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Test Taking Webinar ScriptIntroductionTitleGoalsBefore the TestStudy TipsGeneral SuggestionsObjective ExamsSHREKTrue/False ExamsMultiple Choice ExamsMath ExamsEssay ExamsReflection and QuestionsPart 1: Introduction(Slide 0) – Webinar Prompt(Slide 1) – TitleHello, and welcome to the Reading Strategies for Success workshop presented by the Center for Learning & Advancement at Grand Canyon University. For more information on tutoring and other supported services, go to our website at gcu.edu/centerforlearning. If you have any questions throughout the presentation, feel free to ask them at any time by typing them in the question box in the GoToWebinar toolbar.(Slide 2) – Start at the BeginningBefore we begin, let’s keep in mind one observation. When looking at tests, we should remember that being successful is less about intelligence and more about developing and implementing good study and test-taking habits and techniques. While these techniques may come more naturally to others, everyone has the ability to implement new techniques and improve. This workshop will discuss a number of general study strategies, along with test-taking techniques for a number of different kinds of tests.Part 2: Before the Test(Slide 3) – Before the TestNow let’s discuss some tasks you can accomplish prior to your test in order to better prepare. Some of these tasks are discussed in much greater detail in our time management, note taking, and study skills workshops, so you may want to review those workshops as well for further information and strategies. (Slide 4) – Create a Study GuideOne of the most important tasks you can accomplish is creating a study guide. When creating a study guide, use your syllabus, textbook, notes, class handouts, and any specific learning objectives your instructor has mentioned. Start by creating an outline that includes all major course topics relevant to the test. Then use all of the class materials mentioned to add depth to that outline. Doing so will allow you to organize your course materials in a helpful way and further explain and summarize concepts and information in your own words. While filling out your outline, create possible test questions, and then quiz yourself with those questions. After identifying difficult areas through this process, go back and study any problem areas.(Slide 5) – Create MnemonicsSome students remember lists and procedures very well by creating mnemonics. You can also find many great mnemonics online related to different topics of study just by doing a Google search. Well-known mnemonics include “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” for order of operations in math and “Every Good Boy Does Fine” for the music scale. Incorporate these into your study guides or create flash cards.(Slide 6) – Use Time WiselyWhen you do sit down to study, use your time wisely. Prepare to study for a reasonable amount of time, such as 45-60 minutes. Typically, a person’s ability to absorb and process information caps out between 30 and 60 minutes, so take short breaks (10-15 minutes) in order to extend your effective study time. Start early in the day. Most people actually have more energy earlier in the day, and, if you start earlier, you will have more flexibility if distractions do get in the way.(Slide 7) – Create a Good Study EnvironmentThat being said, always find a place that is free of distractions and promotes concentration, such as the library. Avoid lying in bed or on the couch, or other places where you eat or perform leisure activities. Be sure to have good lighting; poor lighting can tire out your eyes and make you over-concentrate, cause you to become tired more quickly than you normally would. And always have all necessary resources handy. If you have to skip over information while studying and lose how course information builds on itself, you will probably not remember the information as well.(Slide 8) Before the TestMeaningful interaction with your instructor can help immensely in preparing for a test. During class, notice how your instructor highlights certain information as important. Listen for key words to remember, as they will most likely show up on the test. Before and after class, get to know your instructor. Try to meet before the test to discuss any questions you have. Consistently asking questions demonstrates to the instructor how much you care about your performance in the class. You can even set up a follow-up meeting after the test to review your work. Beyond direction interaction, you can ask students who have had the same instructor about their experiences the tests.(Slide 9) ReflectTake a moment to write down two ways you will use these strategies to prepare for your next exam. Why do you think those strategies will be helpful? You may pause this video to give yourself more time. And for further discussion regarding what you can do leading up to a test, please our video workshops on note taking and study skills.Part 3: Test Taking Strategies(Slide 10) Test Taking StrategiesNow that we’ve discussed a few ways to prepare for a test, let’s discuss ways you can helpful to approach different types of tests as you are taking them.(Slide 11) Not All Exams are Created EqualWe must first recognize that different types of tests require different approaches. We’ll discuss objective tests and then move on to essay exams.(Slide 12) SHREKThe SHREK strategy can be applied to almost any type of test, even essay and short answer, as it calls attention to some more fundamental requirements of doing your best on any test.