Cumulative tests are exams that assess what has been taught throughout an entire course or school year. Typically cumulative tests are given at the end of year or semester. These tests can be very overwhelming and stressful for students and parents alike. I have put together some tips on how to study for your upcoming cumulative tests and reduce the anxiety surrounding them!
- Request for a study guide early. Ask your child’s teacher to give you a study guide for the upcoming cumulative tests in all the subjects. You want to be sure you give your child ample time to study without feeling like they are cramming for them. (This cramming is a big source of stress!)
- Set up a study schedule. Have your family calendar nearby and sit with your child and set up a study schedule for each of the subjects. Remember to assign the appropriate amount of study time according to your child’s age/grade. On average it should take about 10 minutes for each grade level. For example, if your child is in the 3rd grade you may want to study for no more than 30 minutes per day. Remember many of these end of the year tests are in multiple subjects so if your child has a math and reading cumulative test you may want to break up that time into 2 fifteen minute chunks.
- Make Study Time Fun. Your goal is to help your child remember facts that they have learned as far back as September. This is challenging for many students so try to make the study time fun and stress-free. Here are some examples that can get the whole family involved with study time. Try to use a number of different learning tools. You may want to use flashcards to remember definitions or have your child use a website to practice their multiplication facts (www.multiplication.com), construct the “gallon man” to reinforce volume, sing a song to remember grammar rules.
It is important to remember to try to reduce and NOT increase the stress surrounding these tests. The more “fun” you make the study time the less stressed your child will feel when taking these tests which will result in a successful outcome!
I hope these tips were helpful! Do you have any questions regarding cumulative tests? We would love to hear them!
