How To Access Your Placement Tests In Blackboard
To access your Math and Writing Placement tests, log into Blackboard via your myIIT Portal.
1. Enter your login information using your UID and Password. Then navigate to the menu icon on the top right hand side of your screen and click on “Blackboard.”
2. You can find your assigned assessments in the “Organizations” section of Blackboard.
Illinois Tech uses the ALEKS PPL Mathematics Placement Exam to assess a students prerequisite knowledge for course placement. Backed by decades of research, ALEKS Placement, Preparation, and Learning is the premier adaptive learning and assessment platform used by millions of students around the world.
Most majors at Illinois Tech suggest that students take MATH 151 in their first semester of study. The ALEKS PPL Math Placement determines whether students can take MATH 151 right away or whether they need to take MATH 148 before taking MATH 151. Students that place directly into MATH 151 graduate faster and achieve higher overall grade-point averages.
Multiple Choice Test Taking Strategies
- Budget your time
- Read the question carefully to determine the precise requirement
- Determine the correct answer before reading the answer choices
- Read the answer choices carefully
- Select the best answer
- After you have attempted to answer all questions, go back and answer the questions that have question marks beside them
Dr. Deans Multiple Choice Test Taking Strategies
Here is Dr. Deans multiple-choice question answering technique for how to pass a multiple choice test.
Embrace Different Learning Styles To Get Unstuck
How, why and when we learn something has a large impact on our ability to understand new material. Sometimes just seeing the steps laid out for a problem will turn the light bulb on in our heads, whereas other times its a phrase or action that will create the a-ha moment.
Dont allow yourself to be stereotyped into only one type of learning style:
- Visual
- Verbal
- Kinesthetic
But embrace all dynamics of learning because each situation and topic will bring with it a new challenge therefore, your learning must sometimes adapt and change for each situation.
For example, when it comes to studying for a math test, most people are visual learners and need to see the steps and process written out in detail, however, this sometimes isnt enough to gain comprehension. Listening to an explanation, working through a problem yourself, and even explaining a new concept in your own words are all fabulous learning tools that should be employed for deeper understanding.
Moreover, there are times when you need to supplement your learning by utilizing multiple resources. Using and comparing various textbooks, especially older textbooks, may give you the extra nugget of understanding that you were missing from a class lecture. Many newer textbooks focus more on technology, whereas the older textbooks are found to be more robust in their explanations and provide many wonderful examples.
Sharing Notes To Gain A Difference Perspective
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Know What Math Youll Be Tested On
the types of math classes youve takenwhats important is that you know what youll be tested on so you can study the right topics.
- Basic Algebra
Watch Your Stress Level
Stress affects your body and your thinking processesnegatively. Pay attention to how you are feeling, and if you findyourself getting stressed, do something about it. Different techniquesare right for different students. You should use whatever techniqueworks for you, but here are some suggestions:
- Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and let it out slowly.Repeat.
- One at a time, deliberately tense each muscle group and thenrelease it.
- Drink some water.
- Visualize a favorite place, mentally run through a favorite tune,etc.
- Stretch. Change your posture.
If you frequently get extremely stressed during tests, you may wantto visit the counseling center for some customized suggestions onhandling the stress. If thats not an option, there are manyresources on the Web. Heres a sampling:
- Managing Test Anxiety: Ideas for Students, by Jim Wright, has a lot of practical suggestions.
- Test Anxiety and How to Control It.Dont put too much stock in the true-false test everybody can say yes to one or more of those. But thesuggestionsare good, and I like the exercise that follows.
- Reducing Test Anxietyfrom ETS aims at anxiety about standardized tests startat page 5.
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Top Reasons Students Lose Points On Math Tests
Simple awareness of these factors can have a positive impact on your grade! But, as you might guess, there is more you can do
What Are Forms Of Valid Photo Id
A valid photo ID is required for all exams taken at Indian River State College. Acceptable forms of identification include:
- Current driver license with photo
- Current Federal, State, County or Municipality issued ID with photo
- Current Alien Registration Card with photo
- Current Passport with recent photo
- S. Passport Card
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Read The Hardest Questions First
Over the course of an exam, our concentration and ability to focus on tough problems diminish. With that in mind, there is much to be said for using your reading time to mentally strategise answers to the papers most difficult, mark heavy questions .
