Mastering Test Taking
Mastering Test Taking
Mastering Test Taking
IN
TEST-TAKING
People today are required to take more tests throughout their school and career lives than ever
before. It is important to learn the skills and strategies that will enable you to handle all types of
tests.
In this module you will learn strategies for preparing for tests, handling different types of tests,
and developing your skills as a test-taker. Be sure to complete the entire module and meet with
your SOAR counselor to review it.
Being in class, paying full attention, hearing instructors comments about tests and knowing what is
expected is the first rule of successful test-taking. You cannot expect to do your best when you
have missed important information or gotten it second-hand. If you must miss class, always check
with the instructor outside of class to find out what you missed.
Start early:
Dont wait until a test is announced, start studying from the first day of class. Review your notes
every day and look for test question clues in your notes, quizzes, text, and homework
assignments.
Keep a daily and weekly study schedule of your daily, weekly, and major review
sessions.
Study with purpose, without distractions, in a place you have designated as your private
study area. Equip it with the tools and materials you need.
If you keep up with regular study, the pre-exam study session will be merely a review of
material you already know.
Study in one hour blocks of time with breaks of about 5-10 minutes in between.
Study actively, move around, stretch, and read out loud.
Study with a group if possible.
What type of test questions will be on the test? Will it be mostly objective questions (ex.
multiple choice, true-false, fill in the blanks) or essay? What should you concentrate on?
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2. CREATING GOOD REVIEW TOOLS
It is vital to your learning and test-taking to be a good note-taker. (See the module on Note-
Taking Skills.) When taking notes in class, leave plenty of room so you can fill in details from
the text later. Review your notes immediately after class, and on a daily and weekly basis, as
well as before the test.
Many students have difficulty listening to a lecture and taking notes at the same time. The
solution is to listen attentively in class while tape recording the lecture. Later, you can listen to
the tape as often as you like and record notes from the tape in your notebook. (Some instructors
prefer that you ask permission to tape record a class lecture.)
A mind map creates a flow chart or diagram of your notes. Unlike the traditional outline method
which lists items in a sequence, a mind map places the main topic in the center of the page with
sub-topics and supporting details branching off from it, as shown in the following example.
Notes
3X5 CARDS
Types of Test Questions
Keeping a file of information related to the course increases your knowledge of the subject and
provides resources when it comes time to write papers or answer essay questions. These
materials can be found in the Internet, in newspapers, magazines, other textbooks, etc.
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Make a Study Checklist:
A study checklist is a list of what you must study for the exam. It helps you to organize your
study time and ensures that you cover all necessary topics.
Exam on Chapters 5, 6, 7
Also called flashcards, these are excellent review tools for many reasons. They help you focus
on specific details, aid in memorization, allow for easy review without requiring that you take
out books and notes, and theyre small and easy to carry. A main topic, word, or question is
written on one side while the definition, facts, or answer to the question are written on the back
(see example).
Side 1 Side 2
Chapter Outlines:
Outline the chapter in your notebook as you read it. Identify the main points, definitions of
terms, and other important information, then consolidate it in your notes. This practice uses
both your visual (eyes) and kinesthetic (hands on) learning channels. It aids recall because you
are storing the information in different parts of your brain.
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3. PREDICTING TEST QUESTIONS
There is no mystery as to how to predict test questions. The trick is to think like the instructor and
devise questions from the text, the lectures, handouts, and materials used in the class such as videos
and CDs. Taking practice tests that are typically available on related text websites are very helpful.
Do not expect the instructor to cover everything in class that appears on the test. Also, be aware of
the following clues to possible test questions:
1. The day before the test, follow your normal study routine. Avoid conflicts or emotional
upsets. Dont cram. Get some physical exercise or do some physical activity that will take your
mind off the test. Get a good nights rest without sleeping medication, drugs or alcohol. Review
your notes and refuse to worry! Instead, think positive thoughts (I can do this!, Im ready!)
and boost your confidence.
2. On the day of the test, do some type of exercise, even it is only a brisk walk around the school
parking lot. Come to the classroom on time and prepared with all the tools and materials you
need.
3. Try eating an apple approximately one-half hour before the test. A major study of foods which
appear to help test performance revealed that students who ate an apple prior to taking a test
improved their scores.
4. Avoid being around other students who may be anxious or nervous about the test. Keep your
mind clear, calm, and uncluttered.
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5. Select a seat near the front. Do a pre-test review of concepts, formulas, and key points. Do a
memory dump - write down key words, formulas, and acronyms you have memorized for the
test on a separate sheet of paper, but be sure instructor knows you did this in class, from memory.
