How to Pass a Test Without Studying

If you have a test coming up and you still haven’t studied, you’re probably having a hard time figuring out how to pass this time. While the best strategy for success is to study hard before the test, you can still do it without studying. Incorporate techniques like reading the passage carefully, answering the easy questions first, and using specific strategies to deal with multiple choice or true/false questions. It’s also important to get ready before the test by resting, eating well, and relaxing!

Table of Contents

Read and understand the test

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Listen carefully to the teacher’s instructions. Before you start reading the test questions, you need to look ahead (or where the teacher is standing) and listen to the instructions. Pay attention to any test instructions that your teacher emphasizes. Important information is often repeated by the teacher or written on the board. You should also take note of any information that the teacher says is helpful when taking the test. ^{[1] X Research Source}

For example, if your teacher says that you won’t lose points for answering a question incorrectly, you’ll know that you should answer all the questions on the test.
Remember to ask again if you don’t understand anything the teacher is saying. Often teachers will give students a chance to ask questions, but if not, raise your hand! ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Read through the test once before answering any questions. Reading through the entire question paper is a necessary step, as it helps you understand the information on the test, start thinking about how to answer certain questions, and identify questions you don’t know. Read through the passage once and jot down important points as you read. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

For example, if a question is worded in a way that doesn’t make sense, take notes and ask the teacher.

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Determine the amount of time for each question. Depending on the time it takes to complete the test and the number of questions, you may need to plan closely. Don’t think too long when deciding how much time to spend on each question. Let’s make a quick estimate. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

For example, if the test has 50 multiple choice questions and the test time is 75 minutes, then you will have 1.5 minutes for each question.
Remember to spend more time on essay questions. For example, if you have 60 minutes to answer 30 multiple choice questions and 2 essay questions, you should probably spend 1 minute on each multiple choice question and 15 minutes on each essay question.

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Write down anything that you are afraid to forget. Before you start filling in your answers, you may find it helpful to write down all the information you need to answer some of the questions you’re worried about forgetting by the time you get there. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

For example, you can write down math formulas to use, facts to include in your essay, or dates of important events you see in the multiple-choice section.

Answer difficult questions in the test

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Do the easy questions first and skip the rest. Start with the questions you know and skip the others. You can come back to deal with them later. That way, you’ll have the momentum to keep working on the test and feel more confident when dealing with the difficult sections. This also helps you get the maximum score possible, thereby increasing your chances of passing the test this time. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

For example, if you know the answers to some multiple choice questions, answer those questions first and skip the ones you don’t know.
Only go back to the sentences you skipped after you have completed the sentences that you know. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Guess the difficult questions without being deducted points for wrong answers. If you are stuck on a question, you can just guess the answer. However, you need to make sure that no points are deducted for wrong answers; If not, it’s best to leave the answer blank. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

There are tests that assign a minus point for wrong answers. For example, if you answer incorrectly, you will lose points, but if you leave it blank, you will only get 0 points for that question, so leave it blank.

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Circle the keywords in the difficult questions. If you come across a question you don’t know the answer to, you can increase your chances of doing it by circling keywords. Circle all the words that you think are important to see if they help you understand the question and answer it correctly. ^{[9] X Research Source}

For example, if the question was “What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?”, the keywords would be “difference”, “mitosis” and “mitosis”. You will have to focus on these concepts to know how to answer.

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Rewrite difficult questions in your own words. If there is a question that you find difficult to understand, try rephrasing it in your own words. This can help you know what they’re asking and how best to respond. ^{[10] X Research Source}

For example, when faced with a question like “What is the most outstanding achievement of Louis Pasteur that bears his name?”, you could rephrase the question as follows: “What is the important thing that Louis Pasteur did that was later placed on the question?” by your name?”

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Review the answers and add details if time permits. Once you have completed all the questions on the test, you may still have some time left. If so, review the entire test and check your answers. Focus on questions that you are not sure about or that you can only give a rough answer to. Include details and explanations as clearly as possible. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Depending on how much or how little time you have left, you may have to aim for the right amount of time when revising. For example, if there are 10 minutes left before the time is up, you can review the entire work, but if you only have 2 minutes, you will have to choose to review the sentences that you feel uncertain about.

Solve multiple choice questions

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Choose the answer with the most details. If it’s a multiple choice question with multiple answers for you to choose from, choose the longest and most specific one. Such sentences are usually the correct answer. ^{[12] X Research Source}

For example, if a question gives several short and vague answers along with a longer and more detailed one, then it is very likely that the longer sentence is the correct answer.
Sometimes, long and overly detailed answers are intentionally included to trick you into believing they are the correct answer. Use your brains to determine what is the most appropriate answer.

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Find linguistic similarities between questions and answers. The correct answer usually has the same grammatical structure as the question and/or has similar language to the question. Read the question and each answer in the answer sheet to see which one is correct. ^{[13] X Research Source}

For example, if the question uses the past tense and only one answer uses the past tense, it is probably the correct answer.
Similarly, if the question mentions a term that is also mentioned in one of the answers, it is most likely the correct answer.

