Test Taking 101

the academic enhancement program is designed to assist students to be
successful in college
one of the major challenges that students face
is learning how to pass exams
or earn good test grades
tests are designed to tell you how well you understand the subject matter
tests are also use to let the instructor know how well they communicated the
information
an determine if there areas he or she would need to spend more time on
and instructor generally uses the points from the exam
to determine what type of grade they will assign you
grades matter
they really define your performance in college
and you'll be surprised that employers will want to review them
even if you've been in the workforce for five to ten years
so it is important to take every exam seriously
today we are going to examine steps to test taking
we will also review different techniques optimize your results on different types
of exams
my goal for you is for you to apply some of these techniques
and in response you should receive better test results on your exams
test taking process can be defined in three steps
preparation
taking the test
and when you get the test back
let's start with step one
preparation
it is important to keep in mind that preparation is the key to successful
test taking
there are ten key elements to keep in mind
begin preparing
for your test from day one class
is critical to attend class
and take good notes
wo: do all of your assignments
even if you don't receive points for them
this activity will help you understand the material better
in addition
creating study guides from the readings will also enhance your preparation
that way if you don't fully understand something
you can ask your professor during class
three: find out
find out what specific topics or information will be covered on the exam
is it just over one chapter
or is it a comprehensive test
four
combine class notes handouts and study guides into one source
create a one page review sheet to look over right before going to sleep
and in the last few minutes before your exam
five: find out what kind of questions
will be on the test
will they be multiple choice
essay
short answer
true/false
most instructors are willing to share the format of the tests with you
six
make study schedule that specifically
allocates study time for the exam several days before the test
seven: use your memory techniques and allow enough time to learn terms
formulas
dates and so on
eight
go to the instructors office
and visit with him during their office hours
the tutoring center
or meet with a study group to review and clarify material you don't understand
number nine
create a pretest using questions at the end of chapters
questions the professor has asked the class
or questions you made up for the readings
and finally number ten
sleep and eat
your brain will function better if you are well rested and appropriately fuel for
the test
it is better to be confident one chapter than staying up late to try to add parts
of another chapter
you'll have a much better recall if you
are rested
and alert
during the test
the second step to test taking is actually taking the test
the following are ten steps that can help you with an exam
once you're in the testing environment
the first arrive early so you can select a good seat with good lighting and away
from distractions
you can also get a good idea about the temperature
arriving early will let your body adjusts or it is generally good habits
to take a jacket with you
meanwhile if your arrive early enough
you can also look over your your your review sheet one more time
two: preview the exam
get an idea about the format before starting the test
write down information such as formulas or definitions that you might forget in
the middle of the exam
four: plan your time
once you know how many questions are on the exam
you'll be able to that developed a budget
at how many minutes if you want to spend on each question
or each section of the test
five: careful reading is a vital test taking skill
read directions carefully
you may be directed to only answer odd or even questions
read the questions carefully
look for keywords such as describe
list
define
etcetera
six
answer the easy questions first
meanwhile stick to your schedule of the allotted time you've budgeted
and also remember to budget time to review your questions
seven
write clearly
if the professor can't read the information it is likely they will mark
the answer wrong
eight: review the test when you're finished
don't leave early
look at both sides of the paper and make sure you haven't skipped any items
nine: be willing to change an answer
that is only if you are confident that the initial answer is wrong
most often your first guest will be right
and finally ten
don't cheat
be true to yourself
maintain your integrity so you'll have a true measure of what information
you have learned
the third step
is the post exam
or when you get the test back
first read the instructor's comments
that information will help to identify what areas you need to work on
look at question she got wrong and see if there's a trend
analyze your mistakes
are there certain types of questions that seem more difficult
were you missing information because of poor class notes
or incomplete study guides
were your mistakes made from not following the directions
did you make careless errors
how would you prepare differently for the next exam
you also want to recognize what you did right
remember to make a list so that you can incorporate activities
into your preparation for the next exam
third: talk with your instructor to clarify any information that you may have
misunderstood
reward yourself for good results
take a night off go to a movie, visit a friend or do an activity that you've put
