Let’s face it. If math is your weakness, you’re going to cringe every time you think about the wastewater operator certification exam. It’s the last thing you want to think about, especially on the weekends. However, it’s important to start thinking about various aspects of the test before you walk into the exam center. In this article, we’re going to focus on test-taking strategies, which require planning ahead of time.
There are times when no matter how hard you study, you can’t perform well on test day. I’ve encountered a lot of operators who experienced the same thing. Why is that? Why don’t we perform well on test day, even though we spent the pass 2 months studying for it? Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with your knowledge or skills. Then what’s going on? What’s the explanation?
Research has shown that you need to do more than just study hard to pass your exam. The other critical element is understanding test-taking strategies. Most people who take tests don’t have one before they enter the test center. Don’t let that be you. Prior to test day, make sure you have a strategy in place so that you know how to take the test.
So what are these strategies? Let go through them, one by one. Do everything you can to execute these strategies on test day.
- Read carefully – Most people are in a rush to complete their exam, and don’t bother to read the test questions carefully. They skim through the question, and miss the important keywords that lead them to the wrong answer. Researchers have concluded that most novice test-takers fail to read the questions carefully, and miss easy questions simply because they didn’t catch the keywords. Whatever you do, make sure to slow down and read each word carefully. It’s a simple concept, but most novice test-takers don’t do it. Just know that you have plenty of time to take the test, and there’s no reason to rush.
- Calm down – For some reason, when people take tests, they have a tendency to panic. They act as though the building is about to collapse. Instead, learn to be at ease, and don’t let the jitters affect you in any way. Constantly tell yourself to calm down, if you sense that your heart is racing. Relax the muscles in your body, and breathe. Studies have shown that people who experience excessive anxiety during the test tend to perform worse than those who are calm. Whatever you do, make a lot of effort to ease any tension within you during the test. It could be a critical factor in your performance on test day.
- Skim through the entire test first – Before you begin the taking the test, flip though the entire exam booklet so that you know what to expect. Don’t waste a lot of time doing this, but spend a moment flipping through the booklet so that you can mentally prepare yourself for all the problems.
- Time management – If you find yourself spending a lot of time on one problem, then move on. It’s not worth it to agonize over a single problem and leave yourself with less time to solve the remaining questions. Before you take the test, figure out how much time you should spend per question, and stick to your time limit no matter what. If you find yourself spending more time than what you allotted, then make an educated guess and move on. You can always go back to it later, if you finish the exam early. By doing this, you give yourself time to answer the easy questions, which may appear later. Time management is so important when taking a test that it could be the difference between pass or fail. A lot of novice test-takers make the mistake of spending too much time on the earlier questions, and make it virtually impossible finish the exam. If this happens to you, then you’ll probably fail the test. Keep in mind that you stand a better chance of passing the exam if you complete all the questions.
- Understand multiple choice strategy – For multiple choice questions, always cross out the choices that you know are definitely wrong. By doing so, you can focus on the remaining choices, and slowly eliminate each one until you’re left with one choice. If you’re struggling between two or three choices, and don’t know which one is correct, then use an educated guess. Whatever you do, don’t leave it blank. If you make an educated guess, you increase your chances of getting it right. On the other hand, if you leave it blank, then you’re definitely going to get it wrong. Keep an eye on your watch. If you’re about to spend more time than what you allotted for each question, then make an educated guess, and move on to the next question.
- Ignore your surroundings – Ignore the people sitting next to you, especially if they’re racing to the next page. Chances are, your neighbors are getting the questions wrong if they’re moving too fast. Just focus on yourself. Block out everyone near you, and pretend that you’re in the room by yourself. Studies have shown that people who are easily distracted perform poorly on exams. One way to prepare for the possible distraction is to study at the library during your test preparation. The library is usually filled with distractions, so it makes a great place to train yourself to focus on the material in front of you. Once you get in the habit on blocking out those who are sitting near you, it will become second-nature to you on exam day.
- Check you work– When you have completed the test, make sure to check your work. Use every minute that they give you to complete this exam, and that includes checking your work. Don’t be in a rush to leave the test center. And don’t schedule anything important after the exam. Otherwise, you’ll be tempted to leave early, and lose focus during the test. Go through each question again, and verify that you answered the questions correctly.