EFFECTIVE TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

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EFFECTIVE TEST TAKING STRATEGIES

• By Dr. Barbara Foltz
• Office of Academic Assistance
• Furman University

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TIPS IN GENERAL

• Best Tip of all STUDY!
• And schedule your study time so you dont have to
  cram the night before
• Have a positive attitudepractice positive self
  talk

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GENERAL TIPS, CONT.

• Consider the test as an opportunityyou have
  studied hard and now you get to show what you
  know.
• Visit with your professor ahead of time to ask
  what areas to emphasize in your studying

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TIPS IN GENERAL, CONT.

• Psych Out tests by generating possible test
  questions from the reading assignments and notes.
  Do this with a group of classmates to generate
  more questions!
• Best way to study is through focused attention on
  the subject matter rehearsal.

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GENERAL TIPS, CONT.

• Rememberwe remember our own words much more than
  anyone elsesso outline your chapters, rewrite
  your notes, recite out loud, etc.
• Study groupsstudying w/others has been shown to
  be very effective.

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MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS

• Remember question consists of stem (the
  question), a correct (or best) answer, and
  distractors.
• Try to answer the question before looking at
  answer options
• Answer easiest questions first. Go back to more
  difficult after you have had a chance to warm
  up.

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MULTIPLE CHOICE, CONTINUED

• Terms such as all, always, completely, never,
  only (absolutes) generally are not the correct
  option
• Two options which are opposite in meaning one is
  usually the correct answer
• Longest options tend to be the right answer!

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TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS

• Again, absolutes such as all, always, never, and
  only tend to be false
• Moderate qualifiers (sometimes, often, etc.) tend
  to be true

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SHORT ANSWER/SENTENCE COMPLETION

• WORK QUICKLYFOR THESE QUESTIONS THE RIGHT ANSWER
  OFTEN POPS INTO YOUR HEAD
• PROVIDE AS MUCH ACCURATE DETAIL AS POSSIBLE

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MATCHING QUESTIONS

• ANSWER THE QUESTIONS YOU ARE SURE OF FIRST, THEN
  CROSS OUT THE ITEMS YOU HAVE USED. THIS NARROWS
  THE FIELD OF POSSIBLE ANSWERS
• GO BACK TO MATCHING SECTION AFTER YOU HAVE
  COMPLETED THE REST OF THE TESTSOMETIMES YOU
  LEARN ANSWERS AS YOU COMPLETE OTHER SECTIONS OF
  THE TEST.

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ESSAY

• BE SURE TO WRITE SOMETHING!
• PAY ATTENTION TO HOW THE QUESTIONS IS
  WORDEDCOMPARE, DESCRIBE, CONTRAST. BE SURE TO
  DO WHAT IS REQUESTED
• START WITH YOUR STRONGEST IDEAS FIRSTMAKERS A
  GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION AS YOUR PROFESSOR GRADES
  YOUR EXAM

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ESSAY, CONTINUED

• BEFORE YOU WRITE OUT YOUR ANSWER, QUICKLY OUTLINE
  IT IN THE MARGIN. YOUR ESSAY WILL BE BETTER, AND
  YOUR PROFESSOR CAN SEE YOUR IDEA DEVELOPMENT.
  ALSO, IF YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO COMPLETE THE
  ESSAY, YOULL STILL GET CREDIT FOR YOUR IDEAS

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PREDICTING TEST QUESTIONS

• LOOK AT CHAPTER HEADINGS, MARGIN NOTES, ETC.
  THESE IDENTIFY THE MAIN POINTS
• IN CLASS, NOTICE WHAT PROFESSOR EMPHASIZESEITHER
  BY VOICE TONE, WITH AN EXAMPLE, AUDIO VISUAL,
  ETC.
• CLASS SESSIONS RIGHT BEFORE TESTPROFESSOR HAS
  PROBABLY ALREADY WRITTEN TEST, SO IS EMPHASIZING
  WHAT IS COVERED IN QUESTIONS

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PREDICTING, CONTINUED

• PRETEND YOU ARE THE PROFESSORWHAT QUESTIONS
  WOULD YOU ASK. DO THIS WITH A GROUPYOULL
  PROBABLY COME VERY CLOSE TO THE REAL TEST!

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MATH AND SCIENCE TESTS

• IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY OF
  THE PROCESS, SO THAT YOU CAN SOLVE SIMILAR
  PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS
• SCIENCEDRAW DIAGRAMS OF SYSTEMS, RELATE TO REAL
  WORLD

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MATH AND SCIENCE, CONT

• MATHUNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, AND THEN TAKE
  PRACTICE TESTS TO SIMULATE HOW YOULL PERFORM
  DURING TEST
• AND REMEMBERPRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
• USE WEB SITES SUCH AS MATH.COM TO SEE HOW PROBLEM
  CAN BE SOLVED

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DEALING WITH TEST ANXIETY

• REMEMBER, A LITTLE ANXIETY IS NORMALUSE IT TO
  GET PUMPED
• KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS YOUR
  OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE, AND YOU HAVE DONE YOUR BEST
  
• ARRIVE WELL RESTED, WELL-NOURISHED, A LITTLE
  EARLY
• HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY MATERIALSCALCULATOR,
  SHARPENED PENCILS, ETC.
• FIND A SPOT IN THE ROOM WHERE YOU ARE FAIRLY
  COMFORTABLE

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TEST ANXIETY, CONT.

• MONITOR YOUR SELF-TALKBE POSITIVE IN WHAT YOU
  SAY TO YOURSELFYOU CAN DO IT, YOURE BRIGHT!
• VISUALIZE YOURSELF DOING WELL AND REACHING YOUR
  GOALS
• DONT TALK ABOUT THE TEST WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE
  NEGATIVE, OR VERY NERVOUSANXIETY IS
  CONTAGIOUS!!!
• PRACTICE RELAXING, AND IF YOU FIND YOURSELF
  GETTING TENSE, TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS AND THEN
  FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND

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TEST ANXIETY, CONT.

• READ OVER ENTIRE TEST, START WITH THE EASIEST
  QUESTIONS
• JUST FOCUS ON THE TEST, NOT THE CONSEQUENCES OF
  NOT DOING WELL
• IF YOU DONT KNOW AN ANSWER, MARK IT, AND GET
  BACK TO IT LATERTHE ANSWER MAY COME TO YOU!
• ESSAY TEST JUST JOT DOWN WHAT YOU KNOW IN
  MARGINIT MAY TRIGGER YOUR MEMORY OF THE WHOLE
  PROBLEM!
• REWARD YOURSELF WHEN ITS OVERYOUVE DONE THE
  BEST YOU CAN!