6. Loosen any tight clothing so you will breathe more easily and comfortably. Get rid of excess body
tension by tensing and relaxing your muscles. If you know any Brain Gym exercises, do them.
The following techniques will help alleviate stress and enable you to perform to the best of your
ability. See your counselor to learn more about them:
relaxation breathing
visualization
muscle relaxation
positive self-talk
Brain Gym exercises
drink water
1. Answer the easy questions first, then the harder ones. Dont get nervous if some
questions look unfamiliar. Skip them and return to them later.
2. Pay attention to qualifiers (usually, none, always, never) and key words
(except, all but the following, the best, the least, etc.)
4. Read all of the options; eliminate the ones you know are incorrect.
5. Look for options that contain other options. These are called "umbrella" options because
the other options fall within their scope.
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6. Familiarity of a response option does not necessarily make it the correct choice.
7. Sometimes the longer response may be the clue to the correct response.
1. Watch for absolutes such as always, never, or all and "none." If they are present,
chances are the statement is false.
1. Read all the items in both columns first before selecting answers.
2. Instead of looking at the one word column first and trying to select a match, read the column
with the definitions or explanations and match those to the one-word column.
3. Mark easy choices first and eliminate them as you move to the more difficult.
1. If you dont know the complete answer but remember something, write it down. You may get
partial credit if you are partly correct. Leaving a blank will get you nothing.
3. Use proper grammar in completing the sentence. Pay attention to plural responses (ex.
causes, changes, examples, types of, etc.)
4. Consider the number and length of the lines or blank spaces to be filled in as possible clues to
the length of your answer. If the instructor leaves half a page for your answer, be sure you fill
it and not with extra-large writing.
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ESSAY QUESTION STRATEGIES
Essay exams require good organization and writing skills. The following hints will help you do
your best on essay questions.
1. Briefly look over the entire test to budget your time for essay answers. They may take
longer than other types of questions.
2. Read the essay question carefully. Watch for key words such as discuss, compare,
define, etc. A list of these commonly used words follows.
3. Determine the amount of time youll have for each question, and give more time to
higher scoring questions.
4. Do a Memory Dump. Jot down on scratch paper any ideas, facts, figures, etc. which
could be used in answering the questions.
5. Make a brief outline of the major points. In some cases, even if you cant finish the
essay, you can get partial credit for the outline.
6. Use proper grammar, punctuation and sentence skills. Always write complete sentences
and begin your essay with the wording of the question. Example: The five major causes
of the American Revolution were.
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MATH STRATEGIES
Students whose math skills are not the strongest may be intimidated and do poorly only
because they let nervousness take over. Math is no different from any other subject, except
that the same rules apply every time, so if you study the rules and practice a lot, you are
likely to do well on the test. Here are some other tips:
Know the scoring policy. Are you penalized for guessing? How many points are
questions worth? Are you graded only on the ones you get correct?
Budget your time. Pace yourself. Try for the most points in the time you have.
Attempt to answer every question. Hard questions can be left until last unless they carry a
great deal of value and you need more time in answering them.
Answer questions you know first. This relieves tension and gives you confidence, thus
allowing you to access your memory as you proceed.
Learn from the test. Often the answer to a question is found in another test question.
Go back over and check to be sure you answered all the questions. On machine-scored tests, be
sure you placed your answers in the right spaces. Proofread your essays.
9. POST-TEST REVIEW
If time permits, review the test questions you were not sure of immediately after leaving the
room while you still can recall them. Verify correct answers and find answers to questions you
didnt know. Record these answers for future review.
When you get the test back, review and record all the correct answers to questions you missed.
Find out why you missed them and commit them to memory. Give yourself credit for the ones
you answered correctly and do not focus on your mistakes.
The following rules apply to any test situation. They will enable you to avoid possible problems
with regard to cheating, the appearance of cheating, disruptive or improper behavior during a
test:
Ignoring these rules for proper test etiquette may result in disturbance to other students or create
suspicion of cheating. Students who are suspected of or found cheating or aiding another student
in cheating may receive a grade of zero on the test and possibly for the entire course, at the
discretion of the instructor. Other disciplinary action may follow. See the Student Code of
Conduct, Rule 5 for more information about Academic Dishonesty, Cheating, Forgery, and
Related Offenses.
Critical thinking means clear thinking, careful thinking, testing ideas, drawing conclusions
through careful observation, using common sense, thinking creatively, recognizing errors in
thinking, recognizing the difference between fact and opinion, evaluating ideas and evidence,
looking for connections between ideas, and determining answers by putting together information
or drawing conclusions based on your learning. As college students, you are expected to advance
beyond grade school methods of memorization and recall of data to applying good critical
thinking skills.
