TEST TAKING STRATEGIES
From the Desk of the
Criminal Justice Advisor
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TEST TAKING STRATEGIES
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Test-Taking Strategies
PREPARING FOR TESTS BEFORE YOUR FINAL REVIEW
I. Early in the course find out:
A. The type of exams (ie: essay or short answer v. multiple choice)
B. The date of the exams
C. The scope of the exams (ie: For what information are you responsible? formulas? dates? derivations?)
D. From where does the exam material come? (ie: How much from the readings and how much from the lecture?)
II. Pay special attention to:
A. Things the professor says are on the test (or hints at being important)
B. Material that is not in the book
C. Terms, diagrams, etc. that were put on the board
III. Schedule intermediate reviews for yourself
A. Recite from your lecture notes
B. Take notes from the text and recite from these notes
Note: This prevents a marathon review and strengthens memory
IV. Use old test as study aids (if available)
A. Examine old midterms and finals from the previous semesters
1. these may be on file at the library, the department office, or fraternities
2. find someone who has had the course before and ask about the exams
3. analyze the instructor's style (ie: Does he/she make creativity or memorization, main points or details?)
4. make up practice test questions
B. Use your earlier tests
1. analyze your mistakes
a. did misread the question?
b. did you fail to get something important in your notes?
c. did you misinterpret something in the course?
d. did you forget something?
2. note the grader’s comments
3. analyze the instructor's testing style
FINAL REVEEW BEFORE AN EXAM
I. Review (How?)
A. Take notes on text material if you haven't already; use your highlighting/underlining as a guide.
B. Recite from your lecture and text notes.
C. Make summary sheets of the most important material and any important unlearned material
D. Recite from your summary sheets
II. Memorize Lists
Note: To memorize lists on your summary sheets, use mnemonic devices like acronyms
(VISTA= Volunteers in Service To America) or sentences (Every Good Boy Does Fine=the lines of the treble staff in music)
III. Meet with other students
A. Find one, two or three well-prepared students
B. Have an organized agenda to compare perceptions of the main points and possible test questions
C. Don't get bogged down on minor points
D. Don't take someone else's word on a point you are not sure about. Look it up later!
IV. Pay Special Attention to:
A. Material from the early part of the course
B. Confusing material
C. Concepts and Principles
V. Anticipate Test Questions
A. Prepare main point outlines for anticipated questions
1. Include specific details
2. Write out the questions
B. Don't expect to anticipate all the test questions
VI. Get Enough Sleep!!!!
VII. Eat Something Before the Test
IF YOU HAVE TO "CRAM"
If you only have one or two days before the exam and you haven't done much of the reading, remember: BE INTELLIGENT ABOUT CRAMING!
I. How to Cram for Essay Tests
A. Recite from and review your lecture notes
B. Survey the readings
1. Read the chapter summaries carefully
2. Get a general idea of the main points of the reading
3. Don't leave out whole sections of material
4. Take notes on the highlights--BE SELECTIVE
C. Take summary notes of the highlights of all your notes and recite from these.
II. How to Cram for Objective Tests
A. Review and recite from your lecture notes
B. Learn new terms
C. Read as much as you can
III. Get Some Sleep!!
THE DAY OF THE EXAM
I. Psych yourself up--Be confident!
II. In the Morning
A. Set your alarm with enough time to get to the exam without worrying
B. Have the proper materials
1. 2 pencils/pens
2. eraser
3. calculator and spare battery (if necessary)
4. any books or notes that are allowed
C. Glance over your notes
D. Relax immediately before the test (Have a cup of coffee, read a newspaper)
E. Avoid conversations about the subject matter, it can throw you off balance
F. Don't study the last hour before the test
G. Eat something light to give you energy
III. Get to the exam room early enough to:
A. Get a good seat
1. Blackboard is in view
2. Clock is in view
3. Light is adequate
4. Distracting people are not near you
B. Glance over your notes one last time
C. Relax for a second. Take slow, deep breathes
IV. Handle Test Anxiety
A. Its natural. Just accept it. Remember: some anxiety is good for motivation.
B. If you have too much anxiety:
1. Take your mind off self-defeating thoughts
a. Before the test:
(1) Picture your summary notes and review
(2) Think briefly about the relaxed aftermath
(3) Take several deep breaths and concentrate on relaxing your whole body
b. During the test, think about the test items, not about how you are doing
2. If anxiety interferes regularly, you may want to schedule an appointment with the Counseling Center to join one of their test anxiety workshops
