By viewing standardized reading tests as a unique genre that could be taught, the author designed a two-week genre study for her reading workshop. The article describes how she planned, taught, and reflected on the unit. This genre study resolved some of the dilemmas she faced around preparing students for mandated testing. (Contains 1 table and 2…

Guidelines developed specifically for cases in which objectively scored written tests are to be used are described. When objective cognitive tests are properly built and used, they can serve four educationally important functions. These tests provide the instructor information on what a student can and cannot do. The instructor needs this…

Offers seven steps for students to follow when writing an examination answer. (HOD)

Evaluates and compares five software packages designed to help students prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Program name, hardware needed, format, current price, and source are provided. Comments on program documentation are also provided. (JN)

Offers tips for preparing for and doing well on the SAT. (FL)

This study examined the relationship between successful performance on the auditing, theory, and practice parts of the certified public accountant examination and selected characteristics possessed by CPA candidates. (Author/CT)

The nature of tests involved in the controversy on coaching is examined. Then coaching is considered against the background of diverse types of training that may affect test performance, and the implications of these various forms of training for the meaning and validity of test scores is discussed. (Author/BW)

To reduce test anxiety, students should know that apparently no correlation exists between student rankings on examinations and the order in which students completed those examinations. Although the first paper completed usually ranks higher than the last, it is not necessarily the best paper, nor is the last the worst. (SB)

A teacher explains the procedures she uses to prepare her fifth and sixth graders for taking multiple-choice standardized tests. (SJL)

Suggests that students can improve their memory of Scholastic Aptitude Test vocabulary words by associating the words with corresponding pictures taken from magazines. Finds that long-term recall of words associated with pictures was higher than recall of words not associated with pictures. (RS)

This study investigated the extent and nature of preparation for the Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST), and the reasons for preparing or not preparing. The PPST, a high-stakes test with a high failure rate, is used for admission to teacher education programs and for teacher licensing. Recent test takers were surveyed. Preparation was limited…

Two experiments were conducted (a) to evaluate how providing background information at test may benefit retrieval and (b) to further examine how providing background information prior to study influences encoding. Half of the participants read background information prior to study, and the other half did not. In each group, half were presented…

Warrior Elementary is a pubic school within the Navajo Nation. District and school reforms fought against school closure or private restructuring due to pressures associated with repeated failure on standardized tests under the 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Warrior Elementary saw tremendous academic gains on these tests one year after a…

Although many students and teachers may believe otherwise, answer changing can be helpful in test taking. This study examined the effects of having a teacher lecture on answer changing as a beneficial test strategy. Participants (N=470) were college students randomly assigned to intervention or nonintervention treatments. In the intervention…

Describes software packages used to help prepare for the Scholastic Aptitude Test, considering features that the packages have in common as well as unique features that each package has. Also lists and ranks the products and their features in a chart (indicating system requirements and current cost). (JN)