Best case scenario, you formulate a method to answer a question and smash it out as soon as writing time begins. Even if the path to the answer isnt immediately obvious, familiarising yourself with the more difficult questions means youll have a headstart when you eventually get around to answering them.
Make A Study Sheet You Can Be Proud Of
When studying for a math test, you need to really engage with the material reading over your textbook or lecture notes is not enough. One of the best ways to engage your brain and summarize the chapter and its key-elements is to create a study guide.
A study guide should be a combination of both textbook reading and lecture notes. Whenever something appears in both your textbook and your notes, then its important and will more than likely be on your exam and should be included in your study sheet.
Making A Great Study Sheet
Some students prefer outline form, whereas others will work examples or create their own quizzes, and still others will color-code their study sheets by highlighting necessary formulas or theorems.
Your study sheet will be unique and work best for you. Dont try to copy someone elses work make something that works great for you.
And no matter what style you prefer, your study sheet should be a summary of the important components of the chapter.
Creating your own study guide is a fantastic way to engaging with the material, summarize important concepts, and consolidate formulas and theorems for a quick review.
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Interesting Ways To Teach Others Even If Youre Shy
Research has repeatedly shown that when students spend time teaching others, they outperform and have better retention than those who merely re-study. But the key is not so much that youre teaching someone, because you can quite easily teach your stuffed animal or pet, its the act of using active recall.
The act of trying to recall information without looking at it directly is called retrieval practice.
In fact, its very similar to using flashcards, but it isnt limited to just vocabulary or formulas. Try reciting your notes, listing the complete steps for solving an equation, or if you dont feel like talking out loud, pull out a blank piece of paper and set a timer and have a brain dump by listing everything you know about a particular topic.
Additionally, this act of retrieving can also be applied to your math textbook. Try reading the chapter and then try to recall what you read. Youll find that this simple act of teaching by active retrieval makes an enormous impact on your long-term achievement. And the process of vocalizing the material forces you to ensure the proper technique. Moreover, you will find that when you start saying things out loud you being to capture the emotion of the text that you simply cant achieve when reading or reviewing material silently.
Active Recall Teaching Stuffed Animals
And the greatest thing about this study tip is that you can teach anytime, anywhere.
Not Preparing For Math Tests And Exams
If you want to score high on math tests and exams, then you need to prepare for them beforehand. You cant just sit down and take an advanced level math test without studying and practicing extensively otherwise, you wont be able to get good scores. Try to solve different types of questions by reading thick textbooks and notebooks. This is the best way to prepare for any kind of math test or exam in order to get good grades throughout the year.
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Who Needs To Take The Pert
Florida Statutes require degree-seeking students to undergo placement testing to ensure that they are guided into academic classes most appropriate to their skill levels. Acceptable placement tests are the P.E.R.T. , SAT and ACT. Specific math, reading and English scores used for placement purposes can be found below in the P.E.R.T. Course Placement section.
Timed Tests And The Fundamentals
Despite all the back-and-forth, almost all teachers acknowledged the need to drive students toward deeper learning. You dont build safe bridges or send rockets into space with multiplication tables alone. But many teachers also felt that timed tests are an important step on the road to mathematical fluency, improving speed and laying a foundation for complex problem solving. Timed tests dont undermine mastery, these teachers arguedthey support it.
When students get to more complex math problems, they get bogged down by having to actually think to calculate basic math facts, said Beth Kappauff, summarizing a position taken by dozens of educators in the discussion. A kid who has to consider the answer to 3 × 4 will struggle in algebra and beyond. They need math facts to free up time and attention for deep thinking about harder concepts.
The upshot is that kids may not like timed math tests, and some adults may carry scars from thembut building speed and fluency matters. To many teachers, not preparing students for that eventuality of timed testing felt too much like setting the kids up for failure.
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Highlighting& underlining Should Be Used Sparingly
Dont rely on highlighting. While highlighting is a great and effective study tool, it shouldnt be your first choice as its far too passive. Write your own notes and examples, and only highlight as a way of connecting ideas or color coding or drawing your attention to a particular section of your textbook or notes. Remember, highlighting is a complement to your studying, and should never take the place of note-taking.
California Cuts The Number Of Tests Teachers Must Take To Earn Credential
Californias newly approved state budget allows teacher candidates to skip two of the tests that had been required to earn a teaching credential if they take approved coursework.
