How come everytime I take a math test, I end up failing?

Question

I'm currently taking Geometry in 8th grade. (I skipped PreAlgebra)

Since the beginning of school, I took 4 tests so far.

When I test with the other subjects (History, English, and Science) I do really well, but math is the only problem I have...

Yet every math test I took, I knew how to do the math, but I always end up making little mistakes (as my math teacher tells me). And everytime I get the test back, I would always go Grr! I knew how to do this!

Anyone have any tips for math test taking?

I'm always the 2nd-to-last/last person to finish... & I'm always nervous while taking the math tests and everyone in my class is very competitive (so that doesn't help). Plus everyone exspects me to be SUPER intelligent and I don't want to disappoint anyone, but I recently have (because of my math grade). This was the first time I had ever disappointed my parents..

This has been troubling me for 2 weeks already :( and I can't stop worrying if I'm going to fail the next test too

I just took a math test today..


and I got an A!

thanks everyone for your help and tips :)

my grade is going up and I'll bring it to the A it should be x)

Answer 1

here are some tips which i hope will help you somehow...:)

1. try not to get nervous while taking math tests. i think it's one of the factors which causes you to make those "little mistakes"...

2. always check you answers before you pass your paper to your teacher. don't rush.

3. don't get pressured by other people's expectations. human opinion is not what's important.. it is GOD's opinion which you shoudl always bear in mind....As long as you do your best, God will never be disappointed with you..:)

4. don't be intimidated with your other classmates.. believe in yourself...

sorry if that's all i could think of...

Answer 2

Honestly, you might want to go back and take Prealgebra. The concepts will be very beneficial in your studies. Math is nothing to be afraid of, however, the state of our education system makes finding a good math class difficult. But, with the right teacher and right class, math is actually quite easy and can be very beautiful.

Firstly, don't worry about what others think, or about the competition... this is about YOUR future, not theirs. Just calm down and realize that you can do this. Plus, if you intend on going into ANY science or engineering field, math WILL be a major part of your life.

You can find some great tips on mathematics on the following website... it's more intended for college students, but the advice is still sound:

http://www.math.utah.edu/~alfeld/math.html

Answer 3

Talk to your teacher. She'll work with you to make sure you succeed. She's an expert on education so she'll certainly have some ideas to help you do better.

I recommend earplugs for any test, schools tend to be a little noisy so the silence will help you tune everyone else out. Furthermore, the loudest thing you'll be able to hear will be your own breathing, it's very relaxing.

If it's the other people stressing you out, ask if you can take the test at a different time or something. There's a million solutions but your teacher is the real expert, not all us idiots on Yahoo Answers.

Answer 4

I used to have trouble with maths too. If you understand the concepts but make careless mistakes, then all you need is practise. Try doing atleast an hour of maths everyday. The thing about maths is that you don't have to memorize things like other subjects, you just have to have logic and presence of mind.

With practise you'll definetely get better at maths.

Oh and by the way (this may sound weird but trust me) having an egg for breakfast on the morning of your test really helps because proteins are supposed to help.

Answer 5

You answered your own problem. About being nervous. Just approach it like any other subject. Don't worry about what other think of you and of disappointing anyone. That only adds to the pressure. Also don't worry about whether you are the last person to finish or not. You are not taking these tests for others or going to school for others. I feel that the above conditions are what is causing you to fail. Forget all that. Read the question, work it out, double-check it and make sure it is correct.

Answer 6

Let me see... Just don't worry and study hard. When you are taking a test, Don't get nervous and concentrate. Don't let anything bother you. One more thing, Read and reread the problem before answering. After answering, check it at least once or twice to make sure you are correct. That's about it.

One more thing, 8th grade? How old are you? 13? 14? 15? It is quite too early to do geometry. I'm in 8th grade too.

Answer 7

Having confidence is half the battle.
Your curriculum should be divided into chapters.
You might want to review the chapters right after you learn them.
And, if you know ahead of time, study every day, even skimming through chapters the day of test day helps.

Don't let your classmate's speed of test taking. Sometimes, worrying about things like that will take down your confidence.

When you finish taking the test, check for 4 things:
(1)you answered all questions
(2)you've answered all questions to the best of your ability.
(3)you've headed your paper correctly. (that can subtract points,or at least for me)
(4)you've followed all directions.

I heard your good at all your other subjects, but Math will bring down your Grade Point Average.
~~~~~~~GOOD LUCK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Answer 8

G'day Purpleroyale,

Thank you for your question.

It seems to me that you don't have a problem with maths so much as a problem with relaxing during exams.

I would speak with your maths teacher. If you are doing well in your homework but not as well in exams, you are having problems with exams. Think of the exam as an opportunity to show what you now rather than as a forbidding experience

You need to develop relaxation techniques.

I have attached some sources on relaxing for exams which hopefully will help you. You may also wish to speak with a counsellor if you feel anxious.

Regards

Answer 9

Im 40 now. When I was 12 years old I was failing math tests. My teacher put a really big F on the page. After that I hated math. Back in my days teachers were pretty mean.

Answer 10

"Too many minds!" ("The Last Samurai")

Instead of thinking about the math, you are worrying about what your teacher thinks, what your parents think, and what your classmates think. This makes it almost impossible to concentrate on the task at hand, which is to demonstrate what you know.

One thing you can do on your next test is to resolve to be the LAST person to finish. That will relieve you of the anxiety of who finished when. If you happen to finish early (which you will) take the time to recheck your work.