UPDATE!

The math test went well. I was pleased with the amount of studying I did. I’m not sure how they will score the three constructed response questions that are worth 33%. I worry that I should have been more wordy in my answers. But I knew how do all of them, with the exception of one part of one question. This has not been the case in the practice sessions.

I finished all of the 40 multiple choice questions. If a question was confusing to me, I skipped it to go back later and do it. I was not sure I would finish every question and I wanted to do the easier ones I had more chances of getting right first. When I got to the end, there were only eight that I didn’t do the first time around. Of those eight, seven I fiddled with and came up with an answer that seemed like a good guess. The remaining one, I had no idea and I went with “C”.

I thought I developed a particularly good time management strategy. I spent 5 minutes reading over the test at the beginning. That calmed my fears a lot as everything looked familiar. Then I spent 10 minutes on the first constructed response and 15 minutes on multiple choice. I alternated those until I had finished the constructed response. When there were 30 minutes remaining, I took a look at where I was and strategized. I think this back and forth effort helped me not only finish everything, but also not worry that I was going to run out of time before I had even attempted large sections of the test.

The other thing that was nice was that almost every time when I came up with an answer it was one of the choices on the multiple choice. When I was studying I would often puzzle my way through a problem only to find that my answer wasn’t there. It was a bit defeating. This time, even if I figured wrong, I was at least validated by the answer being present.

So overall, I think I did well. I’m not sure it is enough to pass, but even if it isn’t I have now taken the test and know what to expect if I take it again next time.

I came home, and alternately napped and read Dennis Lehane’s new book which is very, very good.

6 thoughts on “UPDATE!”

  1. Sounds great! I was pretty sure it would go that way! How long do they keep you in agony about the score? -S

    PS- check what you did after the test…a minor error there.

  2. Nice work on the test… I cringe at the thought of any kind of test like that. I get the worst test anxiety – it sounds like you rocked it! I just had a flash back to a post card you sent me once that said this (I don’t remember the exact words but I know I still have it somewhere as it was pinned up in my college dorm room) – it said, “Newsflash #534 No one really cares what your GPA was!” That got me through many anxious test taking days. So tell me – how much more “torture” until you hold a math teaching credential in your hand??? My advice on all this newly acquired (ah hem see my post about my biology teaching anxiety) Use It or Lose It my friend!!!

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