ESL Podcast 842 - Taking a Standardized Test

test prep - test preparation; time spent studying a subject and the way in which it will be tested, so that one can try to get the best score possible

Some people are using smart phone applications to study vocabulary words as part of their test prep.

high-stakes testing - the practice of using tests to determine which people are qualified for something, so that the results of the exam have a big impact on that person's future

Does high-stakes testing really help colleges determine which young people will make the best students?

familiarity - a measure of how much one has been exposed to something, understands it, and feels comfortable with it

All of these jobs require familiarity with this accounting computer program.

to score - to receive a certain number of points on an exam or in a game

Only 20% of the people taking this test had a passing score.

to be admitted - to be invited to become a student at a university or to become a member of an organization after one has applied for the opportunity

Charlene was the first woman to be admitted to the club.

to administer - to organize, offer, and supervise an exam at a particular time and place

Is the GRE, the test for graduate school admission, administered overseas?

standardized test - a test that is taken by many people at the same time, where each person answers the same questions and all the tests are scored in the same way

In the United States, most students take standardized tests every year and their teachers' and schools' performance is judged by the results of those tests.

to measure - to assess the size or weight of something; to determine how small or large something is; to assess the value of something

It's important to measure ingredients carefully when you're baking, but you can be more flexible when you're cooking.

tip - a small piece of advice; a suggestion; guidance for doing something well or better than one would otherwise do it

A chef once gave me a great tip: to peel tomatoes, boil them for one minute first and then the skin will come off easily.

multiple choice question - a question on an exam where one selects the correct answer from a list of 4 or 5 possible answers

That was a tricky multiple choice question with no clear right answer.

true-false question - a statement on an exam where one has to indicate whether the statement is true (correct; accurate) or false (incorrect; inaccurate)

Here's an easy true-false question: "The War of 1812 started in 1812. True or false?"

to bubble in - to use a pencil to color in a small circle to indicate the answer one has selected on a standardized test that is graded by a computer

It's important to bubble in the circles completely, or the computer might not be able to read your answer.

sick to death - not wanting to have or do something any more, usually because one has had or done it too much already

Brent tried to be a vegetarian, but soon he was sick to death of eating beans and tofu.

open-ended - a question that cannot be answered with a single word, and instead requires a more detailed response

Drake is trying to improve communication with his teenager daughter by asking open-ended questions, like, "Who did you eat lunch with today?"

essay - a long, well-organized, written response to a statement or question, or a detailed explanation of one's opinion or position

Please write a ten-page essay describing the fall of the Roman Empire.

to bite (one's) tongue - to be quiet; to stop talking about a particular topic

You want to ask for the manager's approval before we change the project's budget? Bite your tongue! She would never approve it, so we'll just do it without asking.

as ready as I'll ever be - a phrase used when one is willing to do something, but does not feel fully prepared and does not really want to do it

A: Are you ready to give your speech? B: I'm very nervous, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be.