Test Taking

How do you prepare for tests?

FIND OUT AS MUCH ABOUT THE EXAM IN ADVANCE AS YOU CAN.

Some professors will tell you how many questions there will be, what format the exam will be in, how much time you will have, etc., and others will not. I encourage students to ask questions about the exam if there is no information given. I also encourage students to ask those questions before class, after class, in professors’ office hours or via e-mail rather than during class.

KNOW THE TEST TO HAVE A STRATEGY

If you know how many questions, what the format is, and/or how much time you will have, you can start to mentally prepare for the exam much more so than if you are coming in with no information. There are two more important aspects that you may or may not know: a) what will be covered or asked on the exam; b) how the exam will be scored. Obviously, the more you know about what will be covered, the easier it is for you to be able to prepare for the exam. Most exam scoring is standardized, but not always.

The more information you have about the exam, the better you can prepare for content, allocation of time spent on aspects of the exam, and the more confident you will be in knowing how and when to attempt to answer questions.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY

Before the exam, it is important to prepare your brain and body for optimal performance for your exam. Do not cram the night before. Get a good night’s sleep. Make sure you eat (nutritiously) before the exam. I recommend exercising the day before and if possible a few hours before the exam.

TIPS FOR PRIORITIZING WHAT YOU STUDY

Whether you take one or more than one class, it’s simply impossible to retain every single particle of information you encounter in a textbook or lecture. And, instructors don’t generally give open-book exams or allow their students to preview the quizzes or tests ahead of time. 

So, how can you decide what to study? The answer is to prioritize what you’re trying to learn and memorize, rather than trying to tackle all of it. Below are some strategies to help you do this.

• Think about concepts rather than facts: From time to time, you’ll need to memorize cold, hard facts—like a list of math equations or a vocabulary list in a Spanish class. Most of the time, though, instructors will care much more that you are learning about the key concepts in a subject or course—i.e., how photosynthesis works, how to write a thesis statement, the causes of the French Revolution, and so on. For example, Jennifer might have been more successful with her studying—and felt better about it—if she had focused on the important historical developments (the “big ideas”) discussed in class, as opposed to trying to memorize a long list of dates and facts.

• Take cues from your instructor: Pay attention to what your instructor writes on the board or includes in study guides and handouts. Although these may be short—just a list of words and phrases, say—they are likely core concepts that you’ll want to focus on. Also, instructors tend to refer to important concepts repeatedly during class, and they may even tell you what’s important to know before an exam or other assessment.

• Look for key terms: Textbooks will often put key terms in bold or italics. These terms and their definitions are usually important and can help you remember larger concepts.

• Use summaries: Textbooks often have summaries or study guides at the end of each chapter. These summaries are a good way to check in and see whether you grasp the main elements of the reading. If no summary is available, try to write your own—you’ll learn much more by writing about what you read than by reading alone.

What are strategies for specific test questions?

1. TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS

• Look for qualifiers. A qualifier is a word that is absolute. Examples are all, never, no, always, never, none, every, only, entirely. They are often seen in false statements. This is because it is more difficult to create a true statement using a qualifier like never, no, always, etc. For example, “All cats chase mice.” Cats may be known for chasing mice, but not all of them do so. The answer here is false and the qualifier “all” gave us a tip. Qualifiers such as: sometimes, many, some, most, often, and usually are commonly found in true statements. For example: “Most cats chase mice.” This is true and the qualifier “most” gave us a tip.

• Make sure to read the entire statement. All parts of a sentence must be true if the whole statement is to be true. If one part of it is false, the whole sentence is false. Long sentences are often false for this reason.

• Students should guess on True or False questions they do not know the answer to unless there is a penalty for an incorrect answer.

2. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

• Think of multiple choice questions as four (or five) true or false statements in one. One of the statements is true (the correct answer) and the others will be false. Apply the same strategy toward qualifiers. If you see an absolute qualifier in one of the answer choices, it is probably false and not the correct answer. Try to identify the true statement. If you can do this, you have the answer as there is only one. If you cannot do this at first, try eliminating answers you know to be false.

• If there is no penalty for incorrect answers, my suggestion is to guess if you are not certain of the answer. If there is a penalty for incorrect answers, common logic is to guess if you can eliminate two of the answers as incorrect (pending what the penalty is). If there’s a penalty and you cannot narrow down the answers, it’s best to leave it blank. You may wish to ask your instructor for clarification.

• Answers that are strange and unrelated to the question are usually false. If two answers have a word that looks or sounds similar, one of those is usually correct. For example abductor/ adductor. If you see these as two of the four or five choices, one of them is usually correct. Also look for answers that are grammatically incorrect. These are usually incorrect answers. 

