SOL Test Tips at Princess Anne High School

Home
About Us
Administration
Contact Us
Faculty/Staff
Our Location
PTSA
Search
Site Map

Resources

ACCESS
Alumni
Guidance
Library-LMC
SOL Tests
Technology

Programs

AP Courses
Gifted Program
IB Program
Middle Years
PA Center
Special Ed.

Activities

Athletics
Cheerleaders
Chorus
Clubs
Newspaper
Orchestra
Visual Arts
Yearbook

VBCPS Links

Calendar
Competitions
Disclaimer/AUP
Emergency Info
Employees
Handbook
Internet Safety
Scholarships

Offsite Links

Band
CAP Center
HS Sports.net

SOL Test Tips

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SOL?

Testing Calendar for the January 2008 (pdf).

Pre-Test Hints:

1. Study over all of your practice tests and get help on the problems you don't understand.
2. Go to the SOL tutoring available after school.
3. Go to the websites listed on the back and use them to study. There is never an excuse to be weak at something if you have access to the Internet. And if you don’t have it at home, you can go to the PAHS library or any public library and log on!
4. Learn how to use the TI-83 calculator as well as the helpful tools on the computer.

Test Day:

1. Get a good night sleep and eat a good breakfast.
2. Go to the bathroom before entering the test room. They don't want anyone leaving after it gets started!
3. Bring 2 sharpened #2 pencils and your TI-83. Make sure your batteries are good!
4. Don't forget to change your mode to degrees for trig problems and a + bi mode for imaginary and complex number problems. When you reset your memory, all settings are cancelled!

Test-taking Hints:

1. POE (Power of Elimination): By crossing out answers that you know aren't right you are able to increase your chances of guessing correctly anywhere from 20 to 50 percent.

2. Plug It In. Remember that the correct answer is always there. Try this helpful hint. Take each answer and "plug it in" to the question. Does the answer make sense? This is also a great way to double-check your work.

3. Guessing Is Good. Remember to guess on every question even when you don’t know the answer. Since there is no penalty for guessing on the SOLs, make sure that you choose an answer for every single question.

4. Don’t be discouraged! About one quarter of the questions on the SOLs are experimental, meaning they don’t count towards your individual score on the test. The problem is, you won't know which questions are experimental. These unscored questions are often more difficult and confusing than the scored questions. So, if you don’t know the answer to a particular question, relax. It’s possible that the question is one of the experimental ones.

5. Take Your Time. There is no time limit during the SOLs, so remember to read each question twice before answering. Be sure to mark the questions you need to return to so you won’t forget to go back and redo them. When you think you're finished, take a deep breath and make sure you have reviewed and corrected all questions before you exit the test.

Test Taking Tips - Writing short answer/essays
SOL Success Tips (pdf)
Links to SOL Test Resources: Lots of resources across the curriculum. Keep checking for updates.

Thanks to Mrs. Cindy Edwards, Math Teacher, for providing the tips on this page and the math links.

Updated Friday, January 4, 2008