
now, if you do a first-derivative test on those critical points, check the regions next to them, for example I checked x = 0.5 and x = -0.5, and both gave -2.8125, the value doesn't matter for the test, what matters is the sign, is negative, meaning on that region, the graph has a negative slope and thus is going downwards.
and then I checked x = 2 and x = -2, and both gave 180, which is positive, meaning the original graph is going up there, slope is increasing once you go passed the 1 or -1.
now, checking the inflection points when doing the second-derivative test, x = -1 gives -30, negative, concave down
x = -0.5 gives 7.5, positive, concave up
x = 0.5 gives -7.5, negative, concave down
x = 1 gives 30, positive, concave up
check the picture below, the arrows show the direction the slope going, and therefore how the original function is moving.
notice, before -1 is going up, reaches -1, then it goes down, meaning that's a peak, or maximum.
before 1 is going down, reaches 1 it dives, then goes back up, that's a minimum.