3. MATCHING QUESTIONS

• Although less common than the other types of exams, you will likely see some matching exams during your time in college. First, read the instructions and take a look at both lists to determine what the items are and their relationship. It is especially important to determine if both lists have the same number of items and if all items are to be used, and used only once.

• Matching exams become much more difficult if one list has more items than the other or if items either might not be used or could be used more than once. If your exam instructions do not discern this, you may wish to ask your instructor for further clarification. I advise students to take a look at the whole list before selecting an answer because a more correct answer may be found further into the list. Mark items when you are sure you have a match (pending the number of items in the list this may eliminate answers for the future). Guessing (if needed) should take place once you have selected answers you are certain about.

4. SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS

• Read all of the instructions first. Budget your time and then read all of the questions. Answer the ones you know best or feel the most confident with. Then go back to the other ones. If you do not know the answer and there is no penalty for incorrect answers, guess. Use common sense. Sometimes instructors will award partial credit for a logical answer that is related even if it is not the correct answer.

5. ESSAY QUESTIONS

• Keep in mind that knowing the format of the exam can help you determine how to study. If I know that I am taking a True-False exam, I know that I will need to discern whether a statement is True or False. I will need to know subject content for the course. But if I am studying for a short answer and especially for essay questions, I must know a lot more. For essay questions, I must have much greater content knowledge and be able to make a coherent argument that answers the question using information from textbooks, lectures or other course materials. I have to place a lot more time and thought into studying for an essay exam than for True-False or Multiple-Choice exams.

• Read the essay question(s) and the instructions first. Plan your time wisely and organize your answer before you start to write. Address the answer to the question in your first or second sentence. It may help to restate the original question. Write clearly and legibly. Instructors have difficulty grading essays that they cannot read. Save some time for review when you have finished writing to check spelling, grammar and coherent thought in your answer. Make sure you have addressed all parts of the essay question.

What is an effective strategy while taking a test? [10]

This excerpt "10 Steps for Better Test Taking" by Paul Nolting was originally developed specific to math tests.  But it can be used when taking any test.   

Step 1 - Use a memory data dump.  

• Upon receiving your test, before writing your name on it, before skimming it, before anything else, turn it over and just write down those facts, figures and formulas from your mental cheat sheet or other information you might not remember during the test.  Your mental cheat sheet has now turned into a mental list and writing down this information is not cheating.  This is called your first memory data dump.  The data dump provides memory cues for test questions.

• Example: It might otherwise take you a while to remember how to do a coin word problem.  However, if you immediately turned your test over and wrote down different ways of solving coin word problems, it will be easier to solve a coin word problem when you come to it.

Step 2 - Preview the test.  

• Put your name on the test and start previewing.  Previewing the test requires you to look through the entire test to find different types of problems and their point values.  Put a mark by the questions that you can do without thinking.  These are the questions that you will solve first.

Step 3 - Do a second memory data dump.  

• The secondary data dump is for writing down material that was jarred from your memory while previewing the test.  Write this information on the back of the test.

Step 4 - Develop a test progress schedule.  

• When you begin setting up a test schedule, determine the point value for each question.  You might have some test questions that are worth more points than others.

• In some tests, word problems are worth five points and other questions might be worth two or three points.  You must decide the best way to get the most points in the least amount of time.  This might mean working the questions worth two or three points first and leaving the more difficult word problems for last.

• Decide how many problems should be completed half-way though the test.  You should have more than half the problems completed by that time.

Step 5 - Answer the easiest problems first.  

• Solve, in order, the problems you marked while previewing the test.  Then, review the answers to see if they make sense.  Start working through the test as fast as you can while being accurate.  Answers should be reasonable.

• Example: The answer to a problem asking you to find the area of a rectangle cannot be negative, and the answer to a land-rate-distance problem cannot be 1,000 miles per hour.

• Clearly write down each step to get partial credit, even if you end up missing the problem.  In most math tests, the easier problems are near the beginning of the first page; you need to answer them efficiently and quickly.  This will give you both more time for the harder problems and time to review.

Step 6 - Skip difficult problems.  

• If you find a problem that you do not know how to work, read it twice and automatically skip it.  Reading it twice will help you understand the problem and put it into your working memory.  While you are solving other problems, your mind is still working on that problem.  Difficult problems could be the type of problem you have never seen before or a problem in which you get stuck on the second or third step.  In either case, skip the problem and go on to the next one.

Step 7 - Review the skipped problems.  

• When working the skipped problems, think how you have solved other, similar problems as a cue to solving the skipped ones.  Also, try to remember how the instructor solved that type of problem on the board.

