Starting in third grade, students take multiple choice achievement tests in reading and math. The Oregon Department of Education mandates and prepares these tests in grades three and five. In grade four, students take district-developed tests.

Students take these tests in the spring of each year. The questions on these tests are a review of the work that students have been doing all year. To show how much students really know, it is important that students try their best. We encourage parents and children to read and talk about the test taking suggestions listed below.

Getting Ready…

• Get plenty of sleep the night before the test.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. This will give your brain the energy it needs to do your very best.
• Come to school on time and with the tools that you need. Do you need your glasses or medication?
• Have a positive attitude. Remind yourself that you’ve studied hard and that you are ready.

Knowing What To Do…

• Read all of the directions. If you don’t understand what you are supposed to do, ask your teacher to listen to you re-read the directions.
• Read the questions carefully and all of the possible answer choices. Remember that you are looking for the best answer choice.
• Try to eliminate some of the answer choices. Which are the ones that just do not make sense? Then choose your answer from the remaining choices.
• Be sure that the answer "bubble" that you mark has the same number as the test question.

The Test…

• Use your scratch paper! You will be working on your own during the test and it helps to figure things out on paper.
• The test questions are not in any order. Some will be hard and some will be easy. Even if they seem hard keep going.
• The answers are not in a pattern. Do not try to mark a certain number of A’s, B’s, C’s, D’s, or E’s, or feel that one answer choice would not be correct if you used it on the question before.
• Try to find the best answer for each question. Even if you’re not sure, mark the one that you think would be best.