Retaking Math Tests at Mt. Everest Academy,
Mr. Greenwood's Courses
 
Why retake a math test?  To learn the math better, because students need to know it as foundation for future courses, for the annual state testing, for college entrance exams like the SAT, for college placement exams, and for coming monthly tests (every monthly test in this course has questions from past monthly tests).  Oh, yeah, to also improve a student's grade. 
 
Who can retake a math test?  Any student is allowed to retake any test (except the month 5 and month 10 tests) to improve their grade.  Even students with B grades are allowed to retake a test. 
 
When?  Students may retake a test on any Monday at 1:00 (if school is open) or during the regularly scheduled math test week.  Go to this link for more specific information and other options besides Monday at 1:00. 
 
What do students have to do before taking a math test?  Students have to correct every wrong answer from the original test.  They also have to write an "error statement" where they state what they did wrong the first time.  The corrections and error statements must be on the same paper, set up together (NOT on the original test itself).  So, if the answer to question 3 is wrong, students write out the question, show how to do the question correctly (getting the right answer), then write one sentence stating what error they made the first time, and then draw a horizontal line across the page after the error statement, before starting the next question/answer/error statement/line. 
 
More details: 
--Use separate paper than the original test.
--Write the question.
--Write out every step.
--Circle the correct answer.
--Write the error statement in words, not numbers.  One sentence only, just enough to state what you did wrong before.
--Draw a horizontal line to separate one question from the next question.
 
YOU CANNOT RETAKE A TEST unless you bring three things with you at the time of the retake test:
1.  Corrections, done the right way.
2.  Error statements (on the same pages as the corrections).
3.  The original test itself, stapled underneath the corrections and error statements.  
 
 
 IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW (Rules, Reminders, Etc.):
  • WARNING:  If you don’t practice, you won’t improve.  You have to practice, practice, practice, and practice even more.  You have to know the math really, really well—and that only comes from practice.  Doing the corrections isn’t going to be enough, just like doing all the required math work was not enough.  You HAVE to practice a LOT.  So, do it.  Don’t procrastinate.  Put it into your daily schedule—and then do it, daily.  

  • ONE RETAKE PER TEST:  Students may retake any test, but only one time for each test. The second test will be a similar test (a version B).   NOTE: Students must do all problems on the version B of the test, not just the problems similar to the incorrect problems of the first test.

  • TWO PARTS SEPARATELY: Students may retake one part at a time, on different Mondays.  Also, students only have to retake one part of the test if they wish, in cases where they did really well on one part, but not well on the other part.  However, an entire part must be retaken, not just the incorrect questions. 

  • NO RETAKES FOR MONTH 5 OR MONTH 10:  These tests end each semester, so there is no time for a retake.

  • GRADING: The new grade will be averaged with the old grade to get the final grade for that month's test. NOTE 1: If the first test score is below 60%, it will be considered 60% for averaging. NOTE 2: If the retake test grade is lower, it will not count.  Student will keep the first score.

  • ADDITIONAL, NOT REPLACING: Retaking this test does not allow putting off the next month’s work and test.  Students who retake tests still have to take the next month’s test on time. 

  • SUGGESTED STUDY TIPS:  In order to make the corrections required for retaking the test, follow these steps to help you relearn or figure out what you missed: 

               1. First look at your work on the test, and see if any of your mistakes were due to simple calculation errors or not reading the question direction carefully enough or not copying a number or negative sign correctly from one step to the next.  Those kinds of mistakes normally are due to carelessness, and you can avoid those mistakes by taking your time while doing every step, thinking carefully about each thing you are doing, and then checking over the problem after you finish it.  In fact, it’s good to go back through the whole test to check all the problems again after you finish the whole test, before you hand it in. 

               2. Look at the study guide problem that mirrors it, and look at the worked-out solution in the answer key to the practice test, or in your textbook’s solution manual, or on Hotmath.

               3. Look at the textbook examples and similar problems in the textbook that are similar to the test problem, and look carefully at the steps used to solve those examples (in the solution manual or on Hotmath).

           4.  Ask for help from your parent or whoever normally helps you with your math.

               5. Bring it to me (Mr. Greenwood) during a scheduled math help/tutoring time so I can help you understand it better.

THE WHOLE POINT: The whole point of all this is for you to show through these corrections and statements that you know what you did wrong and that you now know the correct way to do each and every problem.  If you don't do that, it's not worth taking the retest, because you won't do much better.  However, preparing this way should help you learn the material really well--and that's the whole point.