I save time via my Do Now today and ask students to clear their desks of all materials except a writing utensil. This gives students a reminder of what we are about to do, and they are able to sharpen pencils and clean up while I take attendance.
I begin the test with the usual reminders:
That said, I call students up to retrieve their annotated texts and test questions. This gives me a chance to check for final make-up assignments. Only a few students have not completed their practice assignments; they will need to do so before taking the test, so their make-up work becomes their focus for the hour. They will need to schedule a time later in the week to take the test.
The test itself is both new and familiar. The text is new (aside from our reading a day prior), but the questions are the same. Analysis and evaluation questions look exactly as they did when we practiced; after all, the skills do not change. Students simply need to determine the central ideas, the supporting textual details, the connections between the central ideas, and the overall effectiveness of the text.
It's a quiet hour, full of pencil scribbling, eraser fluff, and my stealthy meandering to deter unwanted behavior and be near at hand for questions.
Check out one student's results: