TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

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TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

• C.R. Doherty 2002 Quinsigamond Community College

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BEFORE

• Attend Class All the Time
• Prepare by Studying on a regular basis
  beforehand. Avoid Cramming
  
• Sleep - Being alert helps you to recall material
• Eat Well- Avoid lots of caffeine and junk food.
  Eat a good protein based meal before the test
• Relax - take a short walk, do deep breathing
  exercises

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BEFORE

• Don't let your classmate's anxiety become your
  own
• Arrive Early
• Organize your study area to reduce interference
• Make sure that you have all the necessary
  materials before you begin studying
• Summarize notes for studying
• You should have 3-5 pages of key terms, ideas,
  and review materials

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DURING

• Look over the entire test first
• Read each question carefully
• If you block on answering one question, leave it
  for a while and return to it later
• Ask your instructor for help in interpreting a
  test question that is unclear

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DURING

• Do easy questions first - then move on to the
  harder ones
• Change answers only when you are certain
• The answer which comes to mind first is often
  correct
• Make sure you answered all questions
• If you have any time left over, edit, check, and
  proofread your answers

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AFTER

• Analyze your test performance
• What questions did you breeze through?
  
  What questions did you miss and why?
• What can you do to improve your test performance?
  
• Tutoring?
• Better Study Schedule?
• Reward Yourself

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Strategies for Objective Tests

• Multiple Choice
• True/False and
• Matching

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Multiple Choice

• Make sure the answer you choose answers the
  question
• Eliminate the obvious wrong answers
• Watch for absolute terms (always, never, no,
  none, every, entirely, only ...). Most of the
  time these answers are not correct
• Look for answers that cancel out each other or
  are the same, and eliminate them
• Often correct answers are the longest and most
  descriptive
• Be cautious about changing your answer without a
  good reason. Your first "guess" is more likely to
  be correct

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Multiple Choice

• Do not linger too long on any one question. Mark
  your best guess and move on, returning later if
  you have enough time
• Pay attention to the language used. Double
  negatives make the statement true. For example
  "not uncommon" actually means common.
• When two very similar answers appear, it is
  likely that one of them is the correct choice
• Use the process of elimination when you do not
  know the answer for sure. Eliminate two
  alternatives quickly and then make the decision
  between the two remaining
• When numbers are in each alternative, choose the
  numbers that are in the middle range, not the
  extremes

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True/False

• There are generally more true questions on
  true-false exams than false.
• If there is specific detail in the statement, it
  may also tend to be true.
• For example, the statement "There are 980
  endangered species worldwide" has specific detail
  and is likely to be true.

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Matching

• Examine both lists to determine the types of
  items and their relationships.
• Take a look at both lists to get a feel for the
  relationships and build your confidence
• Cross off items on the second list when you are
  certain that you have a match
• Do not guess until all absolute matches have been
  made

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Strategies for Essay Tests

• Read the question carefully. Circle the verb and
  important words. Know what the instructor is
  asking. Look for key terms
• Organize your thoughts. Write a short outline or
  a diagram on a separate piece of paper including
  a main idea, several supporting issues and
  examples to illustrate the issues
• Keep track of time. Plan how long you can spend
  on each essay question
• Write your answer clearly. Use correct grammar
  and punctuation. Avoid crossing out words or
  sentences, and don't smudge your paper. Proofread
  your answer

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The following words are commonly found in essay
test questions

• Analyze Break into separate parts and discuss,
  examine, or interpret each part.
• Explain Make an idea clear. Show logically how a
  concept is developed. Give reasons for an event.
• Evaluate Give your opinion or cite the opinion
  of an expert. Include evidence to support the
  evaluation.
• Summarize Give a brief, condensed account.
  Include conclusions. Avoid unnecessary details.

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Words commonly found in essay test questions

• Describe Give a detailed account. Make a picture
  with words. List characteristics, qualities, and
  parts.
• Define Give the meaning usually a meaning
  specific to the course or subject. Determine the
  precise limits of the term to be defined. Explain
  the exact meaning. Definitions are usually short.
• Compare Examine two or more things. Identify
  similarities and differences.
• Contrast Show differences.

