How do I tell the number of Valence electrons present in an element just by looking at a periodic table?

I have a question on my test that deals with this, but I don't know what to do in order to find this out. Any help is appreciated! I can post the question, if that would help your explanation.

How do I tell the number of Valence electrons present in an element just by looking at a periodic table I have a question on my test that deals with this but I class=