Critical thinkers:
Find answers, share information, talk to others, seek out facts and don't use the excuse,
"The teacher didn't cover this in class."
Take time for ideas, identify possibilities, and are not content with pat answers.
Base their judgments on evidence, make an effort to be fair-minded, and form opinions
after studying facts and evidence.
Know that truth is often complex.
Look for connections between subjects and realize that concepts and strategies learned in
one subject often apply to other subjects.
Think for themselves, learn from others' experience, and make their own judgments.
In every test situation, you will use critical thinking skills. You will rely on them mainly in
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writing essay answers in which you evaluate information, give your opinions, compare or
contrast information, and develop original answers to questions.
"a" is the best answer because finding a tutor is NOT a study practice. You may reason
that tutoring will help you in your studies but the question is about study practices. Had
the question read, A good practice if you are struggling with a class is to.find a
tutor, then this would be an acceptable and likely a correct response. In this example,
you must evaluate all the choices and determine which one does not fit with the others.
Start by reading more, questioning, and devoting more time to thinking. Test yourself as you
read along, asking yourself questions about the material. Avoid taking things at face value or
believing something merely because another person said it or you read it somewhere. Also, be
aware of your own biases which may be the result of your personal experience, but may not
necessarily be correct or factual. Be open to different viewpoints, even if they go against your
own. Become more tolerant of new ideas and new ways of looking at things, realizing that there
may be more ways of looking at an issue than just your way. Be clear on why you support and
uphold certain ideas of your own.
Avoid mindsets or value judgments these are the enemies of critical thinking. Students
often struggle with information that is new, different or in conflict with their values. There is a
tendency to want to negate information that goes counter to what we think or believe to be true,
making it difficult to learn it simply because it doesnt set right. Mindsets occur when thinking
becomes set in patterns that affect how we respond to new ideas. Mindsets are barriers to
learning and serve only to suppress independence and creativity in learning.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Have you ever been influenced to do something or buy something because of advertising? How
could you have used critical thinking in such a situation?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
When have you learned something new that went against your own beliefs or values?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
In college you are exposed to a world of new ideas and experiences. That is what higher learning
is all about. It does not require that you change time-honored personal beliefs, but that you
appreciate other ways of thinking or looking at things. By developing a respect for and an
appreciation of diverse ideas, you open your mind to learning and become more of a critical
thinker.
The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence.
Bronson Alcott
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12. EDUCATED GUESSING STRATEGIES
Guessing strategies are not a substitute for good study habits and test preparation. They are not
foolproof and will not guarantee the correct answer. They will, however, help when you are not
completely sure of the answer, have to narrow down the choices or choose between two
reasonably good answers. Using these strategies are sure to improve your test grades.
1. Frequency of occurrence strategy: look for items that appear in more than one of the
choices.
Freud postulated that there are 3 parts of the mind. These are the
a. id, ego, and conscience
b. unconscious, id, and conscious
c. superego, ego and brain
d. ego, superego and id
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Horticulturists have long been aware of the symbiosis between pine trees and fungi.
It has been found that
a. they both grow better if kept apart.
b. pine trees are more beautiful and useful.
c. fungi grow on the ground around pine trees.
d. they are more successful growing together than they are separately.
(Greek syn means together and bios means life.)
Negatives prefixes: knowing these can help in selecting a similar answer with a negative
meaning.
4. Highest and lowest numbers strategy: When numerical options vary greatly, chances are that
the best response is in the middle ranges. Eliminate the highest and lowest options.
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5. Similar Choice strategy: Certain questions have answers that are closely related or almost
identical, except for one detail. This should be your clue to choose one of the two similar
answers. The similar choices cannot both be correct, but either of them may be the correct
answer.
A chloroplast contains:
a. chlorine
b. calories
c. carbon
d. chlorophyll
(choose between a and d; they contain the root, chlor, as chloroplast)
6. Opposite Choice strategy: In some cases the best choice is between two very different or
opposite choices.
7. The "Umbrella Option" strategy: when one option encompasses the other options or is
more inclusive, choose it.
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8. Complex question strategy:
These appear to be difficult but are actually simple to solve once you learn how. Read the
following example and mark your answer.
