How to study for a math test- Mathematics is naturally a tough subject for most people, but in the general sense, mathematics is interesting and quite simple. Secondary school students or new high school students are the ones that find the course a little difficult, but as they progress, mathematics becomes just a piece of cake.
If you have only a few hours to your math test and you really want to ace it so bad, there are tips that can help you study faster or better still, help you to pass a math test without studying. These tips cannot give you an A+, but will help you keep your head above waters using few hours of study.
You may have heard this before but mathematics is what you do every day. The ones in your tests are different of course, but breaking them own, everything comes down to the same systems. The first step to understanding how to study for a math test is to evaluate your ability. This is for those who have the time though, as it will be a complete waste of time to try any other thing apart from studying when you have only three hours.
Most math tests are usually in segments, so it is very important that you understand how the examination questions are set or how the lecturer sets the test questions. This article will help with tips on how to study for a math test, how to study for a math test in one day, how to get a 100 on a math test, and many others.
How to Study for a Math Test
- Evaluate your ability
- Write out the topics
- Select the topics that carry the best marks
- Study the examining methods of the lecturer/teacher
- Create a study plan/timetable
- Join study groups
- Study past questions
- Test your knowledge using online tests
- Sleep and eat well before the test
Evaluate your ability
This may not be necessary for some people, but if you want to study for a math test, you need to know how much of the topics you know already. This is for students who do not have a lot of time to waste. If you have time on your side, you must study every part of the course especially if you are not very good at math (Start by attempting past questions of the math test from previous years to check if you can make sense of the questions).
After attempting the questions, grade yourself and select the topics that you are most weak in. This is the first step you should take when trying to study for a math test.
Write out the topics and Select the Topics that carry the highest marks
Write out all the topics of the mathematics course in their order and single out the difficult ones. There are some questions that are always set every year and they carry highest marks. Check what topics the questions are from; you should study those topics first for the math test.
You need to have a guarantee that you are above sea in a math test before you aim for scoring very high. Instead of studying all topics one by one from the beginning, you can select the most difficult or the ones that carry questions with the highest marks and start studying them. After you are done with them, move on to study other parts of the course.
Study the examining methods of the lecturer/teacher
This is especially for those who do not have time on their sleeves. You must understand how the lecturer sets questions if you are going to make a high score. Some lecturers may take a majority of the test questions from two topics only.
Some may spread all the questions across all topics, and some kind lecturers will give you a list of topics to concentrate on. You also must understand what the terminologies lecturers use mean. “List and explain” may mean creating a list and then writing the items as subtopics, explaining them. “Evaluate” most likely means to solve till you cannot go anymore.
What are the terms your lecturer uses? A good way to know this is checking your assignments/home work. The pattern of the questions will give you a hint on how the lecturer will examine you. After this, you have done enough of pre-study work, so you should proceed to actually studying.
Create a study plan/timetable
Creating a study plan is also an important step when trying to get a 100 on a math test. No matter what course you are trying to ace, a good plan is very important.
What will you do first and after that? After creating your study plan, a timetable is necessary. You must follow the timetable. If you must study, a cup of coffee at night before you start studying is a great idea. It will help to keep you awake and alive.
Use bright lights so that you do not start feeling sleepy. If you are unable to study at night, try putting in heavy hours during the day. Whichever way you choose to do it, a good rest is necessary for your mind to be sharp on the day of your math test.
Join study groups
An interesting fact about studying for a math test is that you can pass the test without having to read so much of your books. By joining active study groups and brainstorming groups, you can participate in the question and answer sessions or not.
Whether you answer the questions or not, you can learn from the answers of others and the solutions they provide to the questions.
This is brainstorming groups are important. I once had only one night to study for a math test, and instead of reading my bulky notes, I checked all messages from the brainstorming groups I joined and studied the questions and answers. I passed that exam easily.
Study past questions
For some colleges and schools, studying three hundred past questions can get you a C or B grade, and if you do this alongside reading your notes, it is likely that you would score a very high mark in your math test.
While studying past questions for your math test, focus on mastering them and not the volume of questions you are answering. After reading your notebooks, do the past questions in sets of 50.
Answering fifty past questions on the math test will also help you determine your level of preparation. For the first set, you can check your notes and textbooks and try to solve them but do not check the answers until you complete the fifty questions.
After that, do not check your notes; try to answer all the questions yourself. It does not matter if you score low at first. After a few trials, you should be able to score well above average. Always check the correct answers and solutions after you complete the past questions. This is a very beneficial procedure when trying to study for a math test.
Test your knowledge using online tests
Random online tests are a great way to check if you are good at the math topics. To study for a math test, you need to actually study, revise, join brainstorming groups and grade yourself.
If you have tests on quadratic equations, simply type “online tests on quadratic equations” on any search engine. Check any of the responsive websites and try the tests. Do this on different websites and if you are able to answer most of the questions, you are good to go for your math test.
Sleep and eat well before the test
This is the last thing you must make sure of before the math test. It is good to spend hours solving and trying to study for a math test, but a good night’s rest before the day of the exam is important. You must understand that your state of mind is very important, so you must be agile before the math test.
If you are unable to rest, take energy drinks or coffee on the morning of the exam. This is not very healthy as it may have bad effects after the test, but it is important that your mind is in the best state before the test and throughout.
If the latter happens, you must eat, sleep and rest well after the test to regain your energy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answered questions and answers on how to study for a math test:
Here is how to prepare for a math test in one day:
Understand that you have no time. If you have only one day to study for a math test, you will need lots of coffee to keep you active through the night. Follow these steps to help you study for a math test in one day:
- Do not panic
- Check through examples and assignments you were given.
- Solve one difficult problem under each topic
- Check youtube for difficult topics (Indian teachers on Youtube will explain it better)
- Revise
- Study past questions
There is not a specific amount of hours you should study for a math test. If you wish to score very high marks, you need to put in as much hours as you can. Studying a few hours can get you a pass too, depending on the prior knowledge you have.
To get a 100 on a math test, you have to study really hard. You may have to study generally, using materials that were not gotten from your lecturer. These steps can help you get a 100 on a math test:
- Study the examining methods of the lecturer/teacher
- Create a study plan/timetable
- Join study groups
- Study past questions
- Test your knowledge using online tests
- Sleep and eat well before the test
Conclusion
To study for a math test, students usually go to various lengths and sometimes even do the wrong things. Mathematics requires speed and accuracy, and studying confusedly will not get you anywhere. This article helps students who need to study for a math test by giving important tips that will go a long way, even if there is only a few days to your test.
References
Wikipedia.com
Wikihow.com
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