How to Take Objective Tests
I. Write Your Name
II. Survey the Test
A. Glance at all the pages
1. How long is it?
2. Are you missing any pages?
3. What types of questions are there? (ie: multiple choice, matching, etc.)
B. At the top of the paper, write the halfway time and the halfway question number
III. Write Out Any Lists You Memorized onto the Exam Sheet
IV. Read the Directions CAREFULLY
A. Is there a penalty for guessing? (If not, answer ALL the questions)
B. Are all the questions weighted equally?
C. For multiple choice: is there one correct choice for each question?
D. For True/False: do you have to write explanations?
E. For short answer: do you have to write in complete sentences?
F. If you find the directions unclear, ASK!
V. Answer the Easy Questions First
A. Why? Because:
1. You won't mess any easy questions by running out of time
2. It builds confidence
3. Some questions answer other questions
4. You may spontaneously remember answers to hard questions later
B. Skip difficult questions and mark them with an "X" in the margin to return to them later
C. Answer questions you are unsure about and mark them with a "?" in the margin to return to them later.
VI. Answering Questions
A. Cross out both negatives of a double negative
B. Underline dogmatic terms
Note: Statements containing them are usually false because few things in the world meet the requirements of "always", "never" , etc.
C. True/False
1. If the statement contains "and", both clauses have to be true for the statement to be true.
2. If the statement contains "or", only one clause has to be true for the statement to be true.
D. Fill-in: If you blank out, write SOMETHING
E. Matching: read all the items before making any matches
F. Multiple Choice:
1. Try to recall the answers before reading the choices
2. If each item is a number of true/false questions in one
a. Cross out the letter of the obviously false choice
b. As you read the choices, circle the letter of the choices that seem likely to be the best
c. Read al the choices
3. Select the best choice; if two or more choices are correct, choose the most specific one
4. Do not pay any attention to how may of each choice you have marked
VII. Checking Your Answers
A. Use all the time allowed
B. Make sure:
1. AU questions are answered
2. AU choices are clearly marked
3. All OIX9 s" and "?'s" in the margins have been erased
4. On a computer scored answer sheet, make sure all the answer sheet numbers correspond to the exam question numbers
Preparing For Essay Tests
I. Predict Questions From Your Notes
A. Short answer questions
1. If your notes list a group of people or things, the kind of essay question to predict is a short answer question
2. Short answer questions usually include one of the following words: list, name, define, or identify
B. Trace questions
1. If your notes show the steps in a process or the listing and development of something, you should predict a trace question
2. Some key words or phrases usually found in trace questions are: "describe the steps in..."; "outline the history of..."; "trace the events leading up to..."; "trace the development of ... "
C. Compare and contrast questions
1. If your notes describe two or more things that have some
features which are similar and some which are different, predict a compare and contrast question
2. Words or phrases found in these questions might be " compare and contrast. "show the similarities and differences..."; "tell how two things are alike and different... "; "weigh the advantages and disadvantages..."
D. Discussion questions
1. If your notes describe the effects of one thing on another, the significance of a particular event, or the role of a specific individual, predict a discussion question
2. These questions often begin: "discuss the significance of..."; "discuss the role of..."; "discuss the effect of..."; "discuss the relationship between..."
II. Practice Writing Answers to the Questions You Predict
III. Plan Your Approach to Answering the Actual Test Question
A. Note points assigned to each question and allot your time accordingly
B. If you have a problem with a question, go on to the next one and return to the first
later
C. Make brief, concise notes for each essay question
Tips on Writing an Essay Exam
NOTE: Examination writing is often considered a skill. This skill can be improved by instruction and following certain steps in writing the exam. These steps are:
1. Set up a time schedule. If six questions are to be answered in 45 minutes, allow yourself only 5 minutes for each. When the time is up for one question, stop writing and begin the next. The-re will be 15 minutes remaining when the last question is completed. The incomplete answers can be finished during that time. If one question is worth more points, allot more time to write it.
2. Read through the questions once. Answers will come to mind immediately for some questions. Write down key words, listings, etc. now when they are fresh in mind. Otherwise these ideas may be blocked (or be unavailable) when the time comes to write the later questions. This reduces "clutching" or panic. Note: usually FEAR disrupts thoughts!
3. Before attempting to answer a question, I look at the directive words. Your instructor may give specific directions on how to write your answer. If he/she wants you to evaluate a philosophical theory, you won't get full credit if you just describe the theory. Make sure you know what you are being asked to do.
4. Outline the answer before writing. Whether the instructor realized it or not, he/she is greatly influenced by the compactness and clarity of an organized answer. It is usually time consuming and futile to just start writing and hope the answer will come to you. A well presented answer that has less information is many times graded better than a poorly presented and long winded answer where the instructor has to search for the information included in the answer.
5. Take time to write an introduction and a summary. The introduction will consist of the main point to be made; the summary is simply a paraphrasing of the introduction. A good essay has a beginning and an ending and is very satisfying to the reader. Be sure that your answer is direct and really answers the question.
6. Take time at the end to re-read the essay. When writing in haste, one tends to misspell words, omit words or phrases, omit parts of questions, and misstate dates and figures. In a word--PROOFREAD!!!
7. Qualify answers when in doubt. It is better to say "toward the end of the 19th century" than to say "in 1894" when you can't remember if its 1884 or 1894. When possible, avoid very deflate statements, unless specified in the question.
