How to Avoid Careless Errors on a Test

How to Stop Making Stupid Mistakes on Exams

Are you tired of wondering what your math score might have been if you hadn't made preventable mistakes on problems you were sure you got right? Please consider the recommendations in this article, including specific ways to.

Top scorers know that to maximize your score, you need to get the easier questions right. If you know you sometimes fall victim to carelessness, it is a good idea to force yourself to take a little extra time on the questions you know how to do. The wrong choices on the SAT Math Test often represent common mistakes — the kind of mistakes that are frequently made by students who are rushing or trying to cut corners.

That's one of the reasons those wrong choices look so right, and why they can be so easy to choose by mistake.

Your best defense is to stop rushing and stop cutting corners. Get out of your head - do your work on paper.

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Write down every step of algebra problems. Draw your own pictures if it helps. There are two big drawbacks of using mental math on the SAT:. This wastes valuable time.

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So, if you make a mistake, you are still likely to see the answer you came up with — and it's wrong. These are the classic questions that you thought you got right If you write your work down, you drastically reduce the possibility that you will make a careless error. Circle key words in the question.

Sometimes students assume they know what the question is asking, and accidentally answer the wrong question. Circling key words can help with this. If the radius of a circle is tripled, what is the effect on the circle's circumference? A It is increased by 3.

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Sometimes a question will ask for something that is a bit unexpected Or better, find a good library or bookshop and choose between two or three, to find a good match to your learning style. Check stuff for sense. Let's say I ask you to find the inverse of the matrix [1,4;2,3]. Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions.

B it is increased by 9. The good news, then, is that we can address the problem proactively. You cannot lean on your brain to store and process all of the information perfectly and simultaneously. When you write things down, abstract thoughts become concrete realities; this makes words and numbers much easier to process.

What is cognitive load theory?

When you encounter a problem with formulaic answers——that is, answers that must fit a formula or standard format——write down the proper form first, and then find the choice that matches it. This might seem unlikely, but trust me: Physically cross out choices that are out of consideration. Imagine the following conversation between a tutor T and his or her student S while reviewing practice exam results.

Are careless errors preventing you from achieving your potential on the Math Test?

I have this very conversation with at least one student per week. Compare the current line of your calculations to the previous line.

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When manipulating an equation or performing a calculation under time pressure, students can make all sorts of small but significant careless errors. To solve for 2 x , the student added 3 to the right side of the equation instead of subtracting 3.

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Of course, the incorrect answer that arose from this process is right there in the choices.