TACHS Study Skills and Test Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When reading a TACHS passage, you should first:
- Read all the answer choices before reading the passage
- Skim the questions, then read the passage with purpose (Correct answer)
- Read only the first and last sentences of the passage
- Guess all answers before reading
Correct answer: Skim the questions, then read the passage with purpose
Previewing the questions first helps you read with a purpose, making it easier to locate relevant information in the passage.
Question 2: On a multiple-choice test like the TACHS, 'distractors' are:
- Noises in the testing room
- Incorrect answer choices designed to seem plausible (Correct answer)
- Bonus questions worth extra points
- Words in the question you should ignore
Correct answer: Incorrect answer choices designed to seem plausible
Distractors are the wrong answer choices on a multiple-choice test, crafted to appeal to students who have partial knowledge.
Question 3: Which strategy is MOST useful when facing a difficult TACHS vocabulary question?
- Guess randomly without thinking
- Use prefixes, suffixes, and root words to figure out the meaning (Correct answer)
- Always choose the longest answer
- Pick the word that looks most familiar
Correct answer: Use prefixes, suffixes, and root words to figure out the meaning
Breaking a word into its root, prefix, and suffix components often reveals its meaning even when the word is unfamiliar.
Question 4: The 'figural reasoning' portion of the TACHS Abilities section requires students to:
- Write descriptions of geometric shapes
- Identify patterns and relationships among shapes and figures (Correct answer)
- Calculate the area and perimeter of figures
- Draw figures from memory
Correct answer: Identify patterns and relationships among shapes and figures
Figural reasoning involves analyzing visual patterns among shapes to identify rules and predict what comes next.
Question 5: A student completes a TACHS practice test and scores lowest in Language. The best next step is to:
- Ignore Language and focus only on Math
- Identify specific Language skills that need improvement and practice those (Correct answer)
- Retake the entire practice test immediately
- Conclude that Language cannot be improved
Correct answer: Identify specific Language skills that need improvement and practice those
Targeted practice in weak areas is the most efficient way to improve — identifying specific gaps (grammar, punctuation, etc.) allows focused study.
Question 6: How does getting adequate sleep before the TACHS test help a student?
- It makes the test easier by changing the difficulty level
- It improves concentration, memory retrieval, and problem-solving ability (Correct answer)
- It is not related to test performance at all
- It eliminates all test anxiety permanently
Correct answer: It improves concentration, memory retrieval, and problem-solving ability
Adequate sleep supports cognitive functions essential for test performance, including focus, memory, and reasoning.
TACHS Study Skills and Test Strategies 2
When reading a TACHS passage, you should first: