--- title: Not a good test-taker? Use your other strengths description: 'I was awful at taking tests, and I always ran out of time. So I had to figure out how to take classes that played to my strengths. ' slug: not-a-good-test-taker-use-your-other-strengths author: Andrea Toledano published: '2020-06-16T16:58:09.299Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/4dg4b3tM5YDJCdeS0rvtuE/5f907dadb79391cc6dfcdf1b28d56364/Not_a_great_test_taker__Use_your_other_strengths_to_excel_final.jpg source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/not-a-good-test-taker-use-your-other-strengths lang: en --- # Not a good test-taker? Use your other strengths Growing up, classes would drag on and on, mostly because my thoughts were elsewhere. I zoned in and out of lectures, entranced by other things, and only reeled back in by teachers calling on me to answer a question. “Andrea, please pay attention,” they would say sternly when I looked at them blankly. They knew I hadn’t heard the question in the first place. I was awful at taking tests. The hardest part was that I’d often run out of time and guess at the last minute, especially on multiple-choice exams. I graduated from high school with a poor GPA, and my confidence wasn’t too high. If this sounds like you, fret not — there’s a solution. Once I got to college, I channeled all my energy into trying to be more strategic. I reflected on the areas that I excelled in. During my first semester, I took three courses: public speaking, religion, and an intro to the university. All three required in-class exams, but they were all essays. And for the most part, I did relatively well. That’s when I realized that in the past, teachers had complimented my writing skills. Sometimes other students even came to me for help with essays. After that, I tried to only take college courses that involved writing. I looked through the website *Rate My Professors *to pick courses graded with essays rather than multiple-choice exams. This strategy worked for me because I was able to work at my own pace. I sometimes emailed professors before the start of the semester, asking for a copy of the syllabus. Many times, they’d send it over. I would then dedicate a few long days to getting most of my writing assignments done ahead of time. I edited these essays throughout the semester, so my final papers were well executed. This strategy was invaluable to my college experience, and I graduated with honors. Once, I even took seven courses at the same time. Applying these tips was the only way I was able to handle all the work. College taught me that flexibility and knowing yourself (as well as playing to your strengths) is the key to success. You’re smart — you just have to discover which areas you’re strong in and put your focus there when you can. --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [Good grades, bad tests scores: My daughter’s story](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/good-grades-bad-tests-scores-my-daughters-story) - My daughter is a natural student. Shes always loved reading for English and history classes, writing papers, and studying for tests. \(She certainly didnt get that from me.\) She had a high GPA in high school, and she graduated with honors from a top university. It was a miracle, though, that she got - [“Am I cheating?” Why I felt ashamed to use dyslexia accommodations](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/am-i-cheating-the-shame-i-felt-using-accommodations-for-dyslexia) - Feeling dumb is an all-too-common experience for students with dyslexia like me. So much so that when we do get a good grade on something, we might feel like we dont really deserve it. That was the case with me. 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