Taking Tests EXAM How to Take a Test Chapter 5

“Tests are not a measure of your value as an individual—they are a measure only of how well (and how much) you studied.”

P.O.W.E.R. Plan  Prepare: Readying Your Test-Taking Strategies  Organize: Facing the Day of the Test  Work: Tackling the Test  Evaluate: Taking Your Own Final Examination  Rethink: The Real Test of Learning

Why Tests Are So Unpopular  Produce fear  Cause anxiety  Increase apprehension  Focus on grades

Tests Can Be Valuable  Identifies what you know  Compares your performance to others  Motivates you to study But how do YOU feel about tests?

Tests are a Measurement Tests are not a measure of your value as an individual. They only measure how well (and how much) you studied, and your test-taking skills.

Prepare: Readying your Test-Taking Strategies  Attend class  Complete all assignments  Find out what type of test you will be given  Ask teacher what material will be covered or if there is a review  Check your syllabus to determine how much the test will count

What’s in a Name?  Quizzes Brief assessment covering a small amount of material, doesn’t count much  Tests More extensive and covers more material than quizzes  Exams Weighted more heavily, more comprehensive than tests

Types of Test Questions  Essay questions Look at the big picture See the connections between the facts  Multiple-choice, true- false, matching Choose best answer  Short-answer Brief responses  True-False Accurate or inaccurate  Matching Pair correct items together  Fill-in Add missing words

Test Anxiety  Temporary condition characterized by fears and concerns about test-taking  Prepare thoroughly  Learn relaxation techniques  Visualize success  Form a study group

Techniques for Dealing with Math Anxiety Myths  Boys are better than girls at math  Math has no practical value Study groups are small, informal groups that are useful for learning course material.

To Cram or Not to Cram? Hurried, last-minute studying is not the best answer. Long-term retention is lost and you are likely to forget the material. Instead, use your campus learning or tutorial center resources.

Organize: Facing Test Day  Bring at least two pens/two pencils to test  Bring your watch  Don’t forget blue book if needed  Bring text if open-book test  Bring eraser

Work: Tackling the Test  Try to relax and remember to “breathe”  Read instructions and skim the entire exam  Spend time on questions that count the most  Answer easier questions first  Write legibly

Computerized Test-Scoring If you feel your test was graded incorrectly, ask your instructor to go over the test with you. Computerized testing isn’t perfect.

Conquering Essay Questions  Turn to page 131 in your text  Learn the differences between words used in essay questions  For example, “Should students pay for the cost of copies in the library?” Clarify, Discuss, Justify, State

What’s the Difference? “College life is very different from the life of a student in high school”  Explain (give reasons why or how; clarify, justify, illustrate)  Prove (using evidence and arguments, convince the reader of a particular point)

Master Multiple-Choice  Watch out for “every”, “always”, “only”, “none”, and “never”. These are rarely correct answers.  “Generally”, “usually”, “often”, “rarely”, “seldom” and “typically” may indicate a correct response.

Educated Guess  Eliminate false answers  Narrow it down to correct answer

True-False Questions  Answer the ones you know first  Don’t rush  Key words such as “never”, “always” often determine response

Matching Questions  Match items you know are correct first  Use educated guess on the rest

Short-Answer and Fill-In Questions  Require specific answers  Be as short as possible

Academic Dishonesty  Plagiarism Copying another’s work Copying another’s idea without giving credit (quotations needed) Paraphrasing without giving credit (document source) Results in lower grade or expulsion from class or college

Academic Dishonesty  Includes using a calculator when it is not allowed  Taking an exam for another person  Stealing an exam  Using a textbook for a closed-book exam  Is plain wrong

Evaluate: Taking Your Own Final Exam  Check your work at the end of a test  Look for unanswered questions  Correct misspelled words  Guess the answer rather than leave it blank (since it will be wrong anyway)  Know when to stop

Rethink: Reflect on the Real Test of Learning When you get the grade back--  Examine mistakes and learn from them  Examine your handwriting skills  Get the correct answers  Talk to instructor if needed

Career Connections Tests do not end with a degree. Many professions require licensing exams or continuing education. Careers in medicine, law or business require national, standardized tests.

PREPARE ORGANIZE WORK EVALUATE RETHINK Review your work on a regular basis Bring the right tools to the test; follow directions carefully Tackle the test Save time to check your work; know when to stop Reflect on what you’ve learned when you get a test back P.O.W.E.R. Plan

Resources How to Ace Any Test by Beverley Chin (Wiley, 2004) Test Anxiety and What You Can Do About It by Joseph Casbarro (National Professional Resources, 2003)

 Handout of suggestions on approaching multiple-choice exams /multicho.html  Suggestions to manage and reduce level of stress and test-anxiety Web Links

Journal Topics  What makes a test “good and bad” from your perspective?  What factors contribute to your success or failure on a a particular exam? Which are these factors are under your control?  What strategies do you use when taking tests to maximize your performance?