(Slide 13) SFirst, survey the whole test, that way you know everything you need to accomplish in the time allotted. Doing this will give you two opportunities to review all parts of the test, as you will see everything again as complete each part. You also will not be surprised by anything mid-test. During this step, write down any important information, such as formulas or keywords, in the margins where they are applicable. This step should only take a few minutes.(Slide 14) HThe only way to do your best is to stay calm and believe you can do well. Don’t forget to breath, and take a brief pause to collect yourself if necessary. Prior to the test, do whatever you need to do to give yourself confidence, whether that be a certain amount of studying or a review and pep talk with a classmate. Our expectations of how we’ll do on a test often act as a self-fulfilling prophecy, so make sure you have an outlook that allows success.(Slide 15) RBe sure to read the directions carefully, and re-read them as necessary. If you do not understand the question, ask your instructor. While you might be nervous to do this, you don’t want to lose points just because you didn’t ask.(Slide 16) EStart with the easier questions in order to build up your confidence. If you think a problem will take a while to solve or you are not sure how to do it, move and come back later. A later question, using the same procedure but set up differently, may help you more easily decipher the more difficult question.(Slide 17) KLastly, always look for key words that quickly point out important information to consider when answering a question. The key words will let you know how to answer the question, as your answer should give proper weight to those concepts.(Slide 18) SHREKAttempts to use these strategies for any test you take. For example, reading directions carefully and paying attention to key words is necessary for both essay tests and math tests.(Slide 19) Reflect Write ShareTake a moment to write down a couple ways you can better approach your tests by using the SHREK method. Think about what steps you do not do already, but you think will benefit you most. You may pause this video to give yourself more time.Part 4: True/False and Multiple Choice Questions(Slide 20) – True/FalseWe will now discuss a number of different types of objective tests, or test questions that have clear correct and incorrect responses. Many tests you take will include a combination of different question formats.For True/False questions, always guess if you do not know the answer. Educated guesses aside, you already have a 50% chance of getting the right answer. Be sure to always read through each question carefully, paying attention to any qualifying words and keywords. Let’s discuss qualifying words further.(Slide 21) - QualifiersThere are two general categories of qualifying words: absolute qualifiers and conditional qualifiers. Absolute qualifiers include words like Never, Always, and Every. In order for such a statement to be on the true, it must be true all of the time. Because of this, absolute qualifiers often lead to a false answer. See the example below. If a single student graduates high school with a 3.0 or higher without attending, the statement is necessarily false.(Slide 22) - QualifiersConditional qualifiers include words like Usually, Sometimes, and Generally. To find the correct answer you will have think about range of applicability and context of the true/false statement. These types of qualifiers will often lead to a True answer. For example change our absolute example to say that students with a 3.0 GPA or higher ‘usually’ go to college, the statement is more likely to be correct. (Slide 23)With true/false exams, remember that if any part of the question is false, the entire statement is false. However, just because part of the statement is true does not make the answer true. For example, is it true that all apples ripen and turn red in the fall? All healthy apples will ripen, but do all apples turn red?(Slide 24) – Multiple ChoiceLet’s move on to Multiple Choice questions. For these exams, always read the question before looking at the answers. If you can figure out the answer on your own and confirm through the options provided, you are much more likely to find the correct answer.(Slide 25) – All or NoneFor ‘all of the above’ and ‘none of the above’ questions, pay attention to the number of true and false statements you can identify. If one of the statements is true, the answer cannot be ‘none of the above.’ If one of the statements is false, the answer cannot be ‘all of the above.’ If you see at least two correct statements, however, ‘all of the above’ is most likely the answer. You may run into a situation where you have an ‘all of the above’ question where you think two statements are true but another is false, you will need to evaluate the choices and choose which answer you think is most likely to be right.(Slide 26) – Multiple ChoiceWith multiple choice questions, try eliminating the answer you know are incorrect before attempting an answer to a more difficult question. Always, always thoroughly read each option for key information and qualifiers. As long as there is not penalty for an incorrect answer, always try to make informed guess after eliminating as many options as possible. After guessing, move on unless you remember something that could change your answer or another problem gives additional insight on the previous problem.(Slide 27) – Positive and NegativeTypically when taking multiple choice tests, the choice with the most information, along with a positive choice will often be correct. Typically positive choices will have more information. Let’s look at an example of each.(Slide 28) – PositiveHere we have the positive statement “Students with strong social and academic skills have a higher chance for academic success in college.” Notice how this positive statement clearly qualifies itself and gives an easily understood description of the type of student it is discussing.