Taking The CST
Student Tips
for Taking MultipleChoice Tests
DO I HAVE TO HURRY
THROUGH THE TEST
BECAUSE OF LIMITED
TIME????
 NO…the
CST is not a timed
test. If you do not finish a
section you will be allowed
more time.
LOOK OVER THE
TEST FIRST
Don’t begin answering the
questions right away,
instead……
Look at number of questions
Look at titles, headings,
graphics, charts
Take short breaks
at your desk
during the test by…..
 Stopping for a moment
 Shutting your eyes
 Taking some deep breaths
You receive
NO POINTS
for being the
FIRST ONE
to complete the test!!
Don’t Skip Around
Try to answer questions in the order they
appear
Only skip answering a question because
you are unsure of the answer
If you skip a question, mark or highlight
in your test booklet so you will remember
to go back
Don’t skip around because you like
another question better, or the reading is
shorter
What To
For When
Answering Questions




If you see a response you think is correct, circle it
and read all other answer choices to check that none
of the other responses is better.
“All of the above” is often a correct response. If
you can verify that more than one of the other
responses is correct, then choose “all
of the above.”
“None of the above” is usually an incorrect answer.
Watch for absolutes (all, none, always, never, only).
Circle these words and realize that it is usually a
false choice, unless…you recall your teacher stating
an absolute in class. “All living things are made up
of____(cells).”
READ THROUGH ALL THE
ANSWER CHOICES BEFORE
MARKING A SELECTION
What To Do If More
Than One Answer
Seems Correct
Does the answer completely address the
question? If yes, choose this answer.
If the answer is only partly true, probably not the
right answer.
If you have to make an inference in order for the
answer to be true, don’t choose that answer.
Trust your feeling that one of the answers is
wrong, research has proven this feeling can be
correct.
DON’T Second
Guess Yourself…
Your first
answer choice is
most likely correct!!
READING TEST
“To Do’s”


Read the title…Think!
Look at the graphics!

Look for features
-What do they tell me?
-Bold-Face Type
-Italics
-Underlines
-Boxes
-Quotes
-Numbers
-Dates
-Places
-Captions
-Bullets
-asterisk*
-transitional words
Skim, Stop
& Think
Read 1st line on “skinny” paragraphs, 1st and last
lines on fat paragraphs, all quotes, and read the
entire last paragraph
 Answer question, “bounce” back to reading text
if necessary.
 WHY is this the CORRECT answer, and
WHY is this the INCORRECT answer?

 SKIM,
STOP, THINK, ANSWER,
BOUNCE BACK
Adapted from Dennis Parker
How to Prepare Using Sample
Questions

Look at each question and
think about…
Which answer is correct and
why is it correct?
Which answers are incorrect and why
are they incorrect?
Website for CDE Single Questions by Proficiency Levels:
http://starsamplequestions.org/welcome_educator
s.html
Two Basic
Test Taking
Strategies
Strategy One
BREATHE!
 On the morning of the
test when you are
feeling nervous –
Breathe!

As you open the test
booklet –
Breathe!
 When you read a
certain question –
Breathe!
Why Breathe During
Test-Taking?
Taking
in oxygen
renews your brain for better
test-taking.
Deep breathing lowers
tension and allows you to
relax.
Strategy
Two
Practice
Positive
Self-Talk!
What is self-talk?
A message we say to
ourselves or to a
friend.

We
believe our selftalk, so make it
positive!
STOP
Negative Self-Talk
About Test Taking
“I don’t know this stuff.”
“I know I’m not going to do
well.”
Don’t say them!
Don’t think them!


Positive Self-Talk
About Test Taking
“I did okay on my practice
tests.”
 “I know this material.”
 “I got it right before; I
can get it right again.”

Teachers work with students
to Deconstruct Test Questions
One Question at a Time 
Students work together to
determine:
 What do you think is the correct
answer and why?
 What do you think are the
incorrect answers and why?