Understanding Wrong Answers

Understanding Wrong Answers

Watch For Qualifying Words

When taking a test, be word-wise!  Read carefully and watch for the qualifying words. Qualifying words are words that are either very general or very specific that can make a statement true or false.  To remember the list of qualifying words, use the acronym FAUN SANG: Frequently, All, Usually, Never and Sometimes, Always, None, Generally.

These qualifying words usually make a statement FALSE because they are very specific.  When you see these words in an answer choice on the test, that is usually not the right answer.

• Never
• All
• None
• Always

Example: The dog will always bark at strangers.

These qualifying words usually make a statement TRUE because they are more general in nature.  An answer choice with these words in them may be correct.

• Frequently
• Usually
• Sometimes
• Generally

Example: The dog will sometimes bark at strangers.

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Test-Taking Tips

Tips To Do Well on a Test

1. Get a good night's rest.
• Your brain functions better when you are well rested.
• Do not stay up late studying the night before the test
2. Don't leave home without breakfast.
• Your brain also functions better when you've had something to eat
• Not to mention, a growling stomach can be pretty distracting during the test
3. Be prepared.  The best way to take a test is to know the facts.
• Begin studying as soon as the teacher gives you the information
• Do not wait until 2 days before a test to begin studying; you're only storing the information into your short-term memory this way
• Study the information based on your learning style
4. Take a quick look at the whole test before you begin answering questions.
• Decide which questions are easy, medium, and hard
• This will help you decide how much time you will need for each section
5. Read and follow all directions carefully.
6. Read each question completely before answering.
• Do not look at the answer choices--PREDICT  your answers then look for the answer that is closest to your prediction
• Answer questions in the order that you labeled them (easy, medium, then hard)
• It's ok to skip around
7. Work at a steady pace - not too fast or too slow.
• Do not spend a lot of time on any one question
• Try not to watch the clock constantly but do look up to see how much time you have left after several questions
8. If you don't know an answer, skip it.  Go back to it later.
• Before moving on, try to use POE (process of elimination) to eliminate any answer choices that my be incorrect
9. Be neat.  Neatness counts.
10. If you finish early, go back and check your work.
• Checking your work is not just glancing over the test to ensure you answered every question
• Look at each question and answer choice to be sure you selected the answer you meant to put
11. Relax and do as well as you can.
• Stressing will not help you pass the test 

Need test-taking skills or test preparation for the ACT, SAT, CRCT, EOCT, and more?  Contact Accelerated Learning Educational Services to "deliver quality education to your doorstep" through in-home or online test prep. 

Call 855-3-TUTOR-ME or Visit our website

School Violence--Withdraw the Kids or Keep Them In?

Keeping Your Kids Safe  --What are Your Options?

A 14-year-old student was shot in the head at Price Middle School in Atlanta, GA.  Twenty-six people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.  A 5-year-old girl was abducted from Cullens Bryant Elementary School in West Philadelphia  PA.  Teachers are being arrested and charged with sexual assault of their students.  Children are being consistently bullied to the point where they commit suicide.  Laquanda Pittman, mother of a six-grade boy at Price Middle School, said “As a parent, you just think you can send your child to school and you hope they come home OK."  The father of the girl abducted from school said that the family is making arrangements to homeschool the girl because she is still too traumatized to return to school.

What do you do? How do you protect your children?  Are public schools safe for children?  Should you try to homeschool your children, send them to private school, or let them remain where they are?  So many questions and not many answers.

Many parents are torn right now as they consider their options for educating their children.  They continue to compare their public school years to that of today and some stand by their belief that despite the recent challenges public school systems have faced, public schools are great!  Some are completely frightened and terrified of sending their children to school for fear of them being killed or injured, bullied, abducted, assaulted, molested, etc.  Still others are neutral.  These parents are more than likely in schools where academic achievement is high and they feel that they do not have to worry about the safety of their children.

To make the best decisions for your children, you must decide what is important to you.  Figure out your values and ideals about safety, academics, sports, and other extra-curricular activities.  Think about college and career readiness when doing your research.  Additionally, decide about your ideals for the social aspect of education.  Consider the time involved and your availability to help your children.  Lastly, you have to consider funds and funding. Rate the level of importance for each of the decisions mentioned. Research your options and compare them to the rated levels of importance for each deciding factor.  

These are your options:

1. Public School
• Convenient, cost is free, diverse
• educational design is standard with little to no flexibility
• quality of education may be lower than other options
• parental involvement may be low
• limited individual attention
• safety concerns
• peer problems
2. Private School
• higher quality of education
• possibly leads to more future opportunities
• close community
• more individual attention
• less safety concerns
• more parental involvement
• less diversity and limited experiences
• cost range from low to expensive
3. Homeschool
• control what your child learns
• flexible and more freedom
• no safety concerns
• limited social interactions
• may have problems separating school and home
• some costs for materials
• high parental involvement
4. Charter School
• smaller school
• similar education to public school
• cost is free
• more parent involvement
• more individual attention
• may need transportation due to location
• may have less safety concerns
5. Magnet School
• higher quality of education
• considered a public school with specialized areas of study
• considered safer
• cost is free
• more individual attention

Which option(s) are you leaning more towards? Please comment below and share this information with others.

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About the author:

Aquarius Cain is the CEO of Accelerated Learning Educational Services. She is a full-time tutor with more than ten years of combined teaching and tutoring experience.  As an educator, Mrs. Cain is a lover of learning and any opportunity she gets to spread knowledge through training the mind, she does, in her own unique way!

Connect with Aquarius Cain on LinkedIn

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About Accelerated Learning Educational Services (ALES):

ALES is a tutoring company that provides comprehensive tutoring services. Students in grades K-12, college students, and adult learners can get quality tutoring through an online course, live virtual one-on-one tutoring, or in-home tutoring.  For more information on the world-class services and service areas provided by ALES, visit the website: www.acceleratedlearningservices.com. 

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