Test Taking Strategies:
Short Answer/Essay
Students are regularly subjected to the joys of test taking throughout their college careers. Of course you may have noticed some students do much better on tests then others. They must be smarter right? Well maybe, but you are smart too and it is just as likely that more successful students have simply mastered HOW to take a test. Here are some helpful tips that you can easily master that can help foster test taking success. Give them a try!
Preparation.
You of course need to study in order to be well prepared for an exam. Refer to the section on study skills. Assuming you have mastered those skills and are prepared, proceed to the next step.
Relax!
The first thing you need to do is relax and settle down. Get comfortable, stretch, settle down, gain perspective. This exam really is not the most important thing you will ever do in your life. Give yourself an opportunity to reduce any anxiety you may have before beginning the exam. Thing of the athlete or musician preparing for a performance; they perform best if relaxed.
Read through the entire test.
This will help you gauge the amount of time to spend on each question. Answer the questions you are most familiar with first. This prevents running out of time with "easy" questions still left unanswered. This also has the added bonus of helping you relax and provided you have met step #1, increasing your confidence as you realize you ìknow this stuff!î.
Make sure you understand the question.
Do not just glance at the question, and just start writing. Be careful and mindful of what you are going to write. You want to avoid the unenviable position of finding out too late that your answer, although plausible, does not match the intent of the question. Read carefully and just answer the question. This is something students often foul up. Stick to what is being asked; no more and no less. Avoid assuming the question than what is asked.
Make an outline.
If time permits this can help you organize your thought and stay on track. List the important points to be covered in your answer. This process will also help you recall facts relevant to the question.
Just the facts maíam; just the facts.
You have limited time and a test is not the time to display your artistic prose. Avoid beginning your response with wasteful devises such as: a simple repeating of the question; a useless display of knowledge not relevant to the question; jokes.
Answer chronologically.
In any question that involves development through time, the chronological order will prove useful, regardless of the course. The simplest order is generally the best. This will make your response much more coherent which of course enable the person grading it to better understand your point (s).
Write simply and carefully.
There is no substitute for clear, concise sentences. Discipline yourself. Do not let haste cause you to use grammar or phrasing which you know may be difficult for the grader to comprehend. Again, it pays dividends if the person grading your work understands what you are trying to articulate. Clear, concise sentences Help ensure that understanding.
Keep it simple.
Never mistake quantity for quality. No one is going to grade you solely on the number of pages you fill so do not pad your work with information that is not specific to the question. Quality is what matter!
Pace yourself/relax occasionally.
Haste makes waste. This old adage was an annoying favorite of my uncle tim when i was a child but when it comes to writing he was right. The faster you try to work, the more likely you will make mistakes and increase your anxiety which in turn increases the likelihood of mistakes whichösee where this is going ? Set a realistic pace for yourself and remember to take time to relax occasionally. You will not perform your best if you are cramped, sore, tired, and anxious.
Proofreading/ editing.
Try to leave some time for proofreading. If you make any changes, try to do so Neatly. Avoid writing between lines or circling text with arrows pointing to other paragraphs.
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