The ETCP Council recognizes that for most individuals who qualify to take any of the certification tests it has been many years since that person has taken a written test. Such unfamiliarity is almost certain to give rise to anxiety and fear of failure. This is only human and to be expected, however, heightened anxiety only hampers a person’s ability to exhibit a positive state of mind when sitting down to answer the questions.

The two sections below provide tips for dealing with test anxiety and for better test taking. These are suggestions that are probably familiar and reasonable to most persons, but which are helpful to see in writing. Look them over and try to incorporate the points that make sense to you when preparing for the exam. Most likely no one will know all the correct answers, but the questions will all come from the outline provided in the handbook and in agreement with the emphasis noted by percentage in that outline. If it doesn’t appear on the outline, it won’t be on the test.

If by some chance a passing score is not received on the first attempt, keep in mind that the Council has made it financially very reasonable to retake the test and provided a span of up to one year to do so at the reduced cost. That allows a person to consider the initial experience as a study guide in how the test is structured and insight into those areas of the body of knowledge that need to be strengthened.

Good luck in this venture. Above all remain confident. The years of experience that qualified you to take the test have certainly already provided you a strong underpinning of knowledge.

Dealing with Test Anxiety

Before the tesT

• Be prepared - learn the material thoroughly.
• Create study checklists. Refer to the examination content outline in the candidate handbook to identify all of the material that you will be tested on. This checklist will enable you to break your studying into organized, manageable chunks, which should allow for a comprehensive review plan with minimal anxiety.
• Approach the exam with confidence.
• Avoid thinking you need to cram just before the exam.
• Arrive early.
• Get a good night’s sleep the night before the exam.
• Don’t go to the exam with an empty stomach.
• Be comfortable but alert; relaxed but focused.
• Try to stay relaxed and confident throughout the test.

If you find yourself tensing and getting anxious during the test

• Remember you are in control.
• Take slow, deep abdominal breaths to help you relax.
• Expect some anxiety - use it as a reminder that you want to do your best.

Tips for Better Test Taking

General Test Taking Strategies

• Read the directions carefully.
• Know how much time is allowed and use it wisely.
• Budget your time - answer questions in a strategic order: first answer the easy questions to build confidence, score points, and mentally orient yourself to vocabulary and concepts. Then go back and answer the more difficult questions. If you go blank on a particular question, skip it and go on.
• Review your test - resist the urge to leave as soon as you have completed all the items.  Don’t worry when others finish their test before you do – it’s perfectly OK to take the full amount of time allotted for the test.

Option Strategies

• Read the question and try to answer in your own words then select the option that most closely matches your answer.
• Try to first eliminate those options you know to be wrong.
• Treat each option as a true-false question, and choose the “most true” option.
• Remember that you are looking for the best answer and not only a correct one.

Guessing Strategies

• Always guess, especially when you can eliminate options.
• Similar sounding options - one may be correct; choose the best, but eliminate choices that mean basically the same thing.
• Mutually exclusive options - if two options are opposite each other, chances are one of them is correct.
• Pick an option that contains qualifiers or the one that has a longer, more inclusive answer.
• If two alternatives seem correct, compare them for subtle differences – reread the question for more clarifying information.
• Use knowledge from earlier questions you know to help you refine your guess.