• While reviewing skipped problems, or at any other time, you may have the "Ah, ha!" response.  The "Ah, ha!" response is your remembering how to do a skipped problem.  Do not wait to finish your current problem.  Go to the problem on which you had the "Ah ha" and finish that problem.  If you wait to finish your current problem, your "Ah, ha!" response could turn into an "Oh, no!" response.

Step 8 - Guess at the remaining problems.  

• Do as much work as you can on each problem, even if it is just writing down the first step.  If you cannot write down the first step, rewrite the problem.  Sometimes rewriting the problem can jar your memory enough to do the first step or even the entire problem.  If you leave the problem blank, you will get a zero.  Do not waste too much time on guessing or trying to work the problems you cannot do.

Step 9 - Review the test.  

• Look for careless errors or other errors you may have made.  Students usually lose two to five test points on errors that could have been caught in review.  Do not talk yourself out of an answer just because it may not look right.  This often happens when an answer does not come out even.  It is possible for the answer to be a fraction or decimal.

• Remember: Answers in math do not have "dress codes."  Research reveals that the odds of changing a right answer to a wrong answer are greater than the odds of changing a wrong answer to a right one.

Step 10 - Use all the allowed test time.  

• Review each problem by substituting the answer back into the equation or doing the opposite function required to answer the question.  If you cannot check the problem by the two ways mentioned, rework the problem on a separate sheet of paper and compare the answers.  Do not leave the test room unless you have reviewed each problem two times or until the bell rings.

• Remember: There is no prize for handing your test in first, and students who turn their papers in last do make "A's."

• Stapling your scratch paper to the math test when handing it in has several advantages: If you miscopied the answer from the scratch paper, you can probably get credit for the answers. If you get the answer incorrect due to a careless error, your work on the scratch paper could give you a few points. If you do get the problem wrong, it will be easier to locate errors when the instructor reviews the test.  Do not make the same mistakes on the next math test.

What should you do after taking a test?[8]

Two of the most important messages that students hear from teachers are “Don’t be afraid to fail” and “Learn from your mistakes—yours, mine, and ours.” The idea of “learning from one’s mistakes” seems straightforward enough . . . but how does one actually do it? After all, who isn’t disappointed to get a low grade on anything—a test, a quiz, a paper, a project? We all want to do well. 

Consider the following college students evaluating their own performance:

• "I recently took a general biology exam and I was so certain that I got all questions right—that I got a 100 percent on the exam. Then I found out this morning that I got a 94 percent! And what annoys me more than the grade is the fact that my mistakes were dumb. Why did I make dumb mistakes? The tests are timed and I don’t have much time to check my answers."[3]

• "I’m so mad at myself. I’ve tried everything, I come back to look at the answer after I’ve completed the rest of the test. I go over the answers carefully. It seems as though no matter what I do I can’t catch my mistakes. I just did it on an accounting test. I missed one question because I didn’t notice the answer was “All of the above.” I have the same problem in another class."

At times we can be hard on ourselves, especially if we feel we could have done better. Learning from mistakes takes practice and reinforcement. Mistakes can be one of the most important events that happen in a classroom because they tell you where you need to focus next.[4]

After you get over the disappointment of making a mistake in the first place, the next step is to home in on why you made it. That's the learning opportunity. Below are some tips for following up on - and addressing - a range of errors that students commonly make on exams and other assessments.

Chew emphasizes the following points:

What not to do:

• Don’t panic

• Don’t go into denial

What to do:

• Do examine how you prepared; be honest with yourself

• Do review the exam; compare errors with notes taken

• Do talk with your professor

• Do examine your study habits

• Do develop a plan

Helpful strategies to raise your grade:

• Commit time and effort

• Minimize distractions

• Attend class

• Set realistic goals

• Don’t begin to slide

• Don’t give away points

Don’t be the student who . . .

• Keeps studying the same way, hoping to improve

• Waits until the end of the term to ask for help

• Skips class to focus on other classes

• Falls further behind waiting to find time to catch up

• Crams at the last minute

• Doesn’t do assignments because they are small or late

• Panics and gives up

Correcting Your Mistakes

The second step in making your test work for you is to correct your wrong answers. The last time you wrote the information (when you took the test), you created a link to wrong information in your memory, so that must be corrected.

• For multiple-choice questions, write out the question stem with the correct answer to form a single correct sentence or phrase.

• For true-or-false questions, write the full statement if it is true; if it is false, reword it in such a way that it is true (such as by inserting the word “not”). Then write the new statement.

• For math and science questions involving calculations, redo the entire solution with the calculations written out fully.

• You need not rewrite an entire essay question if you did not do well, but you should create a new outline for what would be a correct answer. Make sure you incorporate any ideas triggered by your instructor’s comments.