off while studying
and finally save your test
it may provide a good study guide for a mid-term or final exam
you probably already recognize these three steps
however I hope that you have learned a new concept that you can incorporate into
your test preparation for the future
or at least presented an organized approach for preparing for future
exams
now let's discuss the different types of tests
basically they're too types: recognition which can include multiple choice true
false and matching
there also recall tests
which include essay, short answer
and fill in the blanks
is important to take time to understand the difference between
them because you will approach them differently in the testing environment
Sherlock Holmes said whenever you eliminate the impossible
whatever remains however improbable
must be the truth
that's a good strategy for taking multiple-choice tests
here are some other techniques that will help improve your test scores
one read each question carefully
underlining keywords
this effort will help you clarify the question
two: try answering the question without looking
at any of the options
if one of the options is your answer
it is likely the correct answer
eliminate the options that are obviously wrong
it'll increase the odds of you answering the question correctly
four: read each of the answers carefully
if the options include extreme qualifying words such as always or never
these choices are usually wrong
consider options with moderate modifying words such as often or most
these choices
are usually the correct response
when it comes to true false exams
try these techniques
read every word
for a statement to be true
every part of it
must be true
while a statement can be false if only a small part of it is false
statements containing the extreme qualifier such as always
never
are usually false
statements containing moderate qualifiers such as often
generally
some
are usually
are often true
statements that include generalizations
or simplifications can be very dangerous
they typically try to indicate cause-and-effect
and are often false
with matching questions
you'll want to read the directions carefully
make sure you understand if items can be used more than once
or if there are the same number of items in both lists
if you work for the column with the longer list
it will save you time when you look for the match
start with the matches
you have the most confidence in
and apply all grammar rules to find the best match
you'll want to treat essay
questions like any other essay
first
what task does the question ask you to perform
what type of directive is used
does the instructor ask you to analyze
compare
define
discuss or summarize the information
then you'll want to look for a phrase that defines the topic
or subject of the essay
also look for hints in the question
are there certain details or a certain number of reasons to support an issue
make sure you clearly understand the question
before you begin writing
then use these three suggestions
plan your response like any writing assignment
create an outline in the margin for your thesis
budget your time to make sure you have enough minutes to review it before
turning it into the instructor
write your essay just like a thesis
you'll want to include an introduction
you're supporting evidence
and a conclusion
and then finally when you review
take time to revise it for clarity
review the question and make sure that you've addressed each part of the
question
in your response
we all have some sort of test anxiety
for some folks
that nervousness can be used to energize you need to prepare effectively for tour
test or exam
or keep you alert in the exam environment
for others
anxiety can be debilitating
when it comes to test anxiety, there are two stages
preventing anxiety
and if that's not successful
managing anxiety
let's look more closely at each of them
to avoid anxiety you must be in control of what you think
several processes can help you
gain control
first be prepared
nothing creates confidence like knowing the material
taking control of all the elements of the tests will help you decreased the
possibilities of an anxiety attack
understanding the different types of tests
and how to approach them
will help give you confidence in them
and third
take control over your own fears and expectations
expect success
and you'll certainly have success
once you are in the exam setting
if you begin to experience a sense of anxiety
then take the time to address it
you can alleviate it
or ease the anxiety if you stop
step back
and try to relax
think about the test questions
not the consequences of test
take a moment and breathe deeply to improve the flow of oxygen to your brain
and member
remember recall your visions of success
if you think if yourself as a winner, you'll certainly be one
many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to
success when they gave up
that is one of my favorite Thomas Edison quotes
improving your test taking skills can happen but it takes time and effort
you'll wanna keep in mind that to develop in master a new skill
generally takes twenty seven to thirty days for it to become a habit
so keep trying to apply some of these strategies
and eventually he will become successful
and again if i can provide you with additional assistance
feel free to contact me
you can reach me at the information on this slide
also a pdf of the powerpoint slides are available to download
in blackboard for your review
I encourage you to complete the brief quiz
to identified how much information you retain
as well as demonstrate your academic advisor or instructor that you've
completed this part of the program
good luck with your next exam