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As a teacher, I believe that testing is only one way to evaluate knowledge; labs, activities, daily work, participation, etc all factor into a student’s overall course grade.  Yet testing cannot be cast off as a relic of an antiquated educational system; it is becoming increasingly important in our schools and often serves as an entry ticket into our workforce as well.

 Our district (through MAPS and course DWSBA assessments), and state (WKCE) and federal governments (through NCLB legislation) all use test results to evaluate schools and students.  Colleges use results from ACT, SAT, AP, and placement test scores for admission and status in their ranks.  Graduate schools also require standardized testing for admission and completion of degrees (law, medicine, business, education, etc).  Testing is also the primary vehicle to grant licenses for realtors, electricians, architects, plumbers, truck drivers, and many more professions. Even the Military requires a standardized test! 

Given this reliance on testing, it is important to test well.  Most often, students who don’t test well are not well prepared.   Here are some quick tips to prepare you for testing in and out of class:

1. Are you present in class every day?  Chemistry is tough for students who are present in class – imagine how much that is amplified when you are absent.  If you truly need to be absent, are you on top of what you missed?
2. When you are in class, are you really there?  Often I see many kids physically present but mentally absent.  Working on other homework, writing notes, playing calculator games or sleeping all indicate that students are mentally skipping class.  Take notes, pay attention, and actively participate every day to engage yourself in the learning.  This also means that you use your time wisely from bell to bell.
3. Do you complete your assignments on time, every time?  Of course, assignments (from questions to labs) are preparation for upcoming tests.  If you cannot figure out how to do the assigned work, then you have a slim chance of doing well on tests/quizzes.  Of course, this means NOT copying from other people.
4. If you are struggling with the material, did you seek extra help?  Come in for extra help as needed – I am often available in the morning before school.  There are a few other chemistry teachers that are available for help as well.
5. Do you accomplish assigned readings when assigned?  These readings serve to supplement the class work and are excellent for review of content covered in the class.  If your book never travels home, then you may struggle on testing.
6. Do you actively review for the test?  This includes knowing when the test/quizzes are, and preparing for them ahead of time (not just skimming your notes the day of or before). You may want to review notes from the text, class resources such as notes, labs, etc. This may also mean quizzing yourself, looking up extra resources, etc.  One way to prepare for a chemistry test is by practice – not memorization. 
7. Are you physically prepared for the test?  This seems like a no-brainer, but did you get enough sleep, are you eating properly, etc.

Before you quickly judge a class or test as too hard – ask yourself if you follow all of these guidelines.  Remember that an “A” represents excellent work, and should require a bit of metaphoric blood, sweat and tears – remember that Mendeleev worked so hard that he was spitting blood.  Now THAT’S dedication!