Name: _________________________________ Date: ___________ Week: ____ Period: ____ Page 1

Test Taking Strategy Checklist

1. READ THE ITALICS, TITLE, & PICTURES FIRST!
2. CHECK FOR FOOTNOTES SECOND.
3. READ THE QUESTIONS THIRD.
4. LABEL THE QUESTIONS:
LOCATION - L
MAIN IDEA - M
VOCABULARY V
5. UNDERLINE KEYWORDS.
6. ANSWER QUESTIONS BEFORE READING (L & V).
7. READ THE PASSAGE AND LOOK FOR UNDERLINED KEYWORDS.

GET BACK TO ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
Multiple-Choice THEN the Open Response.
Sometimes the multiple-choice questions have clues for the open response.

8. PROCESS OF ELIMINATION.
9. TRICKY WORDS.
10. DEFINE THE TERMS.
11. 4 CHOICES (keywords/abbreviate) NEXT TO THE PASSAGE.
12. WRITE THE NUMBER IN THE MARGIN.
13. HIGHLIGHT THE TOPIC SENTENCE (NON-FICTION ONLY).
14. VOCABULARY BOXING STRATEGY.
15. OPEN RESPONSES
PROVIDE 3 SUPPORT FROM THE PASSAGE
PROVIDE 3 EXPLANATIONS

Name: _________________________________ Date: ___________ Week: ____ Period: ____ Page 2


Open Response Rubric
Score Description
4 The response is a complete, clear, and accurate explanation.
Relevant and specific textual evidence, presented through direct
quotation, paraphrase, or a combination of both methods, is
included in the response.
3 The response is a fairly complete, clear, and accurate explanation.
Relevant but often general textual evidence, presented through
direct quotation, paraphrase, or a combination of both methods, is
included in the response.
2 The response is a partial, possibly unclear, explanation that, in
attempting to explain offers either a mix of accurate and
inaccurate information or simply a piece or two of accurate
information by itself. Some relevant but general and vague textual
evidence, presented through direct quotation or paraphrase, is
included in the response.
1 Exhibiting varying degrees of clarity, the response is a minimal
explanation that, when attempting to describe which consists of
largely inaccurate information, a general statement about the
topic, or a few snippets of detail. Little, if any, relevant textual
evidence (either through direct quotation or paraphrase) is
included in the response.
0 The response is incorrect, irrelevant, or contains insufficient
information to show any understanding of the questions.


GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Answer the Question: ___________________________________________
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Provide an
explanation.

Give support
from the
passage.

This is
the
intro to
the
quote &
your
quote.

This is
where
you
explain
how your
quote
answers
the
question.