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The Nevada Traverse Vol.51, No.3, 2024 19up. Drawing a sketch helps organize your thoughts and may indicate a solution process that you might not have thought of before,%u201d he says.On the theme of staying organized, perform comps neatly and document your processes from beginning to end. That way, when you%u2019re studying and you want to work through a problem again at a later date, you%u2019ll know how you achieved the answer.Finally, don%u2019t take the answer you get at face value. Ask yourself if it makes sense. When teaching, Jerry always tells his students that they start the semester making wild guesses %u2014 and by the end they should be making scientific wild guesses. %u201cLook at the numbers coming out. If it doesn%u2019t make sense, then something%u2019s wrong. If something%u2019s wrong, then you%u2019re not going to get the right answer,%u201d he says.6. Know Where Your Material Is When you take the FS exam, you can only use the provided reference handbook. This means that as you study, you should get accustomed to using it as your go-to source for solving problems. This will ensure that you can locate relevant material quickly on exam day.The CST exam is open book %u2014 that said, you don%u2019t want to bring in every single textbook and reference item that you own. You%u2019ll want to carefully curate what you pack for the exam, and flag important sections that you want easy access to.Overall, your goal is to spend less time flipping through reference material and more time answering questions during the exam.Master Exam Day TacticsWhen exam day finally arrives, use the following tactics to ensure that you answer all questions strategically and use the remaining time wisely at the end of the test.1. Don%u2019t brute force itIf you are feeling rushed and anxious, it might be tempting to bulldoze your way through the test from start to finish as soon as the clock starts counting down. However, Jerry recommends a different approach. Instead of starting at question one and moving chronologically, take the first moments to go through the entire exam. If you see easy questions, quickly answer them immediately. Use the rest of this review time to get a feel for the rest of the test. %u201cThis process gives you an idea of what the content organization of the exam is. Secondly, because you know where all that stuff is, on an earlier question that you might be confused about, there might be something in a later question that helps resolve that first one. You%u2019re going to be sharing that information back and forth across the exam,%u201d Jerry says.This tactic helps to alleviate anxiety as you realize there are many questions you already know the answer to. It also helps you devise the best approach to answering the remaining questions.2. Read each question carefullyThis may seem obvious, but reading questions carefully is extremely important %u2014 especially as tests often throw in misleading wording on purpose. Sometimes your mind sees something differently than your eyes do. For example, take the question variations belo%u25cf%u0009 A township is six miles square%u25cf%u0009 A township is six square miles %u25cf%u0009 %u201cWhen you first look at that, it may look like the same thing. But when you stop, and you look at how those are worded, those are two different things. So read each question carefully to understand what%u2019s being asked and to avoid doing extra calculations,%u201d Jerry says.Keep in mind that for non-computational questions centered on topics like economics, safety, or ethics, you should answer based on the information provided %u2014 not on how your company may do things. If in doubt, rely on what is included in the exam manual. Sometimes an answer based on how your state operates will be incorrect, while an answer rooted in general principles is what the exam is looking for.3. Don%u2019t leave any questions unansweredThe FS and CST exams do not penalize you for wrong answers, which means you should answer every single question on the test even if, in some instances, you are completely guessing. %u201cNo answer gets you no points. And if you find yourself running short on time, if all else fails, remember you have a 25 percent chance of guessing right,%u201d Jerry says.For most questions, you can make the odds even better as there is typically at least one answer choice that makes no sense and can be ruled out.4. Use time wisely if you finish earlyIf you complete your exam with time to spare, don%u2019t sit back and relax. Use that extra time to flip through your test and doublecheck that you answered every single question. Then, revisit any questions that may have been difficult or confusing to make sure that you still feel good about the answer you selected. When you look at a question again with fresh eyes, you might catch something you didn%u2019t notice the first time.Conduct Post-Exam StepsAfter the exam, you should breathe a much-deserved sigh of relief. Preparing for an exam can feel like being in a pressure cooker, and it%u2019s important to clear your head, get outside, and spend quality time with your family and friends. But that%u2019s not all you should do.Assess your performanceWhile the exam is still fresh in your mind, take the opportunity to summarize your experience. Of the FS Knowledge Areas and the CST Work Elements, ask yourself:%u25cf%u0009 Which ones were difficult?%u25cf%u0009 Which ones did you feel unprepared for?%u25cf%u0009 Which did you feel adequately prepared for?Once you receive your exam results, take a look at the exam diagnostics (a summary of your actual performance) and compare it to the notes you took down on your perceived performance.Did you perform well in the areas you felt confident in? Did you perform poorly in the areas you felt unprepared for? This process will help you identify what you truly need to work on and create a revised study plan should you need to take the exam again.If you don%u2019t pass the first time, you%u2019re in good company, and it%u2019s nothing to worry about. According to the 2023 NCEES Report, the overall FS pass rate is 62%. Taking the exam a second time will mean you can hone the exact knowledge you need and enter the exam room better prepared.Watch the full Mentoring Mondays recording of Jerry%u2019s talk here. You can contact Jerry with questions at jerry.mahun@gmail.com or trent@mentoringmondays.xyz