TEST TAKING Academic Support A Division of the Office of Undergraduate Studies The difference...

TEST TAKING

Academic SupportA Division of the Office of Undergraduate Studies

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

-Tom Bodett

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Before the Test

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at

once.”

-Albert Einstein

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Test Taking Starts the First Day of Class

• Study• Do the homework• Read the chapters before going to class• Review the material before and after

class

Success Strategies Textbook

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”-Albert Einstein

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The First Week of Class• Look over the syllabus and see when the

tests will be• Write them down in your planner

• Review at least once a week starting the first week of class• Multiple review sessions enhance

memorization and make studying for the test easier



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• Notice there is a very clear color scheme.

• Matters of great importan-ce are indicated

5“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.”

-Albert Einstein

Before a Test• Do not skip the class right before the test

• The professor might give some last minute tips

• Go to as many review sessions as possible• Make sure to get plenty of rest before the test• Set more than one alarm to wake up the

morning of the test• Eat before the test

Success Strategies Textbook6

Two Key Factors in Preparing for an Exam

• Organize your information• Think about the information the way

the professor expects• What is important to the professor?• What does the professor talk about the

most?

Academic Support


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CC Web ChartAmerican Revolution Vietnam War

Date of Conflict

Reasons for conflict

Climate Conditions

Fighting Styles of:• Rebels

• Conventional Forces

Results of Conflict


• Compare/Contrast Web Chart• Organize large amounts of information when

studying

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The Skeleton Key Diagram

• Used more for essay questions• Summarize large amounts of information

• Predict questions that might be on the test

• Find information that will answer the questions• Reduce that information to key words



For Against

They work: e.g., Dukakis-Horton Unethical: e.g., Clinton vs. Dole

Fit to TV Can produce backlash- Clinton

Put opponent on defensive Invite opponent to use them

People remember- statistical evidence Haunt you in next campaign

For/Against Skeleton Key Diagram

Should a presidential candidate use negative ads in a campaign?

These are used for “argumentative” essay questions by helping visualize both points of view

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Money Talent Coaching Fans

Records of teams with big and small

budgets

Cost of training and equipment

Cost of good players

Examples of great players

Need for “play makers”

Records of great coaches

Statements from players

Examples of great teams and great fans

Need for financial support

Analysis Skeleton Key Diagram

What factors contribute to the success of a pro football team?

These help you distinguish ideas related to one topic

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Lyndon B. Johnson

Richard M. Nixon

Gerald R. Ford

Jimmy Carter

Ronald Reagan

George H.W. Bush

William J. Clinton

George W. Bush

Time-Line Skeleton Key DiagramWho were the last eight presidents of the United States?

These help portray and discuss a sequence of events leading up to some result

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The British burn Washington, D.C. and

Madison flees the White House.

Battle of Lake Champlain. US wins.

The Hartford Convention.

amendments protect the influence of

Northeastern states.

Treaty of Ghent. The British and American

diplomats agree to return to the status quo

from before the war.

Battle of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson

scores a huge victory House.

End of the War of 1812

Cause/Effect SkeletonKey Diagram

• These help you show relationships that explain why something happened• not necessarily sequenced

What caused the end of the War of 1812?

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Given Find

Velocity (V) : 12 m/s Acceleration (m/s2)

Time (s) : 30s

Initial velocity (V0) : 0 m/s

Given/Find Skeleton Key Diagram

These help solve problems likely to be encountered in math, science, engineering, etc…• You know to use the V = V0 + at formula

If John started at rest and achieved a maximum velocity of 12m/s in 30s, what was his acceleration?

12 m/s = 0 m/s + a(30s)

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Study Groups

• Choose partners wisely• Make groups of 2-5 members

• The more in-depth the material, the less people should be together

• Meet with the group well before the test, not only the night before



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Study Groups continued…• Focus on studying

• Appoint someone to keep the group on task• Make sure that everyone in the group

understands the material before moving on• Find people in your major, if possible• Study groups may take time to form, be

patient


General Studying Tips

• Give your complete attention to what you are doing

• Keep up with readings and homework• Manage your time• Review frequently• Get help as soon as you start to feel

overwhelmed

Academic Support17

During the Test

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and

then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

-Tom Bodett

19

During the Test• Write down key facts on the test before

looking at the first question• Formulas• Rules • Definitions

• Write things down first while it is still fresh on your mind


“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”-Tom Bodett

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Keep a positive attitude throughout the test.

