When it comes to taking a test, it doesn't matter how many pages you read or how many hours you spend staring at your notes-if you don't know how to prepare yourself for success.

When a football player scores a touchdown or a dancer hits all the right moves in a routine, they have prepared themselves by understanding the keys to success. Before you can do well on a test, you have to form good habits, ask the right questions, and find out what you need to know. After learning what kind of test you'll be taking, you will be prepared to practice the skills needed for your own winning score.

Forming Good Habits

Being a good student doesn't take magic. You'll find studying gets easier when you have a positive attitude, stay organized, and feel ready and willing to work. What can you do to make sure you're on the right path to forming good habits? Make sure to pay attention in class, take good notes, ask questions, do your homework, and review regularly. (For more detailed tips on effective study habits, read the Wiley Keys to Success Series book, How to Study for Success.)

Pay attention and take notes in class

Paying attention in class seems like an obvious habit of good students. When you pay attention, you also should be thinking about what is important to remember and write down. Your teacher can say a lot during a class, but you don't want to take down every word your teacher says. A good note-taker is like a detective. Watch your teacher for clues about what topics are important. Does your teacher write on the board? That's probably a major topic. Is some information mentioned several times? Start writing in your notebook. Does the teacher hand out a sheet about the topic while discussing it? Does the topic appear on the overhead projector? Better get it down!

Now you have important information to put in your notebook. How do you write it down? Do you just scribble everything together? That makes important points hard to find at review time. Organizing your notes can help you study later. When something goes up on the board, use that for a heading. When your teacher makes a point, give that fact its own special line. Leave plenty of space between these points-then you can add your own notes and comments. Underline important phrases.

Some students think of their class notes as a first draft. After class they recopy what they scribbled down. This does more than make their notes neat and simpler to study. Rewriting in your own words can help you remember facts better. If you take clear notes and make mental connections as you listen, you'll have an easier time when it comes to reviewing for tests.

Do your homework

When you do your homework consistently, you also are preparing for tests. You're reading up on and answering questions about what you learned in class. Often, homework shows the kinds of questions that might turn up on tests. Also, when homework is graded, you get a chance to find out what kind of answers your teacher prefers.

Good homework doesn't get done quickly. Good students learn time management, how to put their time to the best use. Suppose you end up with free time at school. Why not use it to tackle homework? For example, you could complete a reading assignment if the weather keeps you in for recess.

If you have after-school activities, hitting the books before you go to practice helps you make sure the schoolwork gets done. By using those often wasted minutes between school and late afternoon activities for homework, you may be surprised to find how much more time you've made for doing other, fun things in the evening.

Once you're aware of when to do your homework, it helps to know where to do it. It's important to avoid distractions when doing homework and studying for tests. Some people may say that music or TV "relaxes" them, but imagine they're taking an important test. Would they really want their favorite songs or TV programs on to take their minds off their work? The answer, of course, is "No." Everyone works better without distractions.

If it's a big job, break it into easy pieces

Sometimes, you may look at your homework list and not know where to start. Does this look like a typical day of assignments from your school?

First, tackle the things that are due tomorrow while you're fresh and sharp. Next, work on a certain amount of a future assignment-for instance, the first five words in both the spelling and vocabulary lists. If you need to set something up for the science experiment, do that. Maybe you should let your parents know that you need some special materials. Then, you might want to look through a book or explore the state's website on the Internet to find preliminary information for your research paper. Finally, you might read a chapter in the novel. With any luck, you'll still have time for your favorite TV show.

Making a schedule that allows you to do a little at a time helps shrink big jobs down into smaller ones. Some jobs, like memorizing, actually happen easily if you work in small bits. Five ten-minute memorizing sessions spread over a week help you remember more information than you would if you crammed lots of facts into one hour of study time in one evening. If you keep putting off the work, you may find yourself facing too much to do all at once. One night isn't enough to write a research paper, do a science experiment, finish regular homework, and study for a spelling test. Something is going to suffer, and so will you. However, if you do a part of each project every day-who knows? You might even finish your research paper or science experiment before it's due.

Asking Questions

Have you heard this old saying: "How will I know if I don't ask?" That's twice as important when you're in school. If you don't understand something, ask about it. You're not the only one who'll learn. Other students benefit, too. No matter how much your classmates might groan, lots of kids may feel just as lost as you do. Plus, your teacher may see that this topic needs more work. Everyone can feel better about discovering a problem in a class discussion rather than on a test.

Don't be shy. Speak up, and try to make sure your questions are clear. Just saying, "I don't get this!" doesn't help anyone. Instead, you might ask, "I don't understand why we use the words, 'Everybody knows.' Isn't 'everybody' a lot of people? Shouldn't it take a plural verb?" Now you're asking about something specific.

Keep in mind that while teachers want to answer your questions, they also want to cover a certain amount of material in each class session. If you have a lot of questions, you may want to save them for after class. Also, if you feel embarrassed about asking for help, you might find it easier to talk to your teacher privately. No teacher wants to see a student fail. Talking helps both of you do your jobs better-learning and teaching. Even if you're not doing well in a class, asking questions shows that you're trying.

If you don't have time to talk after class, write your question down and put it on the teacher's desk. The teacher may give you an answer later or give the whole class a review on the topic. Most importantly, when a teacher gives you help, write the information down. When the time comes to review the trouble spot,...