Test Taking Strategies

Prepare to avoid errors: Analyze your past results and errors Arrive early and prepared for tests Be familiar with exam question types and level of

detail required Practice taking similar exams Sleep and eat enough before a test Use good test-taking skills

Typical Exam Challenges Insufficient time to complete Narrow to two items and then reliably

selecting the wrong answer Change answers from right to wrong Reading too much into the question

Test taking strategies…..

Reduce pacing problems Reduce careless errors Increase confidence Improve reasoning effectiveness

Optimize/Improve PerformanceMechanics, reasoning, eliminating, guessing

You will be successful if …..

Read directions carefully Answer questions in a strategic order Review (not always possible)

Effective Pacing - 1 minute

Beginning to end - without blanks. avoid unnecessary re-reading and rethinking choose best answer immediately - mark for review

Check about every 10 questions - have you completed these within 10 minutes ? consider question length adjust approach/speed if necessary

Focus your reasoning

Note key information (circle, or underline key words on paper exams)

Jot down any thoughts you have as you read the question

Try to come up with an answer before reading the options

Strategies for Multiple-choice tests

Get the benefit of “first hunches” Focus on what you do know Only change answers if confidence

increases If not completely sure: Choose the best

answer when you narrow it to two

Cross checking strategies to avoid “stupid mistakes” Read all the options - even when sure Read carefully - pay attention to qualifiers –

What is the question asking? Don’t go too quickly - every question deserves

the allotted time (1 minute) Too quickly causes more errors

Mark questions that might benefit from later review (come back if time/technology allows)

Review exam as time/technology allows

If still not sure…use deductive reasoning Look for and eliminate the “absurd option (s)”. Look for options which mean the same thing -

eliminate them. Harness common knowledge and common

sense - apply it. Analyze word roots Consider ALL information in stem

Elimination strategies: Increasing the odds Overlapping words/themes in stem and

option tend to be correct Longer options tend to be correct Absolute qualifiers tend to be false (e.g.,

always, never, all, only)

The last resort: Guessing strategies

Use a system to maximize efficiency when guessing - use the same letter each time.

DO NOT scan the answer sheet to help make your choice.

DO NOT waste time deliberating - just guess. If pair-wise confusion occurs in matching

questions, choose the same answer for both.

Short answer items Use grammatical clues within a statement

as hints for the correct answer If you can think of several answers for a

blank or short answer question, let the instructor know.

A guess made with common sense could get you more test points than if you leave an answer blank.

Write your short answers in simple, telegraphic sentences.

True or false items Every part of a true sentence must be

"true“. If any one part of the sentence is false, the whole sentence is false despite many other true statements.

Often true/false tests contain more true answers than false answers.  You have more than 50% chance of being right with "true".  However, your teacher may be the opposite.  Review pasts tests for patterns...

Pay close attention to qualifiers

Words like "sometimes, often, frequently, ordinarily, generally" open up the possibilities of making accurate statements. 

Words that make more modest claims, are more likely to reflect reality, and usually indicate "true" answers.

Absolute words restrict possibilities

"No, never, none, always, every, entirely, only“ imply the statement must be true 100% of the time and usually indicate "false" answers

Pay attention to punctuation

Long sentences often include groups of words set off by punctuation.

Pay attention to the "truth" of each of these phrases.

If one is false, it usually indicates a "false" answer

Negatives can be confusing

If the question contains negatives, as "no, not, cannot“Drop the negative and read what remains. Decide whether that sentence is true or false. If it is true, its opposite, or negative, is usually

false

Another tip

Don't over-answer!!!!Aim for concise, accurate, thoughtful answers that are based in evidence.