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Choose the answer in the middle if it is a question about numbers. If you are looking for an answer to a question about numbers, choose the middle number from the given answers. ^{[14] X Research Source}

For example, if the answers given are 1, 3, 12, and 26, then the number 12 is a reasonable judgment, since it lies between the number 1 and the number 26.

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Choose C or B if you have no basis for guessing. If you don’t know the answer, choose C or B for multiple choice questions. C is the most common answer on multiple choice tests, followed by B. Choose C if you don’t know which to choose, and B if you feel that C doesn’t seem right. ^{[15] X Research Source}

For example, if you come across a question where you have absolutely no clue to guess the correct answer, choose option C. However, if you think C doesn’t seem right but don’t know which answer is correct, so choose B.

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Select “All of the above statements are true” if available, but avoid selecting “None of the statements are correct”. The sentence “None of the sentences is correct” is very rarely the correct answer, but the sentence “All of the above statements are correct” is usually the correct answer. This rule can help you narrow down your choices if you are unsure of the answer. ^{[16] X Research Source}

For example, if you are confused between “All of the above statements are true” and another answer, choose “All of the above statements are correct”. If there is “None of the correct answers” in the options, you can rule out this answer and focus on other options.

Choose the best answer from the true/false questions

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Choose false for absolute true/false questions. Absolute sentences are rarely true, so you should choose wrong when you encounter sentences of this type. Absolute sentences can include words such as: ^{[17] X Research source}

Are not
Never
Nobody
Each/every
All
Always
Total
Only

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Choose correct for the less extreme sentences. If a statement is less absolute and makes more sense, it is more likely to be true . Words with less extreme meanings include: ^{[18] X Source of Research}

Rarely
Sometimes
Frequent
Most of
Much
Usually
Some
Little
Generally speaking
Normally

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Choose false if any part of the sentence is false. Regardless of whether the whole sentence is wrong or just a word or phrase wrong, choose wrong if any part is wrong. ^{[19] X Research Source}

For example, if there was a sentence that was mostly correct except for one wrong word, it would be “false”.

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Be careful with words that can change the meaning of the sentence. Some words can change the meaning of a sentence, so you need to be careful with these words and consider their effect on the sentence. A single word can also make a sentence true or false . Some words to pay attention to are: ^{[20] X Research Source}

So
Therefore
Because
Because of that
The result is
Such
Not impossible
Will not
Do not do

Mentally prepare for the test

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Get a good night’s sleep. Staying healthy from getting enough rest will increase your chances of doing well on your test, even if you haven’t reviewed it yet! You’ll think more clearly and make fewer fatigue blunders. Go to bed on time the night before the test day. ^{[21] X Research Source}

For example, if you normally go to bed at 10 o’clock, then you also need to go to bed at 10 o’clock that night.

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Breakfast on the day of the test. It’s not good to let an empty stomach take the test, because it’s hard to concentrate when your stomach is rumbling. Eat a nutritious breakfast on test day to fuel your brain and stay focused. Here are some breakfast suggestions you can choose from: ^{[22] X Research Sources}

A bowl of oats with fresh berries, walnuts and brown sugar
One hard-boiled egg, 2 slices of whole-wheat toast with butter and a banana
Fresh cheese, fruit salad and muffins

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Use a relaxation method to stay calm. Feeling stressed can make you numb or panic during test time, and this will affect your ability to do the test. You can use a relaxation technique to calm down before the test; it will help you do better. Some of the techniques that can be applied include: ^{[23] X Research Sources}

Meditation
Do some yoga poses
Deep breath
Practice dynamic relaxation exercises, stretch – relax muscles

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Visualize that you have passed the test. Positive visualization can help increase your chances of passing, and it can also help alleviate test anxiety. Before entering the exam room, close your eyes and imagine that you are receiving the work that has achieved the required score. Take at least a few minutes to focus on this image. ^{[24] X Research Source}

The more detailed your imaginary image, the better! Focus on the passing score on the test, the teacher’s reaction, and how you feel after receiving the pass.

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Avoid cramming. Ideally, you should study weeks or even months in advance, but things don’t always go as planned. If you were supposed to study but you didn’t, and now you’re facing an important test without any confidence, it’s pointless to cram as much as you can. It is better to just do the test with the knowledge you already know. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

If you don’t do well on the test, focus on studying for the next test!

Advice

Make a study plan to take the test next time. This will help you break down the amount of work over a long period of time and save as much knowledge as possible.
Cover the answers given by the test and try to answer the questions yourself. This will help you narrow down your choices and make sure you don’t get confused with the answers given.
Rely on previous tests in class to see how they are typically formatted and what types of questions are asked by your teacher. If you haven’t taken any of the teacher’s tests, look for samples from the previous school year.

Steps