Test study tips for ADHD

Test taking is scary especially when you have experiences of your brain completely shutting down on previous tests that you were prepared for.

Tips for studying:

• Start ahead of time. Don’t just study the night before. By starting early information will transfer to your long term memory. The more often the information is reviewed the stronger it will be.
• No cramming for a test. You can’t do it all in one night. If you are reviewing for a test break your studying down into chunks.
• Study the right information. Ask what is going to be covered on the test. Specific vocabulary you may need to know and does spelling count (as a dyslexic I spent loads of time studying spelling for every subject). Try making a list/outline of what you think will be included and then ask your teacher to review it. Are you missing any topics?
• Study in the right place for you with the right tools. If you need background music. Play something that won’t distract you. If you need quite, stay alone. Flashcards work for you? Great- make some. I have one client that teaches information to her stuffed animals and is in high school. This technique allows her to walk away and talk out loud.
• Avoid what distracts you. Turn off your phone or give it someone. Unless there is information on your computer that you need to study, keep it off. If you need to go on it, try using a media blocker to stay off distracting websites.
• People with ADHD have loads of good out-of-the-box ideas. When you are studying, keep a notebook near you so you can write down stray thought that you want to remember but shouldn’t get involved with while studying.

In addition to studying, here are some tips to help your teen do well on tests.

• Visualization – have your teen take a few deep breaths and relax, picture himself sitting down to take the test, answering the questions correctly and getting a good grade on the test. Visualization really does work because the act of visualizing generates an impulse that tells our neurons to do that movement. When you visualize the same act repeatedly it creates pathways.
• Some students have IEPs or 504s that allow them to have extra time. For some this extra time isn’t actually helpful. Instead of being given the same amount of time but with a timer that you can start and stop as you need breaks is more helpful. Some school may still want to limit the whole process to time and a half, which is the time limit most students with IEPs have.
• Ask your teacher what kinds of questions will be on the test. Matching, multiple choice, fill in the blank, essay, short answer, etc. Really, big secret here- talk to your teachers regularly and not just when you need their help. They are people too. Ask them about their day or what they did over the weekend. Get to know them. Building relationships with people goes a long way.  
• Figure out how long you have for each question. 30-minute quiz with 15 questions gives you 2 minutes per question. Use a timer and stay on task.
• Use a planner- digital or paper. The key is to have just one place to capture to-dos and appointments. Schedule your to-dos for a specific time instead of making a to-do list. Stick with your schedule. Reward yourself for doing so with small things like if you finish a paper for class, watch Youtube or go out with friends; if not then finish your paper when you would have had the reward.

Specific tips for different types of tests

• Multiple choice
  • Take your time, read each question twice. Use your finger or underline the words as you read the question
  • Go with your first instinct; it is the right choice 9 times out of 10. Only change your answer if you are positive.
  • Skip the questions you aren’t positive of the answer by marking them with a dash or circling the number. Go ahead and answer the ones you know right off the bat.
  • When the questions you are confident of the answer are finished, go back and answer those you marked as hard.
  • If there is time at the end, go back and review the whole test. Only change an answer if you read the question as having a different meaning.
• Math and other tests with calculations
  • Use a pencil and have scrap paper out
  • Write down all the formulas as soon as you get the test
  • Copy down the questions on the scrap paper to solve. Double check negative numbers, exponents, etc.
  • Use clear, bold writing- this will allow you to see mistakes more easily.
  • Skip the questions you aren’t positive of the answer by marking them with a dash or circling the number. Go ahead and answer the ones you know right off the bat.
  • When the questions you are confident of the answer are finished, go back and answer those you marked as hard.
  • If there is time at the end, go back and review the whole test looking for transposed numbers, missing negatives, adding when you should have multiplied or vice versa, or other mistakes.
• Essay questions
  • Answer the simpler essay questions first. Marking the hard ones with a dash or circling the number.
  • When the questions you are confident of the answer are finished, go back and answer those you marked as hard.
  • Use scrap paper to draw out your answer or map out when you want to say.
  • Use sandwich paragraphs. Topic sentence, three detailing sentences and a conclusion sentence.
  • If there is time at the end, go back and review the whole test for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
  • If you are dyslexic or an auditory learner, ask if you can take the test orally.