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1. Put your answers in the right “bubbles.” It seems obvious, but if you are taking the paper-and-pencil version of a multiple-choice test, you should make sure you are “bubbling in” the answer to the right question on your answer sheet. Check the question number each time you fill in an answer. Use a Number 2 lead pencil, and be sure that each mark is heavy and dark and completely fills the answer space. If you change an answer, be sure the previous mark is erased completely. For the PPST computer-based version, be sure that the circle next to your chosen answer is dark after you have clicked on it.
2. Be prepared for questions that use the words LEAST, EXCEPT, or NOT. Some questions may ask you to select that choice that doesn’t fit or that contains information that is not true. Questions in this format use the words Least, Except, or NOT. The words are capitalized when they appear in test questions. This alerts you to the fact that you are looking for the single answer choice. Here is an example of a question in this format that might be on the math part of the PPST.
Some values of x are less than 100.
Which of the following is NOT consistent with the sentence above?
A. 5 is not a value of x.
B. 95 is a value of x.
C. Some values of x are greater than 100.
D. All values of x are less than 100.
E. No numbers less than 100 are values of x.
In the question above, four of the five sentences are consistent with the boxes sentence, and one is NOT. The sentence that is NOT consistent is the correct answer choice - in this case, (E). If no numbers less than 100 are values of x, as stated in (E), there will not be at least one value of x less than 100, as stated in the boxed sentence.
When you encounter a, NOT, LEAST, or EXCEPT question, it is a good idea to reread the question after you select your answer to make sure that you have answered the question correctly.
3. Skip the question you find to be extremely difficult. There are bound to be some questions that you think are hard. Rather than trying to answer these on your first pass through the test, leave them blank and mark them in your test booklet so that you can come back to them. (If you are taking the PPST on a computer you can click the “Mark” button to mark a question and then use the “Review” listing to see which questions you have marked and/ or left unanswered.) Pay attention to the time as you answer the rest of the questions on the test. Try to finish with 10 or 15 minutes remaining so that you can go back over the questions you that left blank. Even if you don’t know the answers that second time around, see whether you can narrow down the possible answers, and then guess.
4. Keep track of the time. For paper-and-pencil tests, wear a watch, just in case the clock in the test room is difficult for you to see. (For the computer version of the PPST, there is a clock on the screen.) Remember that, on average, you have a little more than 1.5 minutes to answer each of the questions. One and one-half minutes may not seem like much time, but you will be able to answer many questions in only a few seconds each. You will probably have plenty of time to answer all the questions, but if you find yourself becoming bogged down in one section, move on and come back to that section later.
5. Read all the possible answers before selecting one. Then reread the question to be sure the answer you have selected really answers the question being asked.
6. Check your answers. If you have extra time left over at the end of the test, look over at the end of the test, look over each question. Make sure that you have filled in the “bubble” on the answer sheet as you intended. Many test-takers make careless mistakes that could have been corrected if they had checked their answers.
7. Don’t worry about your score as you take the test. No one expects you to get all the questions correct. This is not like the SAT or other similar tests, where a higher score means a better chance for success. On this test your score does not matter as long as you pass. If you meet the minimum passing scores for your state or district, you will have fulfilled the requirement.
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