Los Angeles Mission College
Chapters 19 and 20 Preparing for and Taking Tests Why Learn to Prepare and Take Exams? You’re going to take lots and lots of tests while your’re in school! And you’ll probably take tests after school too.Preparing for exams helps you to tie together the facts and concepts you have learnedBetter preparation will help you achieve better gradesIf you prepare well for exams, you will minimize stressLearning Principle One of the best ways to prepare for a test is to simulate the test conditions Organizing Your Study and ReviewFind out about the examWhen will the test be given?What type of test? Objective? Essay? Both? What material will be covered? What does the instructor expect of you? Grading policy—points, etc.?Are there practice tests available?What materials will be needed?Organize Your TimeSchedule review sessions in advanceIdentify what to study and plan a specific time for reviewReserve time the night before the exam for a final, complete review. Reinforce your visual memory of the materialAttend the class before the examConsider studying with others Who do you want to study with? Consider Studying with Others AdvantagesGroup study helps you to become actively involved with the course contentOne of the best ways to learn something is to explain it to someone else Consider Studying with Others DisadvantagesUnless everyone is serious, group sessions turn into social events in which little studying occursStudying with the wrong people can produce negative attitudesIf someone has not been conscientious about keeping up, you waste time reviewing basic material Identifying What to Study Textbook chaptersLecture notesPrevious exams and quizzesLook for patterns of errorsAre you missing certain types of questions?Are there certain topics on which you lost points/Are you missing questions at a particular level of thinking? Instructor’s handoutsOutside assignmentsTalk with other studentsAnalyzing and Synthesizing Information Get a perspective on the courseLook for relationshipsLook for patterns and the progression of thoughtInterpret and evaluatePrepare study sheetsTheories and principlesComplex events with causes and effectsControversial issues - pros and consSummaries of philosophical issuesTrends in ideas or dataGroups of related factsSIMULATE TEST SITUATIONS (see page 424) The methods and procedures you use to learn and to remember information depend on the type of exam for which you are preparing Reviewing for Objective TestsUse highlighting and markingUse recall clues in your lecture notesMark in red ink things you had trouble rememberingUse study aidsRead through it several timesTake the first topic or item and try to write in the relevant informationIf you can’t recall something, keep reviewing and retest yourselfUse the index card system Test yourselfUse recall clues for your lecture notesDraw and label mapsWrite partially completed outlinesUse vocabulary cardsWrite your own practice test, and share with members of your study groupReviewing for Essay ExamsSelect probable topicsUse boldfaced headings to identify topicsUse end-of-chapter discussion questions and recall clues to predict topicsUse the course outline (syllabus)Study the topics selectedIdentify aspects of each topic that might be testedUse clues from your instructor as a guidelineWrite possible questionsWrite outline or rough-draft answers; organize the information you would include in your response. Consider showing your work to your instructorUse key word outlines to trigger memoryThe night before the test…. Reserve the night before the exam for a final, complete review. Reinforce your visual memory of the materialDo get adequate rest—no cramming! NO! NO! NO!Assemble necessary materials (pens, pencils, calculators, etc.)Set your alarm so