• When you have rewritten all your answers, read them all out loud before incorporating your new answers in your notes.

Integrating Your Test into Your Study Guide

Your corrected quizzes and midterm exams are an important study tool for final exams. Make sure you file them with your notes for the study unit. Take the time to annotate your notes based on the exam. Pay particular attention to any gaps in your notes on topics that appeared in the quiz or exam. Research those points in your text or online and complete your notes. Review your exams throughout the term (not just before the final) to be sure you cement the course material into your memory.

When you prepare for the final exam, start by reviewing your quizzes and other tests to predict the kinds of questions the instructor may ask on the final. This will help focus your final studying when you have a large amount of coursework to cover.

If You Don’t Get Your Test Back

If your instructor chooses not to return tests to students, make an appointment to see the instructor soon after the test to review it and your performance. Take notes on what you had trouble with and the expected answers. Add these notes to your study guide. Make sure you don’t lose out on the opportunity to learn from your results.

How do you analyze your test performance to Improve?

When you receive your test back, sit quietly and take a close look at it. What questions did you get wrong? What kind of mistakes were they? Do you see a pattern? What questions did you get right? What were your strengths? What can you learn from the instructor’s comments?

Now think of the way in which you prepared for the exam and the extent to which you applied the exam strategies described earlier in this chapter. Were you prepared for the exam? Did you study the right material? What surprised you? Did you read the entire test before starting? Did your time allocation work well, or were you short of time on certain parts of the exam?

Test Taking Errors and Where to Focus Next [9]

1. I didn’t read the directions correctly. 

   • Read all directions slowly and carefully. Underline or highlight keywords so that you affirm your clear understanding. 

2. I didn’t read the question properly. 

   • Sometimes the brain sees what it wants to see rather than what is actually written or presented. This can happen if you didn’t study the right material or if you wanted to answer a question that isn’t quite the question you are being asked. If you are in a high-pressure situation, mistakes can be all the more an issue. Read each question thoroughly, then read it again. Underline or highlight keywords.

3. I was careless. 

   •  Watch carefully for simple mistakes as you work on each problem. Save time to review each problem step-by-step. Check again before you submit. 

4. I just didn’t understand. 

   • Go back to your study materials, textbook, or media and learn why you missed the problems. Talk with your instructor. 

5. I knew the concept but I didn’t apply it properly to the problem. 

   • When you are studying, practice predicting the type of problems that will be on the test. Ask in advance. 

6. I messed up on the last part of the test. This seems to be a recurring problem. 

   • If you find that you consistently miss more questions in a certain part of a test, use your remaining test time to review that part of the test first.

7. I didn’t complete the full problem. 

   • When you review your test before turning it in, review the last step of a problem first. When the last steps are checked, then you can do a review of the full test. 

8. I changed a few test answers from the correct ones to incorrect ones. 

   • If you find this happening regularly, try not to second-guess yourself. You can write on your test “Don’t change the answers.” Only change answers if you have double-checked and if you can prove to yourself that the changed answer is correct. 

9. I got stuck on one problem and spent too much time on it. 

   • Set a time limit for each problem before moving to the next one. 

10. I have a tendency to rush through the easiest part of the test, and then I make silly errors

    • After finishing the test, review the easy problems first, then review the harder problems. But do try to answer the easiest questions first; this way you get good points right off the bat, which can also increase your confidence. Answer trickier questions after the easier ones. 

11. I had the correct answer on my scratch sheet but I copied it wrong onto the test. 

    • Systematically compare your last problem step on scratch paper with the answer on the test. Place your scratch paper on top of the test paper, not off to the side. 

12. I left some answers blank. 

    • It usually pays to write something rather than nothing. Insert minimal information or the first step, etc.

13. I studied the wrong type of material. 

    • Participating in a study group can help keep individuals on the right track. Start studying well in advance of an exam. Give yourself time to discover and focus. 

14. I left the exam room a bit early or ended the test online early. 

    • You may be tempted to leave the exam room as soon as you believe you are truly done, but force yourself to take a little more time to review your work. You may find areas that could use tweaking, perhaps even spelling or grammar errors. Patience pays off. 

15. I was tired. 

    • Your body chemistry can help or hinder you during a test. Get a good night’s rest the night before an exam. Eat a solid breakfast in the morning. Avoid sugary items because they can cause your blood sugar to drop and make you sleepy or foggy brained. Some students meditate beforehand to clear and focus the mind and affirm an intention to do well. 

16. I feel deflated by my grade. 

    • You can learn from any mistakes and do better next time. Study more, review mistakes, and be sure to congratulate yourself for getting through the exam. Identify one fun thing you are proud of and happy about.