Teacher candidates no longer have to take the California Basic Skills Test, or CBEST, or the California Subject Matter Exams for Teachers, referred to as CSET to earn a credential.
The CBEST tests reading, math and writing skills and is usually taken before a student is accepted into a teacher preparation program. The CSET tests a teacher candidates proficiency in the subject they will teach. Teacher candidates must prove subject-matter proficiency before earning a credential, but many teacher preparation programs require the test be taken before a student enters its teacher preparation program.
Nearly half of Californias potential teachers struggle to pass the four standardized tests required to earn a credential, according to data from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Nearly 66 percent of the people who took the CBEST in 2019-20 passed it on the first try and 83 percent passed after multiple attempts, according to commission data. The CSET, which is actually a suite of tests, had a first-time passage rate of about 67 percent in 2019-20. About 81 percent of the teacher candidates who took the test multiple times passed.
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How To Take Practice Exams
Taking any type of test can be stressful, especially those that are timed. The mere mention of timed tests can evoke feelings of unease, as thoughts concerning whether or not we can finish on time tend to surface. When this happens, the fact that we know the material or are confident in our abilities, takes a sideline to our anxiety. Altering the focus from the time restraint to the subject matter on the test will make you feel more in control. There are a number of other things you can do in order to alleviate the stress associated with timed tests.
Rereading Your Textbook Only Gives You The Illusion Of Knowledge
Dont just read. Simply reading over your notes or textbook is not enough to fully comprehend the material.
You need to actively engage with the notes and textbook . In fact, you will find that the example problems in many textbooks are missing steps! Meaning, the text will leave out algebraic steps like simplifying an expression or reducing fractions. So its up to you to put the missing pieces together. And sadly its in these missing steps that hold the key to mastering many mathematics techniques, leaving many students frustrated as to how in the world did they get that answer?
Consequently, you need to work the examples on your own so you know how to arrive at the correct answer.
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Know Your Strengths And Weaknesses
To better prepare yourself for upcoming quizzes and exams, you must first know where your strengths and weaknesses are. For example, you have a trigonometry test coming up, what areas of trigonometry are you good at and which topics require a little more work. If youre not sure about this, review your class notes and use practice papers to sit mock exams to help you highlight the things you know and the things you dont.
When taking mock exams, put yourself in exam conditions and stick to the time limited of the paper. Try to answer as many questions in the time limit and be sure to stop once time is up. Pass your paper onto a friend or family member and have them mark it for you. Once returned, review your scores and see what questions your answered incorrectly.
This can be a useful exercise to help you identify the topics you know and the topics you need to focus your revision efforts on. Not only will this process allow you to target areas of weakness, but as you progress, youll hopefully see improvements in your score and in turn, that can boost your confidence ahead of your actual exams.
Squash Procrastination With Habit
Slow and steady really does win the race.
When you study a little bit each day, your brain is able to absorb the information better and you are much more likely to remember and recall information when necessary. In fact, you will find that students who study each night have superior understanding of the subject matter and are able to relate and connect previous learning quickly.
In Cal Newports book, How to Become a Straight-A Student, he interviewed countless top scoring students who all consistently demonstrated that routinely completing their homework and studying their notes on a regular basis outperformed those who do not.
Cramming for a test may seem like a way to save time, and keep things fresh in your brain but all it really does is store information in your short-term memory, which is easily forgotten. But when you study a little bit at a time, you will find that you remember more and you will remember longer.
What you need to remember is that math is a language, and just like learning any new language you need to practice every day. Many foreign languages have specific pronunciations, idioms, and grammar rules. The only way to learn a new language is by constant practice and part of your daily routine.
Remember, your goal is to become fluent in your math course, and the best way to do that is to manage your time and be steady in your practice. So create a habit of studying daily.
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Learn To Let Go Of A Question
It can be very tempting to sit and try to puzzle a question out, but you have to learn how to be more ruthless, both with how you answer questions and in choosing which questions to answer. Each and every question is worth the same amount of points, so pick the questions you can solve easiest and fastest first and then try the more time-consuming ones.
If you look at a question and have no idea how you would go about solving it, mark it and move on. Sometimes moving on and coming back to a question later can trigger your mind to think of a new approach.