Test Tips

Tips to Help You Take the Regents' Test:

Written by Dr. Nancy Barrineau, Pembroke State College, Pembroke, NC.

Make sure that you are rested and alert the day you take the test. Don't worry in advance about the topic or try to study any particular sources; since the topics involve general knowledge or information about you as an individual, you should feel confident that your preparation and practice before the test will allow you to pass, whatever the topic.
The essay test form will offer a choice of two topics. You must carefully choose and write on only one. Read your chosen topic carefully, as it is important that you stay on the topic in your essay.
Wear or bring a watch and remain aware of the time. While you may receive time cues during the test, do not depend on being told anything but when to start and when to stop. Use the entire hour to plan, write and proofread your essay. You may use a dictionary in the last fifteen minutes of the essay hour, but notes or extra paper will not be permitted.
Do not bother with a title; if your approach to the topic needs clarification, make sure that clarification or re-definition is clearly stated in the introductory paragraph.
Write a brief outline, list of possible illustrations, or other pre-writing notes in the space provided on the front of the form. These notes do not have to be formal and should not take up more than a few minutes of your time. Nothing written in the outline box will be graded.
Skip lines (double-space). Leave ample space for corrections. If you find yourself running short of room by the end of the second page, you can safely revert to single-spacing on the third page. Double-spacing will made your own proofreading efforts in the crucial first few paragraphs much more effective.
Use regular blue or black ball-point pens (bring at least two). Avoid erasable ink, which smudges easily. Do not use pencil; pencil-written essays will not be graded.
Avoid second-person pronouns (you). Instead, use nouns, third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they) when appropriate, or first-person (I, me). Remember that indefinite pronouns (someone, each one, everyone) and "generic" nouns (a, person, each student) are grammatically singular and must be followed by singular pronoun references (forms of he, she, or he or she), but avoid he/she.
Avoid trite openings.
Examples:
"Divorce is a great topic of debate today" or "In this fast-paced world in which we live"
Ridiculous generalizations
Example:
"Many will agree, but some will disagree"
Circular or redundant phrasings
Example:
The reason is because..."
Detail is most important on this test. Generalizations alone do not work as well as arguments. The more specific your essay is, the better its chances of passing. Locate your examples in time and space to make them more plausible.

Example:
Use "When I was a senior at Ware County High School in 1995..." rather than "When I was in high school...".
Write a complete formal introduction and a clear, speculative closing. A vague or scanty beginning will definitely lessen the impact of the essay, but a brief concluding sentence tacked on to the end of the last body paragraph will do little harm if time is pressing. Avoid repetition everywhere but particularly at the essay's end. That is, do not use a summary conclusion in which you repeat subpoints you have already listed in your essay when a speculative or anecdotal close is more impressive and just as easy to write.
Proofread carefully for errors that have plagued you before. If you expect to commit errors at a word-sized level (spelling, word-choice, apostrophes), try reading word by word from the back of the paper to the front. If you fear clause-sized errors (fragments, comma splices, subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent disagreements), read the last sentence first, then the next to last, and so on. Whenever you change something in a sentence, review the entire sentence to make sure that it still works as a whole.
Remain aware of the logic of your entire argument. If you use well-known names or historical facts, they must be accurate. Do not invent facts, statistics, or quotations.

Example:
"About two-thirds of college students do not bother to vote".
Reasonably estimated statistics , however, can be helpful. Write a humorous or satirical essay only if you are certain that you can maintain both an effective argument and a witty tone.

REVIEW THESE SUGGESTIONS BEFORE YOU TAKE THE TEST.