Do You Know Test Psychology? Take This Assessment And Find Out.    How test savvy are you? How knowledgeable are you about "Test Psychology"? That's the knowledge about tests and your ability to apply it to test taking so you can succeed. It can be learned by reading about it, by lots of trial and error, and by working with a coach. Take this self-assessment of 44 test psychology factors and discover your strengths and weaknesses.    618 words.

Do You Know Test Psychology?

Take This Assessment And Find Out

Bill Cole, MS, MA
Founder and CEO
William B. Cole Consultants
Silicon Valley, California

How test savvy are you? How well do you prepare for a test? Once in the test, how well do you handle the stress? Are you knowledgeable about test construction theory? Do you manage the test proctors? How's your concentration under pressure?

All these factors represent what's called "Test Psychology". That's the knowledge about tests and the ability to apply it to test taking so you can succeed. Smart test takers have a working knowledge of test psychology. It can be learned by reading about it, by lots of trial and error, and by working with a coach.

This self assessment tool will help give you an overview of your abilities in test psychology so you can begin strengthening your weak areas and get on with improving your test taking skills.

You can assess yourself in three areas:

1. The Psychology Of Studying For Tests
2. The Psychology Of Mental Preparation For Test Taking
3. The Psychology Of Test Taking

Make a check mark in the box below if you think you need more help on that item.

The Psychology of Studying for Tests

How are your skills in the classroom and studying?

1. Classroom listening and note-taking skills.
2. Self-study habits skills.
3. Small group study skills.
4. Written self-testing skills.
5. Verbal self-testing skills.
6. Problem solving abilities.
7. Creating study aids and tools.
8. Creativity in study routines.
9. Assessing what the test will cover.
10. Knowing how to rest and pace yourself.
11. Knowing how to create a study system.
12. Ability to focus and concentrate.

The Psychology of Mental Preparation for Test Taking

How are your skills in psyching up for the test?

1. Expecting and visualizing success.
2. Believing you deserve success.
3. Handling stress in your life in general.
4. Building mental toughness to handle the stress of the test.
5. Preparing your mind the day before and day of the test.
6. Psyching up your energy for the test.

The Psychology of Test Taking

How are your skills in the actual test?

1. Having a strategy for taking the test.
2. The tactics of test taking.
3. Management of memory aids, formulas, and important facts.
4. Hearing, reading and managing test directions.
5. Understanding test grading procedures and building a test strategy around them.
6. Educational psychology knowledge.
7. Test construction knowledge
8. Knowledge of statistics and measurement.
9. Interacting with test proctors.
10. Asking for help.
11. Pacing yourself.
12. Handling time issues.
13. Dealing with stress in the test.
14. Problem solving.
15. Maintaining composure.
16. Handling distractions.
17. Maintaining focus and concentration.
18. Using test taking tools and aids.
19. Understanding the questions.
20. Formulating potential answers.
21. Using logic and deduction to devise answers.
22. Handling tricky, truth-testing and misleading questions.
23. The politics of test taking.
24. Leaving questions for later.
25. Speed in answering questions.
26. Checking answers.

When you are test savvy you feel confident about figuring out the test. When you know test psychology you are handling factors before and during the test, and that's more powerful.

Now you know your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to test psychology. I encourage you to become even more knowledgeable about test psychology so you can reduce your stress, enjoy the educational process more and score better on every test! Good luck.

Knowing about educational psychology and being test savvy is certainly an important part of being a good student, but top students who get consistently high grades also have a knowledge base and applied skills in stress control and peak performance. You need to know how to manage your mind, calm your emotions and relax your body so you can get into the “test zone”, that powerful, deeply focused mind-body state that gives you excellent recall, mental alertness and clarity. You need to learn these skills and become mentally tough so you can handle the extreme pressures of academia. Other mental skills training you need are visualization, confidence-building, mental readiness training and motivation skills.

To learn this set of mental toughness, zone, and stress control skills, sign up for our special Test Anxiety Stress Reduction Program or contact me for a complimentary review of your test-taking skills.

Copyright © 2005-2011 Bill Cole, MS, MA. All rights reserved.

Bill Cole, MS, MA, a leading authority on peak performance, mental toughness and coaching, is founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants, a consulting firm that helps organizations and professionals achieve more success in business, life and sports. He is also the Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association (www.mentalgamecoaching.com), an organization dedicated to advancing the research, development, professionalism and growth of mental game coaching worldwide. He is a multiple Hall-Of-Fame honoree as an athlete, coach and school alumnus, an award-winning scholar-athlete, published book author and articles author, and has coached at the highest levels of major-league pro sports, big-time college athletics and corporate America. For a free, extensive article archive, or for questions and comments visit him at www.MentalGameCoach.com.

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