See a sample reprint in PDF format. Order a reprint of this article nowWith test-taking season upon us, Sue Shellenbarger onLunch Break looks at the latest findings from thescience of studying. For students approachingSAT/ACTs, midterms and finals, which memory trickswork best and does cramming help?Here's a pop quiz: What foods are best to eat before a high-stakes test? When is the best time to review thetoughest material? A growing body of research on the best study techniques offers some answers.Chiefly, testing yourself repeatedly before an exam teaches thebrain to retrieve and apply knowledge from memory. Themethod is more effective than re-reading a textbook, saysJeffrey Karpicke, an assistant professor of psychologicalsciences at Purdue University. If you are facing a test on thedigestive system, he says, practice explaining how it works fromstart to finish, rather than studying a list of its parts.In his junior year of high school in Cary, N.C., Keenan Harrellbought test-prep books and subjected himself to a "relentlessand repetitive" series of nearly 30 practice SAT college-entranceexams. "I just took it over and over again, until it became almostaggravating," he says.Practice paid off. Mr. Harrell, now 19, was accepted at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a college he'sdreamed of attending since the third grade. He scored 1800 (out of 2400) on the SAT, up 50% from 1200 on thePSAT, a preliminary test during his sophomore year.Taking pretests "felt like hard work," Mr. Harrell says, but seeing steady increases in his scores boosted hisconfidence. Practice tests also help with test-taking skills, such as pacing, says Paul Weeks, vice president ofeducational services for the ACT, which creates and administers college-entrance exams.Sleep also plays a role in test performance, but in twounexpected ways. Review the toughest material right beforegoing to bed the night before the test. That approach makes iteasier to recall the material later, says Dan Taylor, director of asleep-and-health-research lab at the University of North Texasin Denton. And don't wake up earlier than usual to study; thiscould interfere with the rapid-eye-movement sleep that aidsmemory, he says.Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients orcustomers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.comWORK & FAMILYOctober 26, 2011Toughest Exam Question: What Is the Best Way toStudy?By SUE SHELLENBARGERToughest Exam Question: What Is the Best Way to Study? - WS... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297020464450457...1 of 4 9/1/12 12:37 PMGetty ImagesRepeated practice tests help master test format andpacing.Being ConfidentWrite down fears and anxieties before the test tofree working memory and prevent distractionsduring the test.To combat self-doubts (such as 'I'm bad in math'),remind yourself of proven personal traits andstrengths that can propel you to success.Practice in advance facing all the pressures youwill face on exam day, such as driving to thetesting center or visiting an unfamiliar testingroom.Test yourself by recalling broad concepts ratherthan trying to memorize facts or re-readingtextbooks.Before the test, envision yourself answeringquestions calmly and with confidence.Discuss on The JuggleDo your kids suffer from test anxiety? Have youfound ways to ease the problem?A common study habit—the all-nighter—is a bad idea. Although60% of college students stay up all night at some point inschool, the practice is linked to lower grades, says PamelaThacher, an associate professor of psychology at St. LawrenceUniversity in Canton, N.Y., based on a 2008 study of 120students. It also impairs reasoning and memory for as long asfour days.Everybody knows you should eat breakfast the day of a big test.High-carb, high-fiber, slow-digesting foods like oatmeal arebest, research shows. But what you eat a week in advancematters, too. When 16 college students were tested on attentionand thinking speed, then fed a five-day high-fat, low-carb dietheavy on meat, eggs, cheese and cream and tested again, theirperformance declined. The students who ate a balanced dietthat included fruit and vegetables, however, held steady, saysCameron Holloway, a senior clinical researcher at theUniversity of Oxford. The brain requires a constant supply ofenergy and "has only a limited backup battery," he says.While many teens insist they study better while listening tomusic or texting their friends, research shows the opposite:Information reviewed amid distractions is less likely to berecalled later, says Nicole Dudukovic, assistant professor ofpsychology at Trinity College, Hartford, Conn.In her research, college students categorized and madejudgments about pictures of more than 100 items. Then, theywere tested on a new mix of pictures and asked to recall whichones they had already seen and how they had categorized them;half the time, they were also asked to listen and respond to a setof rhythmic sounds. When the students were tested later, theywere more likely to remember correctly what they had studiedwithout distractions."Students do have this belief that they can do it all and they aren't really being distracted" by music or soundsfrom a noisy cafe, Dr. Dudukovic says. But while the sounds may "make them feel more relaxed," she says, theywon't help them ace the midterm.Bryan Almanza says he did poorly on the PSAT as a high-schoolsophomore because he didn't know how to prepare. He got toolittle sleep the night before and ate only a bowl of cereal forbreakfast. On the test, some hard physics questions made himnervous and distracted, says Mr. Almanza, 18, a senior atCampbell High in Smyrna, Ga. "I'm going to fail," heremembers thinking at the time. A test-prep program at hisschool taught him to get plenty of sleep, eat a good breakfastand pace himself on the test. By staying calm, optimistic andfocused, he raised his score significantly on the SAT.Tips on Conquering Test-Day JittersEven when students are fully prepared, anxiety can be anotherToughest Exam Question: What Is the Best Way to Study? - WS... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297020464450457...2 of 4 9/1/12 12:37 PMJournal CommunityDISCUSSTest prepping doesn't startthe day before or the weekbefore. If that's necessaryyou are already doomed.—Ken CairnesCopyright 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All