Test Preparation Workshop

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Test Preparation Workshop
Tomas Rivera Center for Student Success
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• Start preparing for the test on the first day of
  class
• Manage the extra information
• Review and rehearse questions and answers
• Use test-taking strategies

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Prepare from Day 1

• Attend class every day
• Revise your lecture notes every day. Put them
  into a study guide format.
• This develops your natural memory
• Its easier to study
• You will remember more

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Example Cornell Notes

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Example Cornell Notes
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• Get your questions answered right away.
• SI
• Learning Assistance
• Your teacher
• Other students
• Master problems and homework assignments the same
  week.
• Dont fall behind
• Use the resources SI, tutoring

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Revise, review, rehearse

• Revise your notes daily
• Review your notes weekly
• (Use the time between classes)
• Make up charts, graphs, lists of definitions, or
  other collections of information as you go
• Rehearse questions
• Question yourself about key concepts, and find
  out if you can say the answer without looking at
  your notes

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Manage the extra information

• Chapter readings
• Handouts
• Information from the instructors website
• What else??????

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Use strategies for remembering all the extra
information

• Preview chapters and articles
• Identify main concepts
• Predict test questions
• Build a written study guide as you go
• Make charts, graphs, and lists for future study

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When the test is near--Review . . . dont cram

• Cramming Looking at material youve never seen
  before or only seen once
• Reviewing Looking at material you have already
  seen, understood, and organized

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If You Need to Catch Up

• Start right now
• Rewrite, revise and review all your notes,
  looking for main points and possible test
  questions
• Figure out what you dont understand
• Do all your catch-up work at least three days
  before the test
• Review and rehearse

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Rehearse questions

• Form questions from the lecture notes and the
  readings notes.
• Practice answering them
• Identify what you know and dont know
• Put your focus on what you dont know

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Know / Dont
know

• This should be a lot if you have been revising
  and reviewing all along.
• Feel good about what you know!

• Focus your last-days activities here
• Flash cards
• Charts
• Practice problems
• Answers to last-minute questions

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The day of . . . .

• Get some sleep the night before
• Eat before the test
• Do only a brief review
• Stay away from stressed-out
  people
• Stay calm
• Use strategies while you are taking the test

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During the test

• Write down any memorized formulas
• Look over the whole test first
• Mark difficult questions and come back to them
  later
• If you get panicky
• Ground yourself physically
• Take a break and just breathe
• Go back to an easy question
• Remember to not compare yourself with others
• Work slowly and use the whole time

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Strategies

• Multiple-choice tests
• Essay tests
• Problem tests
• Pace yourself
• Stay positive

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Afterwards

• Plan a reward for yourself!
• Good luck on your next test!