Fun Test Prep Strategies

By. Meredith Biesinger 

It’s mid-April, and we all know what that means! It’s just about time to take state or end-of-year exams. Teachers and students have been preparing for this all year; however, the first few weeks of April are typically full of review and retention practices. 

There are millions of test preparation strategies out there. One of the essential strategies for test preparation is to remember to make it FUN!

WHY MAKE TEST PREP FUN?

Students want to have fun, so their motivation is high. When their cause is high, they will work extremely hard on the problems given to them. 

Also, when kids enjoy themselves during the preparation for the test, they will have a better attitude. Students who are exhausted from test preparation will carry that exhaustion into test-taking. 

LEFT, RIGHT, CENTER

This is SO simple! All you need is a test preparation packet or worksheet and a dice. 

The students do the first question on the page, and you go over it. Then, someone rolls the dice. If it says left, they pass their paper to the left and answer number 2 on the following paper. They do the same thing but pass the paper to the right if it says right.

If it says the center, they throw their paper in the center, and you play a short song while they dance (30 seconds is good). Then, they quickly sit at a new seat, grab a paper, and work on the following problem.

PARAGRAPH OF THE DAY CHALLENGE

Using these paragraphs each day is a great way to review for tests with highly engaging topics (you can use any test prep material).

An easy way to add some fun and engagement to these paragraphs is to add a challenge component. Put your students in groups of two or three, and they will face off against another group. Each group works on their own to answer the questions on the assignment. Then, as a class, you go over it. Whoever has the (most) correct answers wins the competition. If it is a tie, you give them a tie-breaker question.

Do this over several weeks, and the groups can keep track of their points to see who wins at the end!

FACE-OFF

This test preparation strategy is so easy. Have the entire class answer a test prep question or sheet. Then, bring two students up to face off against each other to answer the question. The first one to answer it correctly wins. If neither student answers it correctly, someone from the audience can come to steal the win!

GAMES

Play “Dunk It.” Want to get students up and moving!? Dunk It is a fun activity where kids can practice for the test and throw paper balls in the room. Don’t worry; it is organized! 

Use something simple like “Instant Jeopardy Review” and create a review game for your class. With a computer, the review game options are endless! 

HOST A GALLERY WALK

For older students, a gallery walk is a way for students to think critically about the content given and dive deep into a passage using text evidence before having a whole class discussion focusing on each group’s thoughts. It’s also something different and creative that they will enjoy!

No matter what test prep strategies you use, remember to have fun and believe in yourself and your students—you have all worked so hard this year!