Test – Taking Tips

(Thanks to France Grady of MCC’s PLAN Program for supplying this material,

and thanks to Mike McMahon and Chris Richard for their expert assistance.)

 

 

General Preparation

 

  1. Be sure to attend the last few classes before an exam or test
  2. Find out exactly what is to be covered on the test
  3. Find out what kind of exam it will be (essay, multiple choice or other)
  4. Begin preparing early
  5. Estimate the amount of time you will need
  6. Decide exactly what you want to accomplish in each study session
  7. Go to bed at a reasonable time the night before the test

 

Preparing for an Essay Test

  1. Look for trends and themes in your survey reading
  2. Raise questions which you think are fair exam questions
  3. Spend most of your time actively organizing and restating ideas rather then simply rereading annotations

 

  1. State ideas in your own words

 

  1. Be prepared to use critical reading for expressing your own position and support it with evidence, especially in the humanities and the social sciences

 

  1. If you used more than one book or anthology for the course, be sure you can clearly identify each work and that you understand and can state the relationships among the different materials (comparison, contrasts parallels)

 

Taking the Essay Test

 

  1. Quickly survey read the entire test, paying careful attention to the directions. Budget your time according to the value of each question and leave some time for review.

 

  1. Answer first those questions of which you are most sure.

 

  1. Before writing your answer, be sure to pay particular attention to key directional words.  Do precisely what you are asked to do. Don’t list when you are asked to analyze and don’t define when you are asked to criticize.  Avoid unnecessary repetition by deciding which information is most pertinent to each question.

 

Description and Analysis Words

 

Describe                       Give an account of the attributes of the subject under discussion

 

Analyze                        Separate and examine the stated subject into the parts or elements of which it is composed.

 

Enumerate/List              Present a sequence of element constituting the whole of your subject.

 

Develop                       From a given starting point, evolve a logical pattern leading to a valid conclusion.

 

Trace                           In narrative form, describe the progress, development of historical events from some point of origin.

 

Outline/Summaries        Give the theme and main points of the subject in concise form.

 

Explanation and Proof Words

 

Explain/Interpret           Restate the subject in simpler, more explicit terms.

 

Define/Formulate          Classify the subject, and specify its unique qualities and characteristics.

 

Prove/Justify                 Demonstrate validity by test, argument or evidence.

 

Demonstrate                 Explain or prove by use of examples.

 

Illustrate                       Explain fully by means of diagrams.

 

Comparison Words

 

Compare                      Investigate and state the likenesses or similarities of two of more subjects.

 

Contrast                       Look for noticeable differences.

 

Relate                           Establish the connection between one or more things.

 

Personal Judgment Words

 

Criticize/Evaluate          Judge or evaluate the subject for its truth, beauty, worth significance and justify your evaluation.  “Criticism” does not necessarily imply a hostile attack.

 

Interpret                       (see also “Explain”) Explain and evaluate in terms of your own knowledge and belief.

 

Justify                           (see also “Prove”) It is ordinarily implied that you justify a statement on the author’s terms.  When asked to justify your own statements, defend your position in detail and take pains to be convincing.

 

Words Requiring Further Clarification

 

The following words can mean one or more of the defined words, depending on the context and the personal usage of the instructor.

 

Comment                     See explain, illustrate, criticize

 

Define                          See define, describe, explain

 

Explain                         Can sometimes mean define

 

Interpret                       See interpret, explain

 

Justify                           See justify, prove

 

Review                         See analyze, comment, criticize, summarize

 

State                            See define, describe, summarize

 

  1. If any questions require formulas, diagrams, or laws that you have memorized, jot them down before you forget them.

 

  1. Before writing your essay answer, organize your answer into a very brief structure diagram right on your exam paper.

 

  1. Use relevant comparisons or contrasts, not only from the same course, but also from other courses, other readings or your own experience.

 

  1. Check the clock from time to time and if you finish before the time is up, make sure you have answered all the questions.

 

The Objective Test

 

Preparing for an Objective Test

 

  1. Review reading materials and lecture notes which you have annotated.  Recite each important point mentally, orally or in writing.

 

  1. Be able to define all terms in bold print or italics.

 

  1. In foreign language courses, vocabulary must be mastered.

 

  1. In any courses in which computations for problems are an important factor, be sure you can work representative problems by actually doing them, not merely understanding illustrations.

 

  1. Review important proofs, diagram, cycles, etc., which may be required on the test.

 

  1. Learn the overall structure even though the test will be objective, with emphasis on details.

 

Taking the Objective Test

 

  1. Survey the test, reading the directions carefully and noting the number and types of questions asked.  Budget your time for each section of the test based on its value.

 

  1. Answer the easiest questions first.

 

  1. Be on the lookout for questions which may answer other questions.

 

  1. In true-false tests, watch out for absolute or categorical statements.

 

  1. In multiple-choice tests, cross out those choices which you know are wrong, thereby narrowing your choice and increasing the probability of a correct answer.

 

  1. In matching questions, eliminate choices as you use them by crossing them out.

 

  1. When guessing, your first answer is normally best.

 

  1. Leave time to review the test, but don’t change an answer unless you are very confident that your original answer was wrong.

 

After the Test

 

When your test has been returned, read all comments, look at any incorrect answers, see why they were incorrect and determine how you can avoid this kind of error on future tests.