yourself. Write for the entire time; don’t stop writing until you’ve reached the one-minute stopping
point.
Next, take one minute to list areas of the test you’re not so good at, just plain bad at, have failed at,
or keep failing at. Again, keep it to one minute and continue writing until you reach the cutoff. Don’t
be afraid to identify and write down your weak spots! In all probability, as you do both lists, you’ll
find you are strong in some areas and not so strong in others. Taking stock of your assets and
liabilities lets you know the areas you don’t have to worry about and the ones that will demand
extra attention and effort.
Facing your weak spots gives you some distinct advantages. It helps a lot to find out where you need
to spend extra effort. Increased exposure to tough material makes it more familiar and less
intimidating. (After all, we mostly fear what we don’t know and are probably afraid to face.) You’ll
feel better about yourself because you’re dealing directly with areas of the test that bring on your
anxiety. You can’t help feeling more confident when you know you’re actively strengthening your
chances of earning a higher overall test score.
Now, go back to the “good” list and expand it for two minutes. Take the general items on that first
list and make them more specific; take the specific items and expand them into more general
conclusions. Naturally, if anything new comes to mind, jot it down. Focus all of your attention and
effort on your strengths. Don’t underestimate yourself or your abilities. Give yourself full credit. At
the same time, don’t list strengths you don’t really have; you’ll only be fooling yourself.
Expanding from general to specific might go as follows. If you listed “algebra” as a broad topic you
feel strong in, you would then narrow your focus to include areas of this subject about which you are
particularly knowledgeable. Your areas of strength might include multiplying polynomials, working
with exponents, factoring, solving simultaneous equations, and so forth.
Whatever you know comfortably goes on your “good” list. Okay. You’ve got the picture. Now, get
ready, check your starting time, and start writing down items on your expanded “good” list.
After you’ve stopped, check your time. Did you find yourself going beyond the two minutes allotted?
Did you write down more things than you thought you knew? Is it possible you know more than
you’ve given yourself credit for? Could that mean you’ve found a number of areas in which you feel
strong?