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Many factors contribute to how well you perform on a
test, including time management, physical and psychological well being,
reading skills, note-taking skills, test-taking skills, learning skills,
memory, writing skills, etc. We can divide test preparation into four
phases and offer some tips for each one.
1. Daily
preparation
Collect tools for use in course
Plan a realistic reading/study schedule
Read and study actively
Create a well-organized notebook
Create basic vocabulary list
Annotate class notes
Number and organize handouts
Save past quizzes/tests
Read and mark textbook prior to class
2. Five day intensive
review before test date
Listen carefully in class for clues as to what's
going to be on the test
Prioritize the material for study
Reorganize course material; divide the content
Identify strategies to learn material that suit the test's format
Predict test questions
Spend some time with a classmate to share test questions ideas
Get a good night's sleep for two days prior to the exam
3. The day of
the test
Review the material lightly the day of the test
Arrive early
Adopt the correct attitude-be self-confident, alert, calm, and see
the test as a challenge
Avoid cramming right before the test
Read all directions
Skim the entire test before beginning.
Budget your time based on difficulty of questions, assigned values,
etc.
Bring a watch to keep track of time
Work on the easiest questions first
Consider writing down formulas or other difficult to remember
information before starting the test.
Read questions carefully. Answer all parts of the question.
Pay particular attention to essay guiding words to organize your
answers
Briefly outline your answers for essay questions
On essay tests, leave space at the end of your answers in case you
remember more later.
Be neat
Check your paper before turning it in.
4. After the test
Determine where the information on the test came from
(especially for missed questions)
Determine why you specially missed questions
Take steps to better prepare for future tests.
Test Wise Tips
Knowing the content of an exam is the
best preparation, but being smart about taking tests can give you an
added boost.
Objective Exams
True/false
--watch for qualifying words (all, most, some, none, always, usually,
sometimes, never, much, little, no, equal, less, good,
bad). Absolutes are generally not true.
--for a statement to be true, the entire statement must be true.
--long statements are more likely to be true than short statements.
--be careful not to consider wild exceptions to the statement.
Multiple Choice
--read the entire question carefully, including all options
(distracters).
--look for the best answer; more than one choice may be true.
--eliminate incorrect responses by crossing them out.
--when two answers are close, one is probably right.
--do not use an answer that is grammatically incorrect.
--"all of the above" types of responses are likely to be
the right answer.
--the longest most inclusive answer is generally right.
--don't spend too much time on difficult questions; mark those
answers to return to later.
--pay special attention to words like "not,"
"except," and "but."
--guess if you don't know the answer and there is no penalty.
--eliminate obviously wrong or silly answers.
--when two options are identical, both must be wrong.
--when two answers are opposites, one must be wrong, the other is
often right.
--the answer to one question may be in the stem of another.
--when you have no idea what answer is right, the middle options are
more likely on nonstandardized tests.
--when given quantities as responses, the middle options are more
likely to be correct.
Matching
--Read all items in each list before beginning.
--Check off items used from the right hand list to eliminate choices.
Subjective Exams
Short-Answer
--Organize your thoughts and write them down simply and directly.
--Answer questions you are sure of first, then return to those later
that you have skipped.
Essay
--College teachers think reasoning ability, factual accuracy,
relevance, organization, completeness and clarity are the most
important qualities.
--Brainstorm before starting to write.
--Outlining is a good idea.
--Organize your answer according to the cue words used in the
question.
A Practice Test
Answer the following questions using the test-wise tips given above.
Section One: Identify the best
response for each question.
1. The speed of light is:
A. 3700 miles per hour
B. 186,000 miles per second
C. 0
D. 186 miles per second
2. A kilogram is equal to
A. 2.5 pounds
B. 1000 grams
C. 22 pounds
D. 2 pounds 8 ounces
3. A proton is a
A. positively charged particle
B. free atom
C. negatively charged particle
D. displaced neutron
4. In the United States, inferior intellectual
development is most often caused by
A. poor nutrition
B. divorce
C. the combined effects of heritability and environmental deprivation
D. television
5. The fribbled breg will snicker best with an
A. mors.
B. ignu
C. derst
D. sortar
6. What probable causes are indicated when tristal
doss occurs in compots?
A. The sabs foped and the doths tinzed
B. The kredges roted with the rots
C. Rakogs were not accepted in the sluth.
D. Polats were thonced in the sluth.
7. Why does the sigla frequently overfesk the trelsum?
A. All siglas are mellious
B. Siglas are always votial
C. The trelsum is usually tarious
D. No trelsa are directly feskable
8. The snickering function of the ignu is most
effectively performed in connection with which one of the following
snicker
snacks?
A. arazma tol.
B. fribbled breg
C. groshed stantol
D. frallied stantol.
Section Two: Choose
"true" or "false" for each statement.
9. _________ Intelligence always declines rapidly in
later life
10. __________ Social learning theory, as proposed by
Albert Bandura, emphasizes the impact of the environment on
the individual.
11. __________Since most college students drink to
excess, college students on probation frequently suffer from anxiety.
Section Three: What are the
guide words (the words that indicate how the answers should be
organized) in the following questions?
12. Albert Bandura is famous for introducing social
learning theory to psychology. Identify the major principles of social
learning theory. Then illustrate the theory by discussing an example
of social learning.
13. Trace the development of the drive-in movie
theater in the United States.
14. Summarize the four stages of test preparation.
15. Compare the two kinds of eye movements: saccadic
and pursuit.
ANSWER KEY
1b, 2b, 3a, 4c, 5b, 6a, 7c, 8b, 9 false, 10 true, 11 false, 12
identify and illustrate, 13 trace, 14 summarize, 15 compare
References
The information provided above was adapted from these
sources.
Study tips: How to study effectively and get better
grades, by William H. Armstrong
More learning in less time: A guide to effective study, by Norma Kahn
Study strategies for college, by Theodore O. Knight
Passports to college success, by Baldwin, Schatz, and Weiss
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