Tips for taking the AIR tests

It’s that time of year again: AIR testing has begun. These dreaded standardized tests can be a lot, but here are some tips on how to do well on them.

There are the obvious tips every teacher tells their students. Read each question fully. Eliminate the choices you know are wrong. Answer each question to the best of your ability. Check over your answers.

Then there are the ones other students tell younger students. Eat before and hydrate; taking a test while hungry or thirsty can be a distraction. Wear comfortable clothes; comfortable doesn’t have to be sweat pants and a baggy sweatshirt, comfortable is what each individual is comfortable while wearing it.

Take it seriously; sometimes tests like these seem as if they do not matter, but they do. Take your time; this can help the long test feel a little shorter. Have mints or mint gum; it is scientifically proven that mint can help cognitive functions.

According to Live Strong, a website that provides health articles, “[People] exposed to peppermint oil experienced enhanced memory and processing speeds. Peppermint also increases alertness while helping maintain a sense of calm.”

Answer the easier questions first and skip ones you truly struggle on; this allows you to answer more questions and when you go back to the questions you skipped, you will not feel as rushed to finish.

Stay calm. Take a breath. It will be over before you know it. Good luck!