How to Pass a Psychology Test

Psychology Test-Taking Strategies and Tips

If you want to know how to pass a psychological test, the best strategy is to go in well-prepared. While nothing can replace great study skills, practicing good test-taking strategies can help improve your performance on psychology exams.

Whenever you take a test, spend a little time evaluating what you did that worked well and how you might apply those skills again in the future.

At a Glance

These tips are applicable to virtually any topic, so start working on your own personal approach to test-taking in order to determine which techniques work best for you.

1

Start by Looking Over the Test

Woman's hand, holding pencil, marking answer bubble on test sheet
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As soon as you receive the exam, spend at least a couple minutes looking it over. How many questions are there? What type of questions are on the test?

In many cases, your psychology tests will be a mix of different questions types. For example, the test might include a number of multiple-choice questions, a true-false section, and a few essay-style questions.

Understanding the format of the test will give you a better idea of how to budget your time.

2

Pace Yourself

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Most tests have some sort of time requirement, so it is important to answer questions as quickly as possible in order to fully complete the exam.

Start by determining how long you have for each question. Generally, you should allow approximately 30 to 60 seconds for each multiple-choice question, depending upon the amount of time you have available for the test.

3

Don't Skip Around

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Some recommend starting with the easiest questions first before going back to finish the difficult questions at the end of the test. While this strategy may work for some students, it also makes it more likely that you will forget to answer skipped questions.

Also, you'll lose more time by having to look back over your test and figure out which questions you didn't answer. Instead, try working your way through the exam in the order the questions are presented.

If you do find yourself struggling with a particular question, place a clear and obvious mark next to it and then move on to the next question. When you are finished with each section of the test, you can then quickly go back to the marked questions and try to come up with a response.

4

Read Each Question Carefully

Students taking a test in a classroom
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It may sound like a bit of very obvious advice, but reading each question carefully is one of the most important test-taking strategies you can use on any psychological evaluation or test.

As you begin to read the question, you might immediately formulate a response before you've even finished reading the question. If you were to write your answer before you fully read the question, you might miss out on important information or even give the wrong response.

5

Use the Process of Elimination

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Generally, the first few multiple-choice questions will be the easiest, but don't let this lead to overconfidence. The questions will probably become increasingly difficult the further you delve into the exam.

As the questions get more challenging, it can be helpful to start using the process of elimination.

When you encounter a question that you don't immediately know the answer to, start by carefully reading each possible answer. Then start ruling out the options that make the least sense.

Even if you are completely baffled by the question, it is often possible to use common sense and your prior knowledge of psychological topics to determine a likely answer.

Remember that some multiple-choice tests include more than one answer that is technically correct. Your job is to select the answer that fully answers the question and is the "most correct" out of all the possible options.

6

Test Yourself

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One tip that can help you before you ever enter the exam room is to test yourself once in a while. Research has shown that testing can actually be an effective learning strategy.

So make self-tests a part of your regular study habits. You might give yourself a quiz at the end of every lesson or after reading a chapter in your textbook.

Or, you might search online for quizzes, ask a classmate to quiz you, or check out the textbook publisher's website for tests and other study supplements.

What This Means For You

There's no sure-fire way to ace a psychology test or pass a psychological evaluation. Preparation is key, so the best thing you can do is to brush up on your study habits. However, knowing how to take a test effectively can help you to do your best. So be sure to scope out the test, pace yourself, answer questions in order, read each question carefully, and use the process of elimination.

3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Bayram B. Scale for test preparation and test taking strategies. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice. 2013;13(1):279-389.

  2. Tennessee Department of Education. Five best practices to support student ACT success.

  3. Yang BW, Razo J, Persky AM. Using testing as a learning toolAm J Pharm Educ. 2019;83(9):7324. doi:10.5688/ajpe7324

Additional Reading

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."