These test review strategies are quick and easy to plan for (assuming I already made the test). I just don’t have time to make Jeopardy. Sorry, not sorry! These strategies are also effective for helping my students learn, and preparing them for tests.
Hopefully these ideas are helpful and can save you some valuable time. Just in time for semester finals! Check out the rest of this blog post to read more about my favorite test review teaching strategies:
- Study Guide
- Gallery Walk
- Cheat Sheet
- Task Cards
- Group Practice Test
- Notebook Scavenger Hunt
- Quizizz and Kahoot!
#1 Study Guide
This is my favorite test review strategy to use with high school students. I just make a copy of the actual test and then delete all of the multiple choice answers. Instead of multiple choice, the questions are open-ended.
Students use their notes and work in their science notebooks to answer the questions. There is room to add extra notes to the study guide as well as the answers.
As a class we go over questions on the study guide. For instance, if I notice a lot of wrong answers on a particular question, questions that students struggled with the most, and ones they have questions on. I tell them, It’s in your best interest to pay attention because the questions in the study guide are similar to the ones you will see on the actual test. Sometimes they are the exact same questions!
I love this strategy because it is really easy to prep. I don’t have to create an extra quiz or activity. It is the best preparation and leg up I can give my students for a test.
If I’m feeling super duper generous, I allow my students to use their completed study guide on the test. The sigh of relief they let out is so satisfying, and I love seeing students check their thinking with their notes and research.
#2 Gallery Walk
For a gallery walk, I tape questions to the cabinets and countertops around the room. Just cut out and use questions from the actual test, and it takes only 10 minutes to prep!
Before we begin, I point out where the questions are and show students how to record the answers on a piece of paper or in their science notebooks. I remind them that if they are jumping around the room in no particular order, they need to check the question number at each station and make sure they write their answers in the correct spot. Otherwise, their answers will be all out of order.
Students write their answers as complete sentences. That way they can look back on it later when they study and know what the question was.
I love a gallery walk because it takes an ordinary worksheet or study guide and turns it into something a little more fun. Just like the study guide, students can answer questions from the actual test!
I play around with different parameters for a gallery walk test review:
- I can use a timer, give students a few minutes at each station, and everyone rotates to the next question at the same time. It’s definitely more work on my part, but this way helps everyone stay on task the best.
- Students can work in pairs. Student pairs can move freely and go to different questions as they become available.
- If I want a quiet test taking environment, I ask students to do the gallery walk individually. This can reveal what students need to work on before the test on a more individual basis.
- Teams of 3 can work well.
- Groups of 4 work great for longer math problems or when they need to show their work. I just create questions for 8 or 9 stations that the groups will rotate through.
#3 Cheat Sheet
With a cheat sheet, students write down anything they want to use on the test. I tell students to write down stuff that is hard for them to remember. They can write formulas, examples, facts, vocabulary, notes, and pictures.
A cheat sheet can be a half-sheet of paper or a 3.5”x5” index card. It can be single or double-sided. I don’t think it matters what the size is. Whatever students are writing down they are more likely to review it, read it, and remember it, making it an effective study strategy.
We play Quizizz or Kahoot at the end of the period, and students use the cheat sheets they created in class to help them with the answers.
A “cheat sheet” or “crib sheet” is one of my all time personal favorite test review strategies. I remember this strategy from when I was a college student taking Chemistry and Physics courses. We could write anything we wanted on a double sided index card. Anything we had written down we could use on the test. I think this strategy reflects the world we live in today. It’s going to be rare in the real world or in a job that you are asked to do something and you can’t use the internet or any outside help at all.
#4 Task Cards
Task cards are a fun way to administer a practice quiz or test. The format is different from a regular worksheet or study guide. The whole class is engaged and answering questions at the same time.
All you need to do is print/cut questions onto individual pieces of paper, or write them on index cards. Pass out all of the task cards with the questions on them so that every student has a question to start.
Students record their answers on an answer sheet. I like to use lined paper for this, and have students write out all the numbers before we begin.
Use a timer, and after 30 seconds to 1 minute, instruct the class to pass their task card to the next person.
