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Overview
Module 2.7: Test-Taking Strategy for the STEM Assessment
Strategy Is a Skill, Not a Shortcut
You can know every concept on the STEM Thinking Skills Assessment and still underperform if you manage your time poorly, freeze up on hard questions, or make avoidable calculation errors without a calculator. This module isn't about content --- it's about the practical tactics that help you convert what you know into the highest possible score.
The STEM assessment is created by Insight Assessment. It's 50 minutes, 33 questions, multiple choice, no calculator allowed, administered via a secure online platform on LCPS-provided laptops, and scored on a scale of 260 to 300. That works out to roughly 90 seconds per question. Every point matters, especially in the ACL admissions process where test scores are one of only three factors.
Time Management Across Question Types
Know What You're Working With
The STEM assessment is timed, and the time pressure is real. You won't have the luxury of spending five minutes on every question. The students who score highest aren't necessarily the ones who know the most --- they're the ones who allocate their time most strategically.
The 90-Second Rule
Here's a practical guideline: aim to spend no more than 90 seconds on any single question during your first pass through the test. Some questions will take 30 seconds. Some will take the full 90. But if you're still stuck after 90 seconds, mark it and move on. You can come back to it after you've answered everything you can.
Why? Because a question you're stuck on for 3 minutes could have been time you spent answering two easier questions correctly. Time is a resource --- spend it where it earns you the most points.
The Two-Pass Approach
Pass 1 --- Work through the entire test. Answer everything you can answer confidently. For questions that feel hard, flag them on screen and skip them. Don't agonize. Keep moving.
Pass 2 --- Go back to the circled questions. Now you know how much time you have left, which changes the game. You can afford to spend more time on each remaining question because you've already locked in your easy points.
This approach has a psychological benefit too: answering easier questions first builds confidence and momentum. You show up to the hard questions warmed up instead of demoralized.
Watch the Clock
Every 10-15 minutes, glance at the clock. You don't need to calculate exact per-question pacing, but you should have a rough sense of whether you're ahead, on track, or behind. If you're behind, speed up on the next few questions --- don't just hope it works out.
The No-Calculator Environment
No calculator might sound scary, but it's actually an equalizer. Everyone is in the same boat, and the test is designed with this constraint in mind. The questions don't require you to calculate 347 × 892. They do require you to be comfortable with mental math, estimation, and number sense.
Mental Math Shortcuts
Multiplying by 5: Multiply by 10 and divide by 2. So 48 × 5 = 480 ÷ 2 = 240.
Multiplying by 25: Multiply by 100 and divide by 4. So 36 × 25 = 3600 ÷ 4 = 900.
Multiplying by 11: For a two-digit number, put the sum of the digits in the middle. 34 × 11: 3_(3+4)4 = 374. If the middle sum exceeds 9, carry the 1: 85 × 11: 8(8+5)5 = 8(13)_5 = 935.
Squaring numbers ending in 5: Take the tens digit, multiply it by one more than itself, and put 25 at the end. 35² = 3 × 4 = 12, so 1225. 65² = 6 × 7 = 42, so 4225.
Breaking apart multiplication: 23 × 7 is hard. But 20 × 7 + 3 × 7 = 140 + 21 = 161. Break big multiplications into smaller pieces you can handle.
Percentages: 10% of anything --- move the decimal one place left. 15% = 10% + 5% (half of 10%). 20% = 10% × 2. Work from easy percentages to build harder ones.
Estimation Techniques
Sometimes you don't need the exact answer --- you just need to eliminate wrong choices.
"What is 19% of 412?"
Exact calculation is messy without a calculator. But 20% of 400 is 80. So the answer is somewhere around 78-80. If the answer choices are 42, 58, 78, and 124, you can confidently pick 78 without doing precise arithmetic.
Rounding to friendly numbers: Before calculating, round each number to something easier. 298 × 4 ≈ 300 × 4 = 1200. The actual answer (1192) is close enough that you can identify it among the choices.
Ballparking with fractions: If something is "a little less than half," it's between 40% and 50%. If it's "about a third," it's around 33%. Use these rough relationships to quickly assess reasonableness.
Number Sense Drills
Build these instincts before test day by practicing:
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Quick multiplication: Flash yourself two-digit × one-digit problems and solve them in your head. 43 × 6? 37 × 8? Do 20 of these a day.
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Fraction-decimal-percent equivalents: Know instantly that 1/4 = 0.25 = 25%, 1/8 = 0.125 = 12.5%, 3/5 = 0.6 = 60%, and so on.
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Powers of 2: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024. These come up constantly in pattern recognition.
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Perfect squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, 144. Know them cold.
Strategic Guessing and Process of Elimination
On standardized assessments like the STEM Thinking Skills Assessment, there is typically no penalty for guessing --- unanswered questions get zero points, while a guess might earn you the point. Always answer every question, even if you have to guess.
But not all guesses are equal. A random guess on a 4-choice question gives you a 25% chance. Eliminate one wrong answer and you're at 33%. Eliminate two and you're at 50%. That's a huge improvement.
How to Eliminate Answer Choices
Check the extremes: If a question asks for a quantity, are any answer choices obviously too large or too small? Cross them out.
Use estimation: Even if you can't solve the problem exactly, you can often tell that the answer should be "somewhere around 50" --- which eliminates 12, 147, and 300.
