Test Strategies for Test Strategies for Your Practice Your Practice

ExamExam

Pacing and TimingPacing and Timing Try and figure out how long it takes you to answer Try and figure out how long it takes you to answer

questions. Knowing how long you spend on questions. Knowing how long you spend on average per question will help you identify how average per question will help you identify how many questions you can answer effectively and many questions you can answer effectively and how to best pace yourselfhow to best pace yourself

Bring a watch, but don’t constatnly check the time. Bring a watch, but don’t constatnly check the time. Check the time every 15 questions or so in order Check the time every 15 questions or so in order to check your pacing.to check your pacing.

Know when to move on! Easy questions count just Know when to move on! Easy questions count just as much as the hard ones, so stressing over one as much as the hard ones, so stressing over one question can potentially deprive you of the chance question can potentially deprive you of the chance o answer easier ones later on. Keep a steady o answer easier ones later on. Keep a steady pace. You can always go back to it later on.pace. You can always go back to it later on.

Note the time and the number of passages. Plan Note the time and the number of passages. Plan accordingly.accordingly.

Be selective!!!! Preview all the passages at the Be selective!!!! Preview all the passages at the beginning of the test and answer the easier beginning of the test and answer the easier passages first.Pick a passage to do first and a passages first.Pick a passage to do first and a passage to do last. Consider:passage to do last. Consider: What kind of passagesis easier for you?What kind of passagesis easier for you?

How long are the passages?How long are the passages?

Is the passage older or more contemporary?Is the passage older or more contemporary?

Use Process of elimination! Stop looking for the Use Process of elimination! Stop looking for the right answers. Look for the wrong answers and right answers. Look for the wrong answers and eliminate them.eliminate them. Remember, half bad=all bad when it comes to the Remember, half bad=all bad when it comes to the

answers! Even 1/10 bad=all bad!answers! Even 1/10 bad=all bad!

Question TypesQuestion Types

General Comprehension—ask about the General Comprehension—ask about the overall passage. They won’t send you overall passage. They won’t send you back to a specific lineback to a specific line

Detail—these will almost always send you Detail—these will almost always send you back to specific places in the passageback to specific places in the passage

Factual Knowledge—ask you about the Factual Knowledge—ask you about the English language, its grammar, and the English language, its grammar, and the basic terminology of criticism and poetrybasic terminology of criticism and poetry Example: How does the author’s use of Example: How does the author’s use of

irony contribute to the effect of the poem?irony contribute to the effect of the poem?

Prose PassagesProse Passages

• Skim the passageSkim the passage– Read the first sentences of paragraphs Read the first sentences of paragraphs

carefully, read the last sentencecarefully, read the last sentence

• Read the passageRead the passage– Just read—without fixating on details, Just read—without fixating on details,

without getting stuckwithout getting stuck

• Get the main ideaGet the main idea– Create a mental pictureCreate a mental picture

– The details build up to the big pictureThe details build up to the big picture

Do you feel confident Do you feel confident with the passage?with the passage?

If yes, then complete the questions in If yes, then complete the questions in orderorder

If you don’t feel confident about the main If you don’t feel confident about the main idea, do the detail questions firstidea, do the detail questions first

Practice!Practice!

How long did the passage take?How long did the passage take?

What is your average time per question?What is your average time per question?

Which 3 questions were the hardest?Which 3 questions were the hardest?

Which 3 questions were the easiest?Which 3 questions were the easiest?

7 Minute Passage7 Minute Passage

Don’t read the passage. Just don’t do it!Don’t read the passage. Just don’t do it!

Go straight to the questions.Go straight to the questions.

Answer the questions in the following order:Answer the questions in the following order: Any literary term or grammar questionsAny literary term or grammar questions

Any questions that ask for the meaning of a single Any questions that ask for the meaning of a single word or phraseword or phrase

Any questions that gives you a line numberAny questions that gives you a line number

Any question on tone or attitudeAny question on tone or attitude

Any questions that have line references in the Any questions that have line references in the ANSWER choicesANSWER choices

Do whatever is left!Do whatever is left!

7 Minute Passage 7 Minute Passage Practice!Practice!

You have 7 minutes!You have 7 minutes!

EssaysEssays

Order your essays!Order your essays!

Address the topic and avoid summary!Address the topic and avoid summary!

Make your essay easy for the AP reader to Make your essay easy for the AP reader to score. Here’s how…score. Here’s how…

Neatness counts!Neatness counts!

Indent your paragraphsIndent your paragraphs Indent twice as much as you normall would to Indent twice as much as you normall would to

make it obviousmake it obvious

When in doubt, start a new pargraph When in doubt, start a new pargraph

Write perfectly…for the first paragraphWrite perfectly…for the first paragraph

Show off your literary vocabularyShow off your literary vocabulary Don’t rewrite the prompt, paraphrase it instead. Don’t rewrite the prompt, paraphrase it instead.

This shows you understand the question.This shows you understand the question.

Use snappy verbs and tasty nounsUse snappy verbs and tasty nouns

Read the questions carefully. The questions give Read the questions carefully. The questions give you clues that will help you understand the you clues that will help you understand the passage.passage.

Answer the QuestionAnswer the Question If the AP reader doesn’t think your essay If the AP reader doesn’t think your essay

addresses the question, you will get a lousy addresses the question, you will get a lousy scorescore