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Sources

• Study Skills Handbook, Northern Arizona
  University
  
  http//www.unc.edu/depts/unc_caps/TestTake.htmlTe
  st-Taking20Strategies
• University of North Carolina
  
  http//www.byu.edu/ccc/Learning_Strategies/tes
  t/strategy.htm
• Brigham Young University http//www.southwestern.e
  du/academic/acser-skills-teststr.html
• Southwestern University http//web.mit.edu/arc/lea
  rning/modules/test/testtypes.html
• MIT

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MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST 101

• See how well you are able to use multiple choice
  test strategies in situations where you may not
  know the answers to questions asked.

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1. In his famous study of infant baboons, Bourth
showed that the effect of SAB was

• a. they inevitably displayed a submission posture
• b. all infants react with instant aggression
• c. afterwards, they never showed affection for
  their mothers
• d. they tended to isolate themselves from the
  group
• e. they retreated in every case

(Absolute terms are found in other answer
choices)
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2. In your readings, Carter described a number of
problems with the FAX theory. The most important
of these was

• a. it is inconsistent with DUM's law
• b. it is explained in relatively simple terms
• c. its superior predictive value
• d. it appears to account for previously puzzling
  observations

(Read carefully! All other answers are not
problems.)
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3. When comparing LOK and ZIB, Hobson's
experiments found that

• a. LOK is easier
• b. ZIB is easier
• c. ZIB is more difficult
• d. both a and b
• e. both b and c

(Answer choices a c cancel each other out. d
e contradict.)
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4. Which of the following is best known for his
classic study of memory in children

• a. S. Bourth
• b. R. Smith
• c. Q. Bevem
• d. H. Lawson
• e. P. Jones

(Clue for answer is found in question 9.)
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5. The result of Modin's study of KUK indicated
that

• a. all persons suffering from KUK are dangerous
• b. no persons suffering from KUK are dangerous
• c. the chance of a person suffering from KUK
  being dangerous is relatively small
• d. KUK most often results from love deprivation

(Answers a b have absolute terms. Answer d is
off the topic of the other three questions.)
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6. During the critical early years of childhood,
the effect of BOF is

• a. the children never learn to relate to others
• b. juvenile delinquency in every case
• c. a tendency toward speech difficulties
• d. inevitable mental retardation

(Absolute terms are found in other answer
choices.)
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7. The Western state with the highest number of
KUGS in 1951 was

• a. Oregon
• b. New York
• c. Denver
• d. Pennsylvania
• e. Los Angeles

(Read carefully! This answer is the only western
state.)
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8. One difficulty in trying to teach DAK to
children under twelve is that

• a. most students forget easily
• b. it includes advanced mathematics
• c. it tends to be hard to remember
• d. advance mathematics is involved
• e. none of the above

(Answers a c and b d cancel each other out.)
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9. The research of R. Smith shows that the effect
of GIK on human memory was

• a. people become more active in their everyday
  movements
• b. relaxation increases up to a point
• c. the children's recall is made more difficult
• d. appetites generally improve
• e. in most cases sex drive diminishes

(The other answers have nothing to do with
memory.)
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10. The effect of HIG on performance tests in
college is

• a. eye movements are associated with dreaming
  about 80 of the time
• b. HIG reduces average performance
• c. following HIG, scores tend to increase
• d. HIG results in much lower scores in every case
• e. most scores are higher after HIG

• (The key word in the question is "on." Answers b
  e deal with what happens after the test.
  Answer d has an absolute. Answer a is totally
  off the subject.)

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Source

• Learning Assistance Center, Northern Arizona
  University

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KEY

• 1. d (Absolute terms are found in other answer
  choices)
• 2. a (Read carefully! All other answers are not
  problems.)
• 3. b (Answer choices a c cancel each other
  out. d e contradict.)
• 4. b (Clue for answer is found in question 9.)
• 5. c (Answers a b have absolute terms. Answer
  d is off the topic of the other three questions.)
• 6. c (Absolute terms are found in other answer
  choices.)
• 7. a (Read carefully! This answer is the only
  western state.)
• 8. e (Answers a c and b d cancel each other
  out.)
• 9. c (The other answers have nothing to do with
  memory.)
• 10. b (The key word in the question is "on."
  Answers b e deal with what happens after the
  test. Answer d has an absolute. Answer a is
  totally off the subject.)