1. Essay Tests

2. What is an Essay Test? Why do I need to know about it?
Essay tests are timed written exams that require you to sort through information, decide what is important and explain why it is important.
Demonstrate your ability to:
Understand course concepts
Interpret specific materials
Make connections and see relationships
Think critically and analytically
Employ specific evidence to argue a point
“Essay exams are a useful tool for finding out if you can sort through a large body of information, figure out what is important, and explain why it is important. Essay exams challenge you to come up with key course ideas and put them in your own words and to use the interpretive or analytical skills you've practiced in the course” (“The Writing Center”).
To be successful, a student MUST: go to class, read the text(s), take notes, actively study, participate in discussions and complete any assignments given with the readings.

3. Test Tips: Before the Test
Know your subject
Read your text(s) several times.
Complete all assignments associated with the text(s).
Ask questions if you don’t understand.
But don’t wait until the day of the exam!
Use memory tricks such as acronyms, mnemonic devices, rhymes, etc. to remember definitions, lists, etc.
Study before bed, but get a good night’s sleep.
Eat a good breakfast and review.
A Poptart and a Redbull is probably NOT the way to go. Consider a sausage and egg biscuit, some fruit and milk.
Make sure you have everything you need such as pencils or black pens, lined paper, text(s), etc.
Read the text many times. Read the first time for comprehension. Read the text all the way through without stopping so you understand the plot or main idea. Read the second time and pick out vocabulary you don’t know or terms you don’t understand and research them. Look for literary devices, especially terms and devices SPECIFICALLY covered in class.
Complete all assignments that accompany the text. Pay special attention to the terms, vocabulary and skills you are asked to employ. It is likely you will see the vocab and terms on your essay test.
If you don’t understand the plot, terms, etc., ASK! Start by consulting fellow students and then ask your teacher. Do NOT wait until the day of the exam, as your teacher is unlikely to be able to help much. Participate in discussions, take notes and ask questions when the opportunity arises in class. Pay special attention to other students’ questions as well.
Use memory and study tricks. Create flashcards to learn terms and vocab. Use mnemonic devices for lists that must be learned in order.
Actively study before bed because your brain creates long term memories while you sleep. Don’t cram!; study this each night for 3 days before your exam. Try to get 8 hours of sleep the night before the exam so you are rested.
Actively studying means writing out notes with pen and paper (typing on a keyboard isn’t the same), review flashcards with a partner, teach your sibling the information (teaching someone else is a GREAT way to make sure you truly know the material), etc. DO NOT listen to music, eat, or do anything else distracting such as text, , or listen to background noise, such as the latest episode of “I’m 16 and Pregnant.” FOCUS on the material.
Eat a good breakfast. Try to eat something from all the food groups, especially protein and carbs. Eating a breakfast of mostly sugar will make you feel good temporarily, but will make you crash later- probably as you are taking your exam! Review your material, especially ‘trouble spots’ during breakfast.
Pack your pens, paper, texts, and anything else you will need. If you can use notes, bring those, too. Make sure you have what you need. Essay tests are limited time tests and having to run to your locker, if you are even allowed to leave class to retrieve materials, will cut into your time.

4. Mnemonic Devices Acronyms: “Every good boy deserves fudge” for the
E G B D F musical notes in order
HOMES-to remember the Great Lakes
Roy G. Biv- to keep track of all the colors in the rainbow
Mnemonics rely on associations between easy-to-remember constructs which can be related back to the data that are to be remembered. First letter mnemonics are the most common and involve creating a new association that is easy to remember (probably because it is funny or strange). HOMES helps students remember the Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. It might be difficult to randomly pull all 5 lakes from memory, but with this mnemonic device, people are more likely to list all the lakes because they already know the first letter of each lake.
Acronyms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters (as in CEO) or parts of words (such as Nabisco: National Biscuit Company).

5. Test Tips: During the Test
Stay relaxed.
Take a few deep breathes
and visualize doing well.
Believe in yourself.
Read the directions carefully.
Be sure you understand
exactly what is expected. If you
have questions, ASK.
Employ the Essay Test Format discussed later in this lecture.

