12 Powerful Words That Trip up Students on Standardized Tests

Ms. Mendenhall

PSSA Prep

12 Powerful Words That Trip Up Students on Standardized Tests

1. Trace: Follow, track, outline, list in steps

2. Analyze: Think through, break apart, break into pieces

3. Infer: Figure out, read between the lines, what are they trying to say?

4. Evaluate: Judge, value of, meaning, examine, solve, test for the truth of

5. Formulate: Come up with, make a plan, develop, make, create

6. Describe: Tell about, show me, list details

7. Support: Provide reasons, tell reasons, give examples, back it up

8. Explain: Tell all about, tell what, why and/or how, teach someone else

9. Summarize: Tell main parts, main ideas, short version

10. Compare: All the ways they are alike, list sames

11. Contrast: All the ways they are different, list differences

12. Predict: Tell what may happen next, look into the future