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”-Tom Bodett 21

Critical Thinking While Taking the Test

• Recall facts and formulas and base your answer off of those facts you really know

• Think about similarities between the test question and examples worked in class• Think about differences, this could help

eliminate the wrong answers especially in multiple choice


Critical Thinking continued…• Think through cause and effect

• Does your answer make sense?

• Find the best idea to match the example given• Which formula or fact applies to the

question

• Support ideas with examples



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Different Types of Test Questions

• Objective• Short answer• Multiple choice• True/False• Fill-in-the-Blank

• Subjective• Essay



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Be Aware of Time

• Bring a watch to class• There is not always a clock in the classroom or it could be broken• No cell phones, it could look like you are cheating

• Plan your time and stick to that plan• What kind of questions are on the exam?

• Short answer• Essay• Multiple choice• True/false• Or a mixture

• Allot a specific amount of time for each section and about 10 minutes for review



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Read the Directions• Some questions may be bonus

• Don’t spend as much time on these questions

• Some parts of the test could be weighed more• Spend the most time on the section that will

get the most points



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Work from Easy to Hard

• This leaves more time for the hard questions

• Mark the difficult questions as you work and come back to them

• The easy questions may give hints or spark your memory to the answers of hard questions



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Intelligent Guessing• If you are unsure, it is better to guess

than leave it blank• Process of Elimination

1. Eliminate the answers you know are wrong

2. Guess between the choices left

3. Return to the question and see if you would still make the same guess



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Scantron• Follow the directions• Make sure you are marking the correct

question• Completely erase

• If the machine reads two answers as marked the question is automatically wrong



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The Absurd Quiz


Multiple Choice• Carefully read the directions

• You could be asked to mark more than one answer choice

• Read each question and try to think of the answer before reading the answer choices

• Underline key words in the question• Don’t overlook negatives in the question


Multiple Choice continued…• If you don’t know the answer eliminate the

ones you know are wrong then guess• If it is allowed, don’t be afraid to write on

the test• Read answers carefully• For several questions on one long passage

• Read the questions first and look for the answers as you read


Patterns That Might Help• Longer, more detailed• Middle values• One of two choices with similar

meaning• Choices that are agree grammatically

with the question• Look for the “a” or “an” at the end of the

question


…Are usually correct37

True/False Questions• Read carefully• Look for qualifiers

• “all”, “only”, “always”: usually means the question is false

• “often”, “generally”, “sometimes”, “usually”: normally mean the question is true



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Matching Questions• Read the directions

• Can each choice be used more than once?

• Work from the column with the longest entries

• Start with the ones you know, then try the ones you don’t know



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Fill-in-the-Blank Questions• Be Logical

• Make sure the answer makes sense when the entire statement is read

• Note the length and number of blanks• Clues, not always true to the answer

• Usually two blanks means a two-word answer is required, but if you are sure that it is only one word then go with your own knowledge


Fill-in-the-Blank continued…• Pay attention to how blanks are separated• If there seems to be more than one answer,

write all answers you can think of• Make a guess

• Use qualifiers (normally, etc.)• Realize that the answer is probably in your

subconscious and your guess is not completely random


Essay Questions• Read all of the questions first• Watch for action verbs

• Analyze, Explain, Illustrate• These words guide your writing



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Essay Questions continued…• Plan the essay

• Think about what you are going to write• Outline the essay

• Revise the essay• Look for more ideas you can use

• Edit the essay• Look for grammar mistakes• Be as neat as possible



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After the Test

“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-

quarters percent guaranteed!

-Dr. Seuss

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When preparing for finals• Avoid marathon study sessions• Set clear starting and stopping times

• The work normally expands to fill the time allotted

• Schedule time for breaks around your study times

• Expect the unexpected• Be realistic• Meet with the teacher for a review session

Academic Support “And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed! -Dr. Seuss 49

Learn From Your Mistakes

• Identify problem areas• Careless errors• Conceptual or factual errors

• Try to rework the questions you got wrong• Talk to your professor• By learning from your mistakes, you can

do better on the next test


“And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed! -Dr. Seuss

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TEST TAKING Academic Support A Division of the Office of Undergraduate Studies The difference...

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