A Student Success OnLine Seminar

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TIPS for TESTS

(Test-taking Savvy for
Successful College Students)

• A Student Success On-Line Seminar
  
• Presented by R E A C H
• 
  2009

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Learning Outcomes

• At the conclusion of this seminar the student
  will. . .
• Know how to better prepare for tests
• Find alternatives to cramming
• Be able to avoid test anxiety
• Understand the role of time management in
  successful test taking
• Know doable ways of managing test-taking stress

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TEST TAKING 101
TAKE THE PRE-SEMINAR TEST NOW.
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TEST-TAKING 101

• Use this simple instrument to examine your
  test-taking strategies. X Yes if the behavior
  describes
• A practice you use, No if what you do differs
  from the behavior described.
• Do you allow sufficient time to prepare for
  tests? ___Yes ___ No
• Do you usually know what to study? ___ Yes ___
  No
• Do you have a study method or system? ___ Yes
  ___ No
• Are you satisfied with the grades you make on
  tests? ___ Yes ___ No
• Do you know what kinds of errors you make? ___
  Yes ___ No
• Do you often become distracted during
  tests? ___ Yes ___ No
• Do you enter a testing situation feeling mentally
  and physically prepared? ___ Yes ___ No
• Do you have a test-taking routine that you
  follow? ___ Yes ___ No

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WANT TO IMPROVE TEST PERFORMANCE ??

• Then . . .
• Go to class
• Actively participate in class
• Listen, take complete notes
• Mark your textbook
• let it communicate with you

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• Talk to your professor
• Ask questions
• Get clarification
• Use a study system
• Form or join a study group
• Study/review daily
• Keep up in an organized way

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RETAIN INFORMATION

• Understand it
• Organize it
• Reduce to essentials
• Distribute study to
• Reinforce
• Rehearse
• Review

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• Involve all senses
• Learn in logical chunks
• Use graphics and other organizers to further
  explain
• Talk through the informationout loud!

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Before the Test . . .

• UNDERSTAND the material
• ORGANIZE the information
• SCHEDULE regular study time use it for study
• USE the spare 5 or 10 minutes for study
• NETWORK through study groups, S.I., L.A. or other
  support

Test preparation begins the 1st day of class !
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THE DAY BEFORE . . .

• AVOID extensive study
• BRIEFLY review
• DO something relaxing!
• GET a good nights sleep
• AVOID stress-producing situations
• MAINTAIN a positive attitude!

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• THE DAY OF THE TEST . . .
• Get off to a good start
• Arrive early enough to get a good seat
• Compose yourself
• Do a final scan of your notes
• Rid self of undue tension
• Maintain a confident attitude!

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READ EVERYTHING
B-E-F-O-R-E
DOING ANYTHING
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SHORT ANSWER ? ? ? ?

• For all short answer questions, determine
• Should I give a definition?
• Should I give examples?
• Should I explain the why or how?
• Should I list the causes or factors?
• Should I make a comparison?

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Manage Stress

• Mentally prepare for the testing situation
• Prioritize and distribute study
• Balance your days
• Eat healthy

AVOID CRAMMING
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Manage Stress

• Get enough sleep
• Exercise
• Study

AVOID CRAMMING
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• Relax!
• Take care of yourself
• Relieve tension
• Limit caffeine and other stimulants

AVOID CRAMMING
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T E S T A N X I E T Y ?
TAKE THE "TEST ANXIETY?"
INVENTORY NOW.
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Test Anxiety ?

• Place an X on the line under the heading that
  best describes your behavior Never, Sometimes,
  or Usually.
• Never Sometimes
  Usually
• I have trouble sleeping the night before a test.
  ___ ___
  ___
• During a test my palms sweat.
  ___ ___ ___
• Before a test I get a headache.
  ___ ___ ___
• During a test I have become nauseated and have
• had to leave (the testing session).
  ___ ___ ___
• Because of panic I have cut class on a test day.
  ___ ___
  ___
• I have had pains in my neck, back or legs during
• a test. ___
  ___ ___
• My heart pounds just before or during a test.
  ___ ___
  ___

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Test Anxiety ?

• Always Sometimes Never
• I make careless errors on tests.
  ___ ___ ___
• My mind goes blank during tests.
  ___ ___ ___
• I worry when other students are finished
  before I am. ___ ___
  ___
• I feel pushed for time when I am taking a
  test. ___ ___
  ___
• I worry that I am doing poorly on a test and
  that
• everyone else is doing all right.
  ___
  ___ ___
• When I am taking a test I think about my past
  failures. ___ ___ ___
• During a test I feel as if I studied all the
  wrong things. ___ ___
  ___
• I cant think clearly during tests.
  ___ ___
  ___

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Test Anxiety ? ANALYSIS
Questions 1-10 are physical symptoms and
questions 11-20 refer to psychological symptoms
of test anxiety. If you checked sometimes or
usually ten or more times, you may have some
test anxiety. To be sure, you may want to visit
a REACH Academic Development Specialist or an
Education Specialist and discuss your feelings
and behavior before, during, and after taking
tests. Test anxiety is a learned response.
Because you learned it, you can unlearn it!

