OMG I'm taking the CST (California State Testing) starting today!  The thing I do the most is take notes and show all your work.  If you need to write an essay, you should do an outline of it first.  Then I usually do a rough draft before I edit to create a final draft.  If you want, you can skip the rough draft, though.

Thanks Lucy! I will!

I have to take FSA (Florida Standardized test) today. I hate these things; we just sit there in the computer lab answering questions that could really have more than one answer if you think about it (language arts), and then we all finish at different times. Some of us are pressed for time, and some of us finish way before the halfway break. Then you can't leave or anything, or do anything but sit there. You can try to fall asleep, but if you start snoring, you get in trouble. I persononally think the math EOC is the worst though, because the answers aren't multiple choice and you don't get more time.

We had to take ITBS, and it was awful. It was extremely easy on certain parts, making it horribly boring, and there were other parts which were terribly hard and made me feel stupid because I didn't get done before my eight-year-old brother. I would suggest not getting worked up over it. Take deep breaths before it, and remember, if you don't know a question, it's okay. In my test, we were allowed to skip questions we couldn't answer. My dad said that it's also helpful to use process of elimination on some questions, and if it takes a while to answer a question, and you're on a timer, you can skip the question and come back to it if you have time. That way you don't use all your time on one question. I'll be praying for you! Hope this helps! :D

Since I'm homeschooled I hardly ever have to take standardized tests. When I do, I take some called the Iowas, which is a little strange because I live nowhere near Iowa. I actually just took them recently. They're boring and pretty easy, except for the computation section (no calculators!)

Good luck on your test!!  

Iowa tests are just made in Iowa, I think. New Yorkers take or took them, too.

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I had to take math MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assesment System) (I had to look up what that stood for) today. It actually went much better than I was expecting, because for the past 2 years we had to take PARCC (Which was absolute TORTURE!!!) and the math tests were extremely hard. Other people said they were easy, but everyone had some different questions. I have to take the math MCAS again tomorrow, and I might have to do another ELA one too because I was sick for almost the entire week when we took them, and I've only made up one of them. I took MCAS in 3rd and 4th grade, then my town switched to PARCC for two years, but now we've swiched back to MCAS and I'm very happy because I find MCAS a LOT easier than PARCC. I wish it was still on paper though. It got switched to a computerized test like PARCC, but I prefer paper tests. Wow that got long. Sorry for ranting.

Today was my first day of English MCAS, session one. It was on the computer, which wasn't great, but it was so, so much better than PARCC. I feel like I did pretty good, and the creative writing was fun. One of my stories was actually from Oddessey, which was cool.

I know it's too late, but I'm going to give you advice anyways. When I took the the PARCC LA, after I read every article I summarized it on my scratch paper so I could use it for my essay and answer questions easily I suggest doing that.

Oh, I forgot about this while I was talking about the FSA. The standardised test for Florida used to be called the FCAT, and although I forgot what it stands for, I remember what everyone used to say it stands for Floridian Children Are Tortured. I don't really like either tests, I don't know why they changed it (the FSA isn't really an improvement). You can tell they try to put relatable passages into the exam, but they definetaly fail. Usually, they just end up insulting teenagers. 

Because I did really well on one of my FCATs or FSAs, or whichever one it was when they decided to do this, a small group of people including me got a chance to take the SATs in 7th grade. I decided not to do it, but the people who did had a lot of complaints on it. 

Captcha said anuh. 

*Glares at the standardized testing* Testing. Is. The. Bane. Of. My. Existence.

Seriously.

Well, I don't know all the fancy names they give testing nowadays, but my advice is don't worry about it! All they are doing is comparing you to all the others nationally to make sure you are up to par, and we all know you are extremely smart. Even if you were only mediocre - which you aren't - you would have no issues. Just think of it as the final unit exams your teacher might give you. Nothing special, just making sure you know at least a bit of what you learned.

Now that I took the PSAT (it's to prep for college) I don't have to take standardized tests for this year, which is awesome. But I know the dreading feeling, just don't worry about it. Good luck and get plenty of sleep! 

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