Testing has become an integral part of North American education. More and more states and territories are placing greater emphasis on testing results, and parents need to help prepare their children for exams.

As the school year begins, how can parents help their children better prepare for tests?

Whether your child is preparing to take the SAT*, ACT^® or her first math test of the new school year, Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of in-center and live, online tutoring at home to students of all ages and skill levels, offers the following testing tips to help your child achieve academic success:

• Don't try to cram for the test overnight. Proper preparation takes days or weeks of review.
• If you don't know a test answer and can't eliminate any bad answer choices, skip the question and go back when time permits.
• Trust yourself. Rely on your instincts. Never leave an easy question blank. Easy questions have easy answers.
• Read, read, read. Read the questions and answers critically.
• Eliminate answers. If you can eliminate at least two incorrect answers, make an educated guess.
• Stop and check. Every few questions, make sure the question number on the answer sheet corresponds with the question being answered in the question booklet.
• Save your time. Don't spend too much time on any single question. Make sure you have enough time to answer as many questions as possible, in order to rack up as many points as possible.
• Focus on what the question is really asking. If you don't fully understand the question, finding the correct answer is going to be tough.
• Rushing only hurts you. Work at a good pace and keep track of the time remaining for each section. Enter the exam with confidence. If you know the instructions for each section before you begin the test, you won't have to waste time reading them during the exam.
• End each section by reviewing. If time permits, revisit the questions you didn't answer.

Dr. Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D. and senior vice president for education outreach for Sylvan Learning, also offers parents the following do's and don'ts to help children prepare for exams:

DO make sure your child completes homework assignments and class projects. Because tests reflect overall achievement, the more effort your child puts into learning, the more likely he will do well on tests.

DON'T judge your child on the basis of one test score. Test scores are not perfect measures of what your child can achieve, and a variety of factors can influence a test score.

DO, however, use your child's test results to chart her academic progress.   Educational assessments are among the best diagnostic tools educators and parents have at their disposal. By using test results wisely, both you and your child's teacher can build a personalized learning program with home activities that will help your child succeed.

DO support your child. Praise her for what she does well. When your child feels good about herself, she will do her best.

DO provide books and magazines for your child to read at home. Reading new materials can encourage your child to learn new words that might appear on a test. For a suggested age-appropriate reading list, visit www.BookAdventure.com.

DON'T allow your child to skimp on sleep or skip breakfast. Make sure that your child is well rested and eats a well-balanced breakfast on school days - especially the day of a test. A well-rested, healthy body leads to a healthy, active mind.