6. Essay Test-Taking Strategies
Review the WHOLE test before beginning.
Partial answers may be found hidden in later prompts.
Decide which questions will be easier and which will be harder. Complete easier questions FIRST.
Figure out if any questions are worth more points than others. Complete questions worth the most points FIRST.
Read the exam carefully. Make tentative choices about which questions you will answer, if you have a choice. BREIELY make notes about those exam questions.
Analyze the questions and focus ONLY on what you do know, paying no attention to what you do not know. Look at the active verbs since they tell you what you will be doing.
Answer the questions you know the most about first. Also consider which questions are worth the most points and address them at the beginning of your time allowance. Do NOT spend a lot of time on questions you can’t answer successfully.

7. Essay Test-Taking Strategies
Jot down any information you need to remember specifically such as dates and names.
Budget your time.
Each question will have a central idea. Remember what was stressed in class and in the text(s). Include that information.
Look for directional terms
(active verbs).
Jot down dates, times, names, etc. as soon as you know you will need the information for a question. This will free up your brain to focus on how to best address the prompt, instead of trying to remember specific info.
If a question is worth more points, give it more time. If all questions are worth the same amount, give them the same time allowance.
If your text included it, and then your teacher lectured on it, and it was part of your class discussions and/or assignments, it will likely be included on the exam. If a topic was only briefly covered and was not stressed in multiple aspects of your class, it is likely not a major topic and will probably not play a significant role on your exam. Spend time studying stressed topics so you will have that information with specific examples ready to show your understanding.
Review directional terms (active verbs) PRIOR to the exam so you know EXACTLY what is expected of you when you take your exam. It would be a shame to lose points even though you knew the information because you failed to address the prompt in the way you were expected to according to the directions.

8. Directional Terms
Compare: Identify similarities and differences, pros and cons.
Evaluate: Come to a conclusion based on facts.
Define: Explain the exact meaning and support your definition with facts.
Describe: Go into detail. Use examples, verbal illustrations, and lists to connect ideas.
Summarize: Give a short account of the topic, still using the essay format but sticking to facts and excluding unnecessary details.
Circle any directional terms you find in each question to be sure your essay stays on course.
A list of these terms has been provided for you!
***Handout and Review the Directional Terms Handout.

9. Essay Test Format
Introduction- Tell your reader what you’re going to tell him/her
Restate the prompt question(s) as part of your thesis.
Be sure your thesis is clear and adequately addresses ALL aspects of your prompt(s).
Body - Tell him/her
Support your thesis with several specific examples from the text(s), class discussion, lectures, etc.
Use subject vocabulary. (vocabulary, literature terms, etc.) Briefly define any terms used.
Communicate clearly. Write legibly.
Conclusion- Tell your reader what you told him/her
Restate your thesis and summarize main points.
Use the introduction to repeat the question in your own words to let your teacher see both your understanding of the question and a short description of your answer.
In the body, answer the question in detail, using your outline for your main points and adding several specific details from the text(s), class discussions and lectures, handouts, assignments, etc. to each point.
If your prompt asks for 3 examples, make sure you have 3 specific examples. Create a new paragraph for each example.
If you aren’t sure of specific dates, use approximations that you ARE sure of, such as “the early 21st century.”
Be sure you communicate clearly, using short sentences, but give detail to demonstrate your understanding.
It is also necessary to write legibly. If you need to change your essay, simply cross through the word(s) you don’t want. Do NOT take the time to erase or start over.
Use subject vocabulary and terms to aid the graders understanding of your knowledge. Make sure you briefly define any terms used so your reader is clear about the context in which it was used.
A strong conclusion can provide extra clarity to your essay by restating your point of view and defining how you reached it by summarizing your major points.

10. When you’re “finished”…
PROOFREAD!
Did you address all aspects of the prompts?
Does your essay follow the standard format? (intro, body, conclusion)
Did you employ subject-specific vocabulary and terms? Did you define them?
Have you corrected conventions errors that could distract your grader?
Does your essay reflect your understanding of the topic?

11. When will I see essay tests?
ECA
SAT
ACT
GRE
Placement exams
College classes