Test Taking: 10 Tips to Help Your Child Prepare Whether your child is preparing for a teacher-made or standardized test, parents can do several things to provide support. The following tips offer suggestions on how to help your student approach test taking with a positive attitude. Talk about the test with your child to relieve his stress. It is important he stay relaxed during the test. If he knows your only request is for him to do his best, he will stay calm. Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking directions and to ask questions about any directions that are unclear. Mark test days on your calendar so you and your child are both aware of the dates. Make sure your child gets her regular amount of sleep a few days before the test and the night of the test. Also ensure she eats a healthy breakfast. Avoid heavy breakfast foods that might make her groggy or sugary food that might make her hyper. Encourage your child to study a little bit each night so he won't be forced to cram the night before the test. Provide a quiet area with good lighting and few distractions to help your child study efficiently. Help your student interpret the results when they become available. If it’s a teacher-made test, review the results with your child and go over any mistakes she made to ensure she understands the concepts. Talk to your child's teacher to find out what activities you can do at home that may improve your child's test performance. Understand how test results are used and how they will affect your child's placement in school. If there are major differences between standardized test scores and school grades, find out why.