The end of December is here. After four months of quizlets, practice tests and common assessments it is finally time. Students’ diplomas are riding on this one two-hour state test.

Students file into classrooms with rows upon rows of desks to hear five words “You may start. Good luck!” 

In 2002 the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) made state testing mandatory. NCLB aimed to improve education by holding schools accountable for student performance. Since then students across Mississippi have partaken in annual standardized tests. 

Throughout the years students have adapted fun strategies to better prepare for their annual tests that take place in December or May.  

A study by Stanford scholars, Patricia Chen, Omar Chavez, Desmond C. Ong and Brenda Gunderson, titled ‘Effective Test Prep Strategies’ showed that testing strategies improved test scores by one-third of a letter grade.

Chole Shaw, an 11th-grade student, uses a mix of strategies to prepare for her tests

“When I’m studying for tests, I might use Blookets my teacher, Miss Blanton assigns. Or I’ll make my own Quizlet with different vocab words for our unit test, which helps me prepare for them,” Shaw said. 

Teachers strive to help their students do well on their state tests and others by preparing them as soon as they walk in the doors. They work on applying the content outside the classroom.

“At the end, [we] go back and review all the things we’ve done throughout the year and show them how to tie things together. I think that helps them make connections, which makes their test scores better,” biology teacher, Torri Clay, said. 

According to a study performed by UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools over 40% to 60% of students suffer from heightened test anxiety.  Test anxiety can greatly hinder performance.

Shaw has found a way to deal with the stress amid the testing season by applying what she knows to ensure she gets the best score possible. 

“I do try [to] calm down because it’s based on the vocabulary as well,” Shaw said. 

Teachers understand the anxiety that can come from standardized testing. To combat this, they try to calm their student’s nerves before the test by teaching them more strategies. They push the students to use what they have learned and apply it to the questions on the test. 

“I think the biggest test-taking strategy is to not worry about the test and worry about your knowledge. Let your knowledge guide you in how to take the test,” Clay said.