The importance of testing students is to measure their scholastic skills at every level. Unfortunately there are many factors involved when taking exams. Test results alone do not always give a clear picture of a students’ progress. Many children may become anxious and nervous at just the thought of taking tests. The pressure a child feels over an exam can lead to panic and cause them to receive lower scores.


There are a couple of reasons, which are quite common when it comes to exam anxiety. Sometimes it is simply caused by lack of studying or poor preparation. In other cases it can be caused by negative testing experiences, a poor attitude about school in general, low self confidence or not understanding the material. Sometimes all of these can be a factor for a child.



Positive Promotions has some great educational tools and incentives to teach children good study habits and boost their confidence at exam time. Here are some ideas that you can use to help improve your child’s test taking skills.

• First thing first, get your child excited about Studying. Check out our “Do Your Best on Your Test Prep Pack”; to start your child out with a positive attitude towards studying and test taking.
  
  


• Most important is to know when your child will be having his or her exam this way you can schedule appropriate study time. Several evenings before an exam is best; just one evening of studying is not efficient.




• Young children may lose focus after a certain amount of time so you want to be aware of your child’s concentration level. You do not want to overload your child with information. When dealing with younger children; 20 minutes of studying might be the most they can handle at a time.




• Make sure to ask your child what material they are having the most trouble with, those are the areas you want to focus on.




• Refer to your child’s class notes to get an idea of what material might be on the test. Take a look at words that are in bold or any highlighted material. Pay close attention to any diagrams, charts, or maps.




• Develop a sample test for your child that goes over the information you have studied. This will help make them comfortable with test taking and also see what they are still having trouble with.




• It is also important to go over basic test taking skills check out positive promotions 7 tips for, Multiple Choice, True/False, Essay, Math, and Reading Exams. This will help familiarize your child with various types of tests.

Using strategies to prepare your child for test taking will build confidence and help them overcome their fears about exams. It also doesn’t hurt to go over relaxation techniques, to help them remain calm on the actually exam day!