I really liked the checklist provided in Gilmore. It gives the student an actual strategy. I never even thought about revising test essays on my own work. I just write them as soon as I can and turn them in; plus i didn't want too many scratch marks on my paper. Now I see that the extra time I had could have gotten me a better grade.
I think the order in which Gilmore puts his checklist works very well. I was never taught what the passive voice was until maybe my sophmore year of college, which I thought was far too later. i still use the passive voice informally and it comes naturally to students. Revisiting verbs as the second step in his process is one of the most important items on the list. In revision it will strengthen arguements and your whole writing. Using dull verbs makes writing and reading dull.
The rest of the checklist works great for revisions of all kinds, not just on tests.
These revising strategies are really great for showing students exactly what is expected of them on tests. Another good point of this chapter is to let students know what test assessments on standardized tests look for. Thoughts and organization tell them much more about the student that small spelling errors. On-demand or timed essays should be practiced regularly in the classroom. Essays for tests, or informal assessments for student knowledge on lessons can help students practice writing, which should improve their test taking for standardized tests.
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