Paradoxically, sometimes the best thing one can do to work quickly, confidently, and competently on timed tests is to do untimed practice.
Untimed practice allows students to take all the time they need to fully understand questions and find correct answers. Without the pressure of the clock, it's much easier to learn the ins-and-outs of the types of questions found on the test and figure out the best ways to get to the right answers most quickly and easily.
It's also ironic that getting stuck on super-hard questions during such untimed practice work is actually a good thing. By spending way too much time on certain very tough questions, students develop a "sixth sense" about questions that are just going to waste their time. By learning to quickly and reliably recognize "Nightmare Questions," students can save valuable time and energy on test day. [Strategy: eliminate, guess, move on.]
Once basic understanding and familiarity with test material has been established, students return to timed practice testing, and work on speeding things up. Students now know what you need to do – they just need to do it faster.
This approach has been useful to a great many students of mine over the years, particularly on the ACT science section, which is famous for being a time-burner.
Building muscles slowly in the early stages of any strength-building process just makes sense. The same goes for building test-taking muscles.
It's a maxim that applies to disciplines as widely varied as musical performance, athletics, academics, and more: At the beginning, deliberately sacrificing speed for the sake of improved concentration, accuracy, and control is the best way to accelerate progress.
This is counter-intuitive, however, often uncomfortably so. But there are multiple points along the way at which this advice must be employed. Doing untimed practice testing, in the beginning, especially on difficult sections, is certainly one of these.
Slow Down to Speed Up!
-----
Copyright © 2006-present: Christopher R. Borland. All rights reserved.
