After weeks of studying, you’re finally ready to take that certification exam you’ve been preparing for. These tests often have many questions that you’ll have to complete within a certain amount of time. Remember to check out our study tips to help you prepare for your exam. Here are a few test taking strategies you can use to help you pass the exam.
General Test Taking Tips
- If you don’t know an answer skip it and come back later
- Bookmark questions to review later
- Do a brain dump
You may not be allowed scratch paper on every exam but if it’s available to you – use it! As soon as you sit down for your exam, write down anything important that you think you might forget.
- Don’t second guess yourself
Sometimes it’s best to go with your gut. You may end up wasting time if you get stuck choosing between different answers. Go with your first choice and come back to the question later.
Tips for IT Exams
Some IT exams may be difficult to study for due to the types of questions you may encounter. These exams may have long, scenario-based questions that may seem intimidating at first glance. Here’s a couple of time for these types of questions:
- Skip it and answer it later
Questions that require a lot of reading may take too much time to answer. On timed tests, it’s better to get through more questions that are quick to answer than to get stuck reading one.
- Read the answers choices first
This may help you eliminate answer choices or ever find the correct answer before you even read the question.
- Read the question carefully
If you find that you need to read the entire problem, read it carefully. Having to reread long questions wastes time. These exams often use language that is not concise and can be confusing, make sure you fully understand the question before answering.
Conclusion
When I take exams, I’ll usually read (or at least skim) through all the questions and answer all of the easy ones first. I’ll bookmark questions that I think may be difficult or I’m unsure about and skip any long questions that require a lot of reading. Once I’ve reviewed all the questions, I’ll go back to answer the questions I’ve bookmarked or skipped. As I go through, I’ll unmark any questions that I feel confident about. I’ll continue to go through my marked questions until they’ve all been answered and I’m satisfied with my responses. Finally, I’ll review all of the questions again to make sure there are no mistakes.
My approach to exam taking might not work for you and that’s perfectly fine. When taking exams, it’s important to do what works best for you. Before attempting an exam, you should be comfortable with the material that will be covered as well as the format of the exam and types of questions you may encounter.