As a home health aid, you are serving a patient her meal. In which order should the
following steps be accomplished? (1) provide eating utensils (2) wash your hands (3) dispose
of leftovers (4) prepare food (5) serve food
a. 4,2,1,4,3 b. 2,1,5,3,4
c. 4,2,1,5,3 d. 2,4,1,5,3
Strategy: Find the first step - (2). Find which options have number 2 listed first. Now
find the last step - (3). Of the two options that had #2 first, which has #3 as the last?
(answer=d)
Which nursing diagnosis would be most appropriate for the client who has undergone the full course
of ECT?
a. knowledge deficit related to memory
b. noncompliance related to knowledge deficit
c. altered thought processes related to the adverse effects of ECT
d. fear related to the unknown
(while a and b are valid, c is the best answer because it encompasses a and b; d is more likely to occur
prior to ECT.)
The client tells his therapist that he cannot eat because someone is poisoning his food. This statement is
an indication of
a. paranoia
b. delusion of persecution
c. hallucination
d. illusion
(a. paranoia is described as extreme suspiciousness of others and their intentions; b. delusions of
persecution are feeling that others intend harm or persecution; c. hallucinations are false sensory
perceptions associate with real external stimuli; d. illusions are misperceptions of real external
stimuli)
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10. Grammatically correct strategy:
If an alternative does not make a grammatically correct sentence, eliminate it.
11. Absolute Strategy: If an "absolute" such as always, every, never, all, none, etc. is present in any
of the options, consider the option false.
True-False
A person who is experiencing anxiety always needs to take medication. False
Read the question carefully and pick the option that is different from or does not belong with the
other options.
Of the following, this is the most effective therapeutic method for controlling
depression:
a. using hypnosis
b. applying techniques of psychotherapy
c. combining therapeutic techniques with doctor-prescribed anti-depressant medication
d. psychoanalysis
(c is the correct response, and the longest)
Choose a response that has the same or similar word in it as the question.
The loci system of memorization is generally more effective than repetition because:
1. It creates a location (loci) in which to store information.
2. It forces one to repeat information again and again.
3. It makes information go directly into the long-term memory.
4. It is easier to use.
(1 is correct - loci appears in both question and answer)
Immunosuppression means
a. creating an environment conducive to disease.
b. suppressing the bodys natural immune response.
c. preventing disease by creating an immunity.
d. destroying the bodys defense system.
(b is correct - suppression appears in both question and answer)
Creating a test that is valid or effective a test is in measuring what it intends to measure is
known as
a. external validity c. internal truth
b. Content quality d. construct validity
(You may use two strategies here: choose between a and d which both contain the word
validity; narrow it down to d because creating implies the same thing as constructing,
therefore construct validity would be the better choice. )
Now you will have an opportunity to put your educated guessing strategies to work
on the following test. Good luck and have fun!
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THE WOOLYGOGGLE TEST
By applying the test-taking and guessing strategies you have learned you will be able to choose
correct answers to this nonsense word test. Be aware that some questions have more than one
possible answer, or that you may be able to narrow down your choices to two possible answers, so
circle both choices.
This exercise proves that you can apply test-taking strategies even when you have no idea of the
meaning of the questions. Be sure to identify which strategy you are using. (Remember, if you did
not read these instructions carefully, you have missed one of the first rules of good test-taking!)
4. Choose the word that best describes the Woolygoggle: Strategy: _____________________________
a. efficient c. lively
b. poisonous d. effusive
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8. Trassig normally occurs when the Strategy: _____________________________
a. dissels frull. c. belgo lisks easily.
b. lugs chasses the vom. d. viskal flans, if the viskil is zortil
10. What probable causes are indicated when tristal doss occurs in a compots?
a. The sabs foped and the doths tinzed.
b. The kredges roted with the rots.
c. Rakogs were not accepted in the sluth. Strategy: _____________________________
d. Polats were thonced in the sluth.
12. Why does the sigla frequently overfesk the trelsum? Strategy: _____________________________
a. All siglas are mellious.
b. Siglas are always votial.
c. The trelsum is usually tarious.
d. Trelsa are never directly feskable
14. Should you have a rare encounter with a nest of Strategy: _____________________________
Woolygoggles, you might consider:
a. alerting an entomologist to study them
b. eradicating the nest altogether
c. disturbing the nest so they will flee
d. turning the rocks over so they will drown
15. Unless the fribbled dresk sniggers successfully with Strategy: _____________________________
an Ignu, you will never see the trelsum flesk. T F
DON'T LOOK AT THE ANSWERS UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE TEST!
Answer Key: 1-d, 2-c, 3-c, 4-a or d, 5 d, 6-F, 7-T, 8-d, 9-c, 10-a, 11-a, 12-c., 13- c; 14-a, 15 - F
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