(Slide 29) – Negative Here we have the negative statement “Uninvolved students usually do not go to college.” Notice how the statement does not clearly identify the meaning of uninvolved. Since the statement is vague and open for interpretation, it is probably not the correct answer.(Slide 30)Part 5: Math Exams(Slide 31)Now let’s move on to quantitative math exams, which are often either open answer or multiple choice, or both.(Slide 32) Math Exam PrepLet’s start with how prepare specifically for a math exam. When mastering procedures and recognizing patterns in math problems, repetition is key. Most people learn how to solve math problems by doing. Make sure you know when and why you should use one method over another to solve a problem. Luckily, most math texts have a wealth of practice problems. Practice by doing problems of each topic in the test with a wide range of difficulty, starting with easier problems to more easily identify when to use a specific procedure.(Slide 33) Math Exam PrepAlso, avoid doing problems of one type all at once. Instead, mix up different question types, that way you always have to think about what procedure to use. Whether you can take it into the test or not, create a sheet with relevant formulas and steps. Do your best to memorize these. If you cannot take your sheet into the test, write down the formulas on your paper margins as you initially read through the test.(Slide 34) Exam TipsIn many math exams clearly showing your work is critical to earning the best possible grade. Many instructors give partial credit for work that demonstrates you were able to identify the necessary procedure to solve the problem. (Slide 35) Exam TipsAs you complete each step of a problem, make estimates for any computations you need to make. If you are way off from your estimate, you’ll want to double-check your work. (Slide 36) Finishing the ExamBefore submitting your test, always use the time allotted to you to look over all of your work and answers in order to find any procedural mistakes. For example, check your decimals, re-read directions to make sure you completed the necessary steps, make sure you copied all numbers from step to step correctly, check positive and negative signs, and double-check your arithmetic.Part 5: Essay Exams(Slide 37) Before You BeginWe will now tips for taking essay exams. Similar to a math word problem, doing well on essay exam requires the student to properly identify the best way to approach a question. First, always read the directions carefully. The test may be asking you to answer only two out of three questions. If you took the time to answer all three, you may limit your time to complete other necessary parts of the test. This is very common in mid-terms and finals that include a combination of question types, such as multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and essay questions. Beyond basic directions, make sure you understand how you are being asked to respond to a question. If you are not sure if you fully understand the meaning of the question, ask your instructor.(Slide 38) PlanningYou’ll want to budget your time appropriately during an essay exam. Review the questions and decide how much time each question deserves. Ideally, you will apportion time to each question based on the length of response needed. Then stick to your time allotment; working within a self-imposed deadline will push you to not get behind and focus on the most important information and observations in your response.(Slide 39) OutliningWhen preparing to write your essays, write a quick outline before starting. This should only take a couple of minutes. However, your essay will be more organized and fluid, and you will spend less time thinking about what’s next while you are writing the essay. And if you do not finish, some instructors will give additional credit for the outline.(Slide 40) Begin WritingWhen you do start writing try to be neat as possible if you are writing by hand. An instructor cannot grade what she cannot read. Don’t worry about an extensive introduction or conclusion for each response. Instead focus on answering the question. Your outline will help you accomplish this goal. Your outline should also help you identifying main points and ideas. Each of those main ideas should take up a paragraph in your essay, so be sure the number of main ideas you discuss is appropriate for the length of essay you wish to write. Fill out the rest of your paragraphs with explanation, detail, and facts. Keep in mind that you have limited space and time, so be sure that you stick to only relevant information.(Slide 41) WritingOne way to stick to relevant information is to avoid give personal opinions unless the questions ask for it. If not, the question is most likely looking for facts. If you are not sure about a date or number that is relevant for your paper, use an approximation. For example, if you are not sure if Jamestown was settled in 1607 or 1620, you could say “the early 1600s” rather than writing an incorrect date.Once you are done writing, use your remaining time to proofread your work, search for errors, and check for clarity by reading your answers to yourself.Part 6: Reflect and Questions(Slide 42) Reflect Write ShareBased on all of the exam tips we just discussed, what strategies would you like to implement when you prepare for your next exam? Take a few moments to write down the strategies along with why you think the strategies will be helpful for you. You may pause this video to give yourself more time.(Slide 43)Thank you for viewing this online workshop. If you have any further questions about the workshop or about the services offered by the Center for Learning and Advancement, e-mail our First Year Experience Director at fye@gcu.edu. ................
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