Learning how to control your nerves will help you to do better when you test. One way to do this is by practicing relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of seven and exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of eight. Do this 10 times. Keep a positive attitude by telling yourself that you are going to do the best you can on the test. Do not think in negative terms by telling yourself that you won't do well. Get a good night's sleep the night before the test and eat a light, healthy breakfast.
Knowing the different types of tests will prepare you for any of them. There are multiple-choice, true-false, short answer or fill-in-the-blank, matching and essay. Listen carefully to the directions before taking the test, and read all the directions carefully, too. Some tests may ask for synonyms and some for antonyms, for example. Learn how to manage your time during the test. Before starting, look over the entire test and do the easy questions first. If one question looks like it is going to take you too much time, skip it and only go back at the end if you have time left. Read all the choices before picking an answer on a multiple-choice test. Eliminate all the obviously wrong choices with a pencil before making your final selection.
Reading comprehension involves many skills, according to Scholastic.com. Some important skills these tests look for include whether the student can determine the main idea, differentiate between a fact and an idea, understand the author's opinion, compare and contrast, make inferences and predictions, define vocabulary within the context, identify relevant details, understand the characters and identify the setting and the plot.
Read the questions first when you take a reading comprehension test. That way you will have an idea of what to be looking for in your reading. When the test directions instruct you to define a word, read the sentence the word is in and the sentence before and after that sentence as well. This should give you a good idea of what the word means. Look back at what you read when answering the questions rather than depending on your memory.