To earn good grades, everybody knows that students need to prepare for class, complete their school assignments on time, and stay up with the learning. And then, for good measure, they must perform well on tests.

But getting good grades on tests can sometimes call for a different set of tactics and skills. College and high school students, and anyone else who has to take tests, can learn these skills in  “Test Taking Strategies,” a free, one-session Community Connections class on Thursday, March 27, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Eastern WV Community and Technical College’s access center in Hampshire High School.

Space for the class is limited. To register call Lacey Ball at 304-434-8000, or toll free at 877-982-2322. Be certain to ask about other Community and Continuing Education opportunities available at Eastern.

“We’ll start off with a test prep and study skills self-assessment that shows the students their areas of strengths and where they can improve to help them in classes,” said Cindy Drumm, Eastern’s learner support services counselor.

The class will review general study skills, too, and discuss how “preparation affects a test-taker’s confidence level,” and how confidence, in turn, can impact test performance.

“We’ll talk about specific strategies to use on tests with true-false, multiple choice, short answer and essays,” Drumm noted. “Because part of the strategy in taking a test is being able to read through numerous questions, students have to be able to identify key words and apply process-of-elimination skills.” The class will also explore “test anxiety and ways people can deal with it,” she said.

Serving the residents of Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton and Tucker counties, Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College is a comprehensive and equal opportunity community and technical college bringing the resources and assets of Education That Works to the families, communities and employers of the Potomac Highlands.