• What causes it?
• If you are like most test-anxious students your
  anxiety results from several common causes
• Fear that you wont live up to the expectations
  of important people in your life worrying that
  you will
• lose the affection of people you
  care about if you dont succeed
• Grades believing grades indicate your personal
  worth
• Emphasis placing too much on a single test
• Guilt feelings that result from inadequate
  preparation for tests
• Feeling helplessbelieving that you have no
  control over your performance or grades.
• Dont be fooled! A number of people who say they
  suffer from test anxiety are mistaken. Their
  problem is a lack of preparation for the test. If
  you distribute your study and truly learn the
  material, test anxiety will have little or no
  effect on you!
• Try doing something relaxing the day before the
  test, and be sure to get enough sleep!

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CAUSES OF TEST ANXIETY
F E A R

• . . . that you wont live up to the expectations
  of important people in your life
• . . . that you will lose the affection of people
  you care about
• . . . of losing a scholarship
• ( All are real, but are they really
  realistic?)

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F E E L I N G S . . .

• . . . of guilt
• . . . of helplessness
• . . . that grades determine self worth
• (These, too, are real, but are they really
  realistic?)

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What to do?

• Prepare for success, by. . .
• Taking control exercising self-discipline
• Distributing study
• Using a variety of strategies and techniques
• Observing the connection between quality and
  quantity of study and earned grade
• (15 minutes of study a day EVERY day works
  wonders! Try it. If necessary, up it to 20 or
  30 minutes. You wont miss the time the payoff
  is great!)

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Test Day

• Arrive at the test site early enough to. . .
• Get a good seat
• Compose yourselfrelax, take a few good deep
  breaths
• Read directions carefully
• Read through entire test before marking any
  answers

Being the first to finish DOES NOT guarantee
a good grade!
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During the Test

• Pause reflect on what you know
• Follow directions given
• Answer easiest items first
• Reason through items youre
• unsure of
• Proof and correct your test BEFORE turning it
  in.

Being 1st to finish DOES NOT guarantee a
finished product!
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DURING THE TEST

• Give your own answer before choosing a given
  alternative.
• Mark a choice for every test item.
• If you must guess
• The length of the choices can be a cluechoose
  the longest
• If 2 choices are similar, choose neither!
• If 2 choices are opposites, choose the most
  logical one.
• Absolute words (always, never, etc.) usually
  signal a wrong answer

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• FOR ESSAY ITEMS. . .
• Read through all essay questions BEFORE beginning
  to write
• Underline key words define, compare, explain,
  etc.
• Think BEFORE you write.
• Map or outline the main points you want to make
• Determine the ordermake it sequential, logical
• Determine the support to include
• Write

DON'T FORGET TO PROOF AND EDIT!
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• ESSAY TESTS
• A GOOD answer . . .
• Starts with a direct response to the question
• Mentions the topics/areas described in the
  question
• Provides specific as well as general information
• Uses the technical vocabulary of the course

BEING THE FIRST TO FINISH DOES NOT
GUARANTEE A FINISHED PRODUCT!
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• ESSAY TESTS
• Proofread and edit
• Check and correct grammar, punctuation,
• spelling
• Check and correct sentence structure
• Avoid lengthy, awkward sentences

BEING THE FIRST TO FINISH DOES NOT
GUARANTEE A FINISHED PRODUCT!
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Problem Solving

• Carefully read the information
• Identify the problem
• Mentally determine
• What am I asked to find?
• What do I need to know to find
• the answer?
• What information has been given?
• How can I break the problem down?
• What steps must I follow to solve the problem?

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• After working the problem. . .
• Ask
• Does my answer make
• sense?
• Does my answer cover the
• entire problem?
• Check the clock
• Give yourself time to
• complete sections of highest
• value (if not the entire test)
• (Careful, dont become a
• clock watcher!)

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For Difficult Questions. . .

• Dont panic !
• Look for key words in the question
• Put questions into your own words
• Look for clues

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• Anticipate the answer
• Eliminate incorrect choices
• Mark your choice
• Be logical make sure your choice makes sense

Being 1st to finish does not guarantee a
finished product!
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After the Test

• If test is not returned, you may want to meet
  with the professor to analyze your test.
• Identify problem areas
• Comprehension?
• Making inferences? Drawing conclusions?
• Pulling ideas together?
• Incomplete answers?
• Incomplete/inaccurate reading of question?
• THEN
• Analyze and revise your study strategies.

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Final Words

• Begin test preparation the 1st day of class.
• Manage your time wisely.
• Distribute study
• Use the spare 5-10 minutes for study
• Organize, reinforce, rehearse and review the
  material (during distributed study)
• Avoid cramming!
• Have a strategy for problem solving.
• Avoid test anxiety by being prepared!
• Dont rush to be the 1st to finish. Rather, work
  for a finished product!

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Link to the test