - it will put you that much more ahead than you were before. It could be something big or it could be something little. Whatever it is, use it!

Some might say that this is just working the system but it isn't. And some might say that just doing this won't get you very far and they are right. There are a myriad of other tips and tricks you can use both before and during the test. Don't get me wrong; you still need to study! But if you study poorly or study without keeping the test in mind, you will not do well on the test. Same as if you don't understand how to take a test. Granted, you will learn a lot, but the grade you get won't reflect all that knowledge.

I suppose the point is not to let all your studying go to waste. Learn how to take a test, then learn how to study for a test. Then, when you do study and learn things, all that knowledge in your noggin is going to come out on paper much, much better.