Look for trap answers: Test makers deliberately include answers that result from common mistakes. If you know what mistake leads to which wrong answer, you can avoid the trap. For example, a problem might have the correct answer of 24, but also include 42 (digits reversed) and 12 (forgot to multiply by 2). If you catch one of these traps, you know you're on the wrong track.
Plug in the answers: For some questions, especially those asking "which value of x makes this true?", try plugging each answer choice into the problem. Start with the middle value --- if it's too big, try smaller; if it's too small, try bigger.
Watch for absolute language: Answer choices using "always," "never," "all," or "none" are often wrong because very few things in science and math are that absolute.
Question Triage
Not all questions are created equal. They all award the same number of points, but some take 30 seconds and some take 3 minutes. Triage means sorting questions by difficulty and tackling them in the smartest order.
Easy Questions (Answer Immediately)
These are questions where you read them and know the answer --- or can figure it out in under a minute. Don't second-guess yourself. Pick the answer and move on. These are your foundation.
Medium Questions (Answer on First Pass If Possible)
These require some work --- a calculation, a logical chain, a process of elimination --- but they're doable. Spend your 60-90 seconds and answer them. If you're stuck after 90 seconds, mark and move.
Hard Questions (Save for Pass 2)
These are the questions that make you think "I have no idea where to start" or "this is going to take a while." Don't burn time on them while easy points are waiting. Mark them clearly and come back.
The Critical Rule
Never leave a hard question with zero effort. Even on Pass 2, if you're running out of time, at least eliminate one or two choices and make an educated guess. Something is always better than nothing.
Managing Test Anxiety
Some anxiety before a test is normal and even helpful --- it sharpens your focus. But too much anxiety shuts down your thinking. Here's how to keep it productive.
Before the Test
Prepare so thoroughly that you feel ready. The single best cure for test anxiety is genuine preparation. If you've practiced the question types, drilled your mental math, and worked through timed practice sessions, you'll walk in knowing you're prepared. Confidence comes from evidence, not pep talks.
Simulate test conditions. Take practice tests under realistic conditions: timed, no calculator, no phone, quiet room. The more familiar the test environment feels, the less anxious you'll be when it counts.
Sleep and eat. This isn't just parent advice --- it's performance advice. Sleep deprivation measurably reduces cognitive performance. Eat a real breakfast. Drink water. Your brain runs on glucose and oxygen.
During the Test
The first two minutes matter. When you get the test, don't immediately start answering. Take 30 seconds to flip through and see how many questions there are and what types they cover. This mental map reduces the fear of the unknown.
If you feel panic rising: Stop. Close your eyes. Take three slow breaths --- in for 4 counts, out for 6 counts. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system and physically calms your body. It takes 20 seconds and it works.
If you hit a hard question and freeze: Skip it. Immediately. Moving to the next question breaks the freeze response. You can always come back.
Reframe the situation. Instead of "I'm going to fail this," try "I've prepared for this. I'll answer what I can." Instead of "I don't know this question," try "I'll come back to this one."
Don't watch other students. Seeing someone finish early or flip pages faster means nothing. They might be rushing and making mistakes. Your pace is your pace.
Building Endurance for Timed Assessments
The STEM assessment requires sustained concentration. If you're used to checking your phone every 5 minutes, sitting still and thinking hard for an extended period will feel exhausting.
Training Your Focus
Start building test endurance 4-6 weeks before the exam:
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Week 1-2: Practice 15-20 minute focused sessions with no distractions. Do problem sets or reading comprehension exercises. No phone, no music, no breaks.
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Week 3-4: Extend to 30-40 minute sessions. This should start to feel uncomfortable --- that's the point. You're building the mental muscle.
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Week 5-6: Do full-length timed practice sessions. Simulate the actual test conditions as closely as possible.
The Warm-Up Principle
Athletes warm up before competing. You should warm up before testing. On test day morning, do 10-15 minutes of mental math or light problem-solving. Nothing hard --- just enough to wake up your brain. You don't want the first question on the exam to be the first thinking you've done all day.
Putting It Together: Your Test Day Game Plan
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Morning of: Light breakfast, water, 10-15 minute mental warm-up. No cramming new material --- it creates anxiety. Review your strengths, not your weaknesses.
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First 30 seconds of the test: Orient yourself on the screen. You have 50 minutes for 33 questions --- roughly 90 seconds each. File that away and begin.
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Pass 1: Work through every question. Answer everything you can in under 90 seconds. Mark difficult questions with a clear symbol. Don't leave easy points on the table by getting stuck on hard questions early.
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Midpoint check: Glance at the clock. Are you roughly halfway through at the halfway time? Adjust pace if needed.
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Pass 2: Return to marked questions. Work through them with whatever time remains. Use process of elimination aggressively. For any question you truly can't solve, eliminate what you can and guess.
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Final 2 minutes: Make sure every question has an answer. Scan for any you accidentally skipped. Don't change answers unless you have a clear reason --- your first instinct is usually right.
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After the test: You're done. Don't replay questions in your head or compare answers with classmates. What's done is done.
The Tactics That Actually Move the Score
The difference between a 270 and a 285 on the STEM assessment often isn't knowledge --- it's execution. The student who scores 285 isn't necessarily smarter. They answered the easy questions quickly and correctly, didn't waste time on questions they couldn't solve, made educated guesses instead of random ones, and kept their composure under pressure.
Every one of those skills is practicable. Start now. Time yourself on problem sets. Practice mental math during idle moments. Take at least three full timed practice sessions before test day. When you walk into the testing room, you should feel like you've done this before --- because you have.