1. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro TACKLING TAKE HOME TESTS!!

2. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro What’s The Rationale? Ask yourself what your professor’s rationale is for giving you a take home test. It may be any of the following: 1.In order to complete the test, resources other than what is accessible in class is needed. 2.Group work is permitted or even necessary. 3.The amount of time needed to complete the test is longer than the time allotted for one class period. 4.The professor does not want to use up a class period for a test and would rather move on to new course material.

3. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro Preparing for Take Home Tests By looking at the common rationales for why professors choose to give take home tests, we can deduce that these tests often take more preparation and time for the student to complete. In addition to being responsible for knowing the course material, you may also have to take the time to gather additional resources in order to complete the test.

4. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro The Most Common Pitfall Among Students!! A common misconception by college students is that having a take-home test means that you have plenty of time to complete it and can start whenever you want. THIS IS NOT REALLY TRUE!!

5. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro Getting Started On TAKE HOME TESTS Look over what you will have to complete and get clarification from your professor on what you do not understand. Try to get a realistic idea of how long it will take to finish the test. Plan blocks of time to steadily work on the test. Start as soon as possible because although you plan your time, completing the test will probably take longer than you expect. Start early to give yourself extra time in case you run into a problem along the way and need assistance or additional clarification from your professor.

6. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro General Strategies for Completing TAKE HOME TESTS Do not procrastinate. Treat a take home test as if it was any other large assignment or class project. Do your own work unless your professor gives you permission to work in groups. Use a variety of sources. Do not plagiarize. Cite any references used.

7. Copyright 2001, Christine L. Abela, M.Ed. & Thomas R. Renfro What to do when you are Done!! Proofread your work. Double check to make sure you did not plagiarize any written work. If you used references, make sure you cited them properly. Keep a hardcopy or photocopy of your test as proof that you did complete it.