Chapter 11 Taking Exams © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Agenda Learning Objectives Time Management on Tests Essay Writing Prompts Practice Objectives Tests Discussion © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Learning Objectives Apply time management strategies to a testing situation. Understand how to plan an approach to an essay writing prompt. Revise a worked example of an essay. Differentiate between the strategies used on various types of objectives test. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Time Management on Tests Preview the entire test and allot time accordingly. Go where the points are! Answer your strengths first. Wear a watch. Check your watch periodically (after completing each question). Save time to check your work. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Two Types of Test Question Essay Objective Multiple choice True/false Matching Fill-in-the-blank © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Example Essay Prompts: What are the key words? Discuss how the Equal Rights Amendment was developed and why its passage has aroused controversy. Explain one effect of the Industrial Revolution upon each of three of the following: a) transportation, b) capitalism, c) socialism, d) population growth, e) scientific research. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Discuss how the Equal Rights Amendment was developed and why its passage has aroused controversy. Explain one effect of the Industrial Revolution upon each of three of the following: a) transportation, b) capitalism, c) socialism, d) population growth, e) scientific research. Example Essay Prompts: What are the key words? © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Pre-Write Create a brief outline or representation: main ideas supporting details your position, if appropriate beginning and ending sentences. Organize main ideas into the best order: start with the most important ideas. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Sample Essay Structure Intro Paragraph “This is what I’m going to say.” First Main Idea Supporting Detail #1 Supporting Detail #2 More details if necessary Second Main Idea Supporting Detail #1 Supporting Detail #2 Closing Paragraph (Summary) “This is what I said.” Transition Words © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Memory is important to everybody’s life. Memry has special ways to help you get a better recollection of things adn ideas. Psychologists believe that memory has three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. In the encoding stage, you are puttin facts and ideas into code, usually words, and filing them away in your memory and encoding involves preparing information for storage in memory. The second stage of memory is storage. It is the stage that most people call memory. It involves keeping information so that it is accessible for use later in time. How well information is stored can be affected by old information already stored and newer information that is added later. Retrieval means the ability to get back information that is in storage. There are two types of retrieval— recognition and recall. In recognition, you have to be able to identify the correct information from several choices. In recall, you have to pull information directly from your memory without using the recognition type of retrieval. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Memory is important to everybody’s life. Memry has special ways to help you get a better recollection of things adn ideas. Psychologists believe that memory has three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Transition word(s) In the encoding stage, you are putting facts and ideas into code, usually words, and filing them away in your memory. and Encoding involves preparing information for storage in memory. The second stage of memory is storage. It is the stage that most people call memory. It involves keeping information so that it is accessible for use later in time. How well information is stored can be affected by old information already stored and newer information that is added later. Transition word(s) retrieval means the ability to get back information that is in storage. There are two types of retrieval—recognition and recall. In recognition, you have to be able to identify the correct information from several choices. In recall, you have to pull information directly from your memory without using the recognition type of retrieval. In conclusion…. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Multiple Choice Answer the questions you know first. If you have to guess, choose the answer in the middle with the most words. Read the stem and all of the choices before determining the best answer. True/False Absolute terms such as always, all, totally, none,, or never usually make the statement false. If you cannot determine that a statement is false, assume it is true. Objective Exams © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Objective Exams Matching Work from one side only. Use the process of elimination if answers can only be used once. Literally cross out answers that are no longer available to use. Fill-in-the-blank Use synonyms if you do not know the answer. You may receive partial credit. © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016

Discussion Questions What are your strengths and weaknesses when taking essay writing prompts? What strategies will help you increase your test-taking skills for answering essay writing prompts? Which type of objective question do you find most challenging? What are the test-taking strategies for this type of question? © Routledge/Taylor & Francis 2016