The SOLs are right around the corner! Here’s everything you need to know, includingstudying and test taking tips!To start, who actually has to take the SOLs? All high school students are required to haveone verified math credit and one verified science credit to graduate. This means that youhave to pass an SOL in both subjects. So all freshmen, as well as any other students whohave not yet passed one or both, will be taking their appropriate math and science SOL.Freshmen who took a high school level math SOL in middle school (this would be Algebra 1and/or Geometry) still must take one in high school, but from my understanding, you don’thave to pass it. It is still important that you try your best on it though! The science SOL is onApril 28th, and the math SOL is on April 29th. Juniors will be taking the reading SOL on April30th. Any freshman that is taking both biology and chemistry this year will be taking bothSOLs but will take the biology SOL on the 28th and the chemistry SOL on a different day. Askyour counselor for more information.Studying is super important for any test but knowing how to study is sometimes the hardpart. First, choose a quiet, clean space where you can work without interruption ordistraction. Gather everything you’ll need - a pencil, paper, calculator, notebooks,computer - so you can work efficiently. Of course, you’ll need to know what to use to study.Two great websites to use specifically for the SOL are SolPass and the Virginia PracticeItems in TestNav. Also look for any notes or practices your teachers have given youthroughout the year. Find a friend to study with – someone you know you can work wellwith – because that will always make studying more enjoyable.The biggest tip I can give you is not to cram your studying into the weekend before the tests.Creating a study schedule and following it consistently can help you learn more effectivelyand retain the information better. Study steadily during the week, but don’t forget to takebreaks and reward yourself for working hard. And remember to sleep well the night before!Now let’s dive into some test taking tips! Some of these you may have already heard of,and some may be brand new to you, but these are great testing tips to do your best on theSOL. First off, read the directions and questions entirely before looking at any answerchoices! You don’t want to make silly mistakes or jump to conclusions. After reading thequestion, try to come up with the answer in your head before looking at the answerchoices. This will help you avoid getting tricked. If you can’t find the answer you came upwith, go through and eliminate answer choices. You can usually get down to one or twoanswers by doing this, and if you get stuck between two, make an educated guess. Here’sa little secret: typically, the correct answer is the one with the most information.Do a brain dump! This is a tip that I always use, and I’ve found it super helpful. At the verybeginning of the test, before you go through and start answering questions, write downeverything you remember on your scratch paper. Write down formulas, mnemonics andacronyms, diagrams, vocabulary, specific numbers or patterns, literally anything andeverything that could show up on the test. This way you won’t have to pull them out of yourmemory one by one every time they come up. You can also practice doing brain dumpsahead of time, so on test day you know exactly what to write down and it won’t take upmuch of your testing time.All the studying and testing tips I’ve shared above can be helpful on any quizzes or testsyou’ll take in the future, and I hope you find them specifically helpful on your upcomingSOLs.If you still have questions or can’t find the information you need, check with your counselorbefore test day. Good luck!