PSSA Test-Taking Strategy

• 1). Preview the test. PSSA tests are comprised of mainly multiple-choice questions, with intermittent writing sections. Take the test in the order provided--do not jump sections or work out of order. The test is designed to build on questions and concepts.
  
  
• 2). Read each question first. For each multiple-choice question, there is a list of possible answers. Even if the prompt contains an article or excerpt of a text, always read the questions that follow first. This will make your aware of what you need to look for or focus on in the passage.
  
  
• 3). Decide which answer is correct or clearly better than the others. Fill in the space on the answer sheet that corresponds to the answer you have selected.
  
  
• 4). Make the mark large enough to fill the answer space, keep the mark within the circle, and press firmly to make the mark dark enough for the scanner to read and accept your answer. Do not make stray marks on the answer sheet and fully erase any wrong answers before filling in a new one. Mark only one answer in each row.
  
  
• 5). Do not linger on difficult questions. Omit them temporarily and move on to easier ones. Time permitting, return to the difficult questions and try to eliminate answers that seem least likely to be correct. Then, based on prior knowledge about the topic, make the most likely choice from the remaining answers.