10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Test Score

Reading study material out loud can help you memorize important facts– it’s called auditory learning.

Turn up the tunes. Classical music has been shown to increase test scores. The Mozart Effect was first reported in 1993 by researchers at the University of California, Irvine. Evidence produced by the study suggests students who listen to a Mozart sonata for a few minutes before taking a test generate better scores in math sections.

Take time off. It’s OK to take breaks– studying in periods of 30-45 minutes will help you retain more.

Eat well. Munching foods high in protein, like eggs or peanuts, can help clear your head. Avoid foods with caffeine and sugar.

Make educated guesses. Not including exams like the SAT, which penalize test-takers for wrong answers, guessing intelligently can improve your score. On pesky true or false questions, true is the correct answer more than 50 percent of the time.

Don’t cram. Cramming causes anxiety, which will interfere with your ability to think clearly. Instead, study ahead of time, reviewing notes several times to make sure you are learning the material, not just memorizing facts.

Your first instincts are usually right, so don’t bother making changes to questions you’ve already answered.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, skip it. Don’t waste time by lingering on questions you don’t know; your time is better spent completing questions you can answer. Mark the question, and come back to it if you have extra time.

Exercise helps improve the oxygen flow to the brain, increasing memory and reasoning.

Reviewing test material before bed improves your chances of remembering it in the morning. Read, or listen to a tape of the information you are expected to memorize before you fall asleep, and do a quick review of your notes in the morning. Remember, your brain is most active during REM, so get a good night’s sleep.