Short Answer Test Preparation Tips

Most tests contain at least a few short answer questions. The following are proven study and test preparation strategies that will help improve your performance on short answer/essay questions and tests.

• Study for understanding.
  Teachers, professors and instructors typically give short answer and/or essay tests to see how well students have grasped course concepts, their meanings and significance. This has both pros and cons with respect to test preparation and performance. The con is that you can't just just memorize information and expect to do well on a short answer test – you must understand course material and concepts. The pro is that even if you can't remember a specific term, as long as you have a general understanding of the concept in question, you can still develop an answer that is likely to get you full or partial credit. When preparing for short answer tests focus on understanding rather than memorization of facts.

• Focus on topics and concepts.
  As with all types of test questions, the best way to prepare is by studying and becoming intimately familiar with course content, concepts and material. During lectures, try to decipher what types of topics and concepts will be covered on the test by looking for hints provided by the professor. While it's still important to memorize facts and information, try and do so within the framework of important topics that are being explored and concepts that are being taught.

• Employ self testing.
  Make a guess as to what types of concepts will be covered on a test and create some practice questions to prepare yourself for the test. If accessible, study from previous class tests.

• Use flashcards.
  Many students benefit by creating flashcards. On one side of a card, write definitions or other facts, and on the opposite side, write the definition.

• If in doubt, make an educated guess.
  If you are completely unsure about a question, make an educated guess since there is usually no penalty for doing so. Show your work because teachers often provide partial credit if work is shown. Make sure the work you show is accurate.

• Answer the easy questions first.
  When encountering confusing questions, move on to easier ones. Return to tackle more challenging questions once you've answered all the questions for which you know the answer. In some cases, you can decipher clues to answers for difficult questions from questions you've already answered.

• Read all instructions.
  It's critical to carefully read instructions for each short answer question. What exactly is the question asking you? Often short answer questions will ask you to describe, list, compare, contrast, identify, analyze, summarize, or a combination of these. If you describe when you're supposed to compare, or summarize when you've been instructed to analyze, your test performance is going to decrease.

• Budget your time.
  With short answer/essay tests it's easy to lose track of time. At the beginning of the test check to see how many questions on the test and if the test is divided up into sections. Make sure to allocate a specific amount of time per section and per question. You don't want to get halfway through the test and realize you only have a few minutes left. Some short answer questions may be worth substantially more than others. Make sure to allocate time to those questions that are worth the most.

• Reread each question.
  Always reread the question after answering it. It's not uncommon for a short answer question to have multiple parts. For example: "Compare and contrast Frye's and Bartky's accounts of social oppression with respect to gender inequality. List the differences in their views." Answering only part of the short answer question will likely result in only partial credit.

• Ask for clarification.
  If you don't understand a question or find it is a bit confusing, ask your instructor for clarification. Don't be scared to ask. Chances are there are several other students who are struggling to understand it as well.

• Be thorough. But be concise.
  While opinions may differ, most teachers believe a short answer question typically requires a "short" answer. That doesn't mean an answer lacking depth analysis or information. It simply means an answer that is concise and includes just enough information to accurately and fully answer the question being asked. Typically an answer that's longer than necessary isn't going to cause you to lose points, as long as your information is correct. However, if you include incorrect information in your short answer, you'll likely lose points.