Excel at Taking Tests

Test Strategies

• Start Day 1
• Know Expectations
• Ask Questions
• Keep Up
• Review Immediately

Strategies Cont.

• Review Weekly
• Do a Final Review
• Memory Techniques
• Sample Tests
• Summarize

Strategies Cont.

• Study Group
• Available Resources
• Assemble What You Will Need

Test Formats

True/False

• Read The Entire Question
• Pay Attention to Details
• Watch For Qualifiers (always/never)
• Watch For Faulty Cause/Effect
• Answer Every Question
• Trust Yourself

Multiple Choice

• Read the Question Carefully
• Rephrase
• Cover Up the Answers
• Eliminate Choices
• Easy --- Difficult
• Watch for Combinations
• Sentence Structure

Matching

• Read Carefully
• Eliminate
• Look for Clues

Fill in the Blank

• Grammatical Clues
• Count the Number of Blanks
• Look at the Length of the Blank

Open Book

• Go Through Your Text and Mark Important Points
• Write Out Definitions
• Make an "Important Points" Sheet

Essay

• Budget Your Writing Time
• Read Prompt Carefully
• Create an Outline
• Focus on Main Points
• Write Concisely & Correctly

Essay Cont.

• Use Key Terms & Phrases
• Answer Completely
• Count Your Words
• Write NEATLY
• Use All Available Time

Last Minute

Tips:

• Focus On a Few Points
• Be Positive
• Review Your Notes
• Affirm Your Memory
• Do NOT Pop Pills

Test Anxiety

Tips

• Dispute Negative Thoughts
• Rehearse
• Exercise
• Eat. (especially breakfast)
• Visualize

Tips cont.

• Stay Calm
• Get to Class Early
• Focus
• Keep Perspective
• Get Help

CHEATING

Why?

• Violates Integrity
• Erodes Confidence
• Creates Academic Problems
• Increases Stress
• High Risk
• Unnessesary.

Questions?