A helpful tip is to have a designated path for students to pass their task cards. They should pass to the same person every time. The most important tip is to remind students that not everyone will start on Question #1. The questions will go in numerical order, but depending on where they sit they may start on Question #10, or #30. They need to check periodically and make sure that they record their answer next to the correct number on their answer sheet. Give reminders for students to check for this!
At the end of the activity, students had a chance to answer all of the questions and record their answers on their answer sheet. Then we go over the answers one by one. Students self-check their answers on their answer sheets, and have an opportunity to ask questions about ones they miss.
With Task Cards you can use questions straight from the test! I also found some good task cards on Teachers Pay Teachers that were worth the money. I laminated them and used them for multiple years either as a class activity or to review for tests.
#5 Group Practice Test
Students take the test in a group and they work together to agree on the answers. This is a good way to review and have students collaborate and practice group roles. I think students are well prepared for the test when they have a chance to work through the problems together and talk through things.
I tell students to really pay attention and try hard on the Practice Test because some of the questions are very similar to the actual test. If they all pass the group practice test, they get Bonus Points! Bonus Points are extra motivation for them to all participate and share their thinking within their groups. I can give Bonus Points to someone to boost their test grade if they are really close to earning the next letter grade up.
The Captain reads the question aloud, and the group discusses until they can agree on the answer. The Recorder writes down the group’s final answer. The Timekeeper keeps everyone on task. The Organizer is in charge of getting any supplies needed, coordinating the cleanup, and turning in the test.
While students are working I walk around and help out, ask questions, and answer questions. I notice which concepts students are confusing. After the group test we review some of the harder questions together and students have time to ask their own questions. The next class period, students take the same test or a similar test individually and for a grade.
I like to review for the Lab Safety test at the beginning of the year with this strategy. Check out my blog post, How She Teaches Lab Safety, to read more about that lesson.
#6 Notebook Scavenger Hunt
With a Notebook Scavenger Hunt, students use their science notebooks as a resource to locate information, and/or answer questions. Students cite where the information is in their notebook by recording the Science Notebook Page, or SNP.
I love to see my students refer to their Table of Contents, re-read notes, and review past lessons and learning. Another great feature of this strategy is organization. Notebook checks and unit tests go hand in hand, so it’s a great way to squeeze in some notebook improvement, organization, and make-up work before the unit ends. Students go through their notebooks and if they have blank pages then they know something is missing. If work is incomplete, they need to finish it.
This strategy also works great when I want to give an open note test. The process familiarizes students with the content in their notebooks and where to find information.
I can turn a Study Guide into a Notebook Scavenger Hunt just by adding a space for the SNP. It’s actually super easy to turn lots of assignments into a Notebook Scavenger Hunt, I should use them more often!
#7 Quizizz and Kahoot!
Quizizz and Kahoot aren’t as original as the other test review strategies in this list. But I have to include them because my students just love to play games like these.
Most of my students are familiar with Kahoot, but I prefer Quizizz. What I like about it is students read the questions off of their own devices (instead of the projector screen) and answer the questions at their own pace. They receive feedback on incorrect answers and a summary of their game at the end so they can learn from their mistakes. I can assign a Quizizz in Google Classroom for homework as a test review or extra practice. The data is informative and super easy to assess. In my opinion, Quizizz is a better learning tool and Kahoot is better for fun stuff like Disney trivia.
One way I use Kahoot for test review is for students to create the Kahoots. 10 questions: multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, along with all of the correct and incorrect answer choices. Each question must have a related image. I can create a playlist of the Kahoots my students make and we can play them back to back (no wasted time logging in after every round). Overall some of the questions are lower level than something I would create myself for a test review. But my students are learning when they review their notes and create their own questions. It is fun to play and students enjoy when everyone plays the game they made!
Good Luck on the Test Review!
Before a test, I want to help my students review and hopefully feel more prepared. I want them to really understand the material and what they learned. Over the years I tried different ways of reviewing for tests, and these are my favorite ones that I keep going back to.
Over the course of the year, these strategies become some of the many routines in my classroom. Their predictable nature helps me with classroom management. When there’s so much lesson planning to do, and things to grade, they save me some time and help preserve my sanity!
Let me know any questions you have by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite test review strategies? Check out the blog posts below to read more about me and my classroom.
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