Study Skills

The number one strategy to help lessen test anxiety and get good test grades is simple: study. There are many factors when taking a test that you cannot control. You don't have control over the material you will be tested on, you cannot control the format of the test or the types of questions that will be asked. All of that is going to be decided by your instructor. The only factor in this endeavor that you can control is yourself. You can control how well you prepare for your test. You can plan so that you aren't cramming too much information at the last minute and you can control how much rest you get and whether or not you show up to take your test on an empty stomach. Considering all of this is the first thing you should be thinking about when you know you have tests coming up. Be sure you know which chapters or lectures your test is going to cover and then make a plan for how you're going to study. Often, instructors will tell you in advance whether the test will be multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank, matching, or another question format. Based on that you can develop and employ your study strategy. Here are a collection of resources with tips and tricks from experts that you can try out to see if they work for you. If one of them doesn't mesh well with how you work best, try something else. But the most important part of test taking is to be prepared. 

14 Tips for Test Taking Success - Harvard Summer School