Although I have not been in the classroom for the last two years to administer the New Standards test, below are a few of the practices I had used previously. 1. Using a standards-based program of instruction. 2. Lots of conversation with kids about what resources they can use, and what is and is not appropriate during the test. 3. Practice using released tasks. My school has since purchased the practice tests which are used. 4. Lots of encouragement to pump kids up so they give it their best shot, and coaching about the way scoring is done so they understand that a reasonable attempt will get them some score, whereas a blank is always a zero. This seemed to assure them that they could attempt an item that they might otherwise have skipped, and complete what they could on it, even if they could not reach a final solution. 5. Setting the expectation of extended hard work during the exam. I brought in ice water for the tables and kept kids' cups filled and made Chex Mix for them to snack on as they worked. I believe it set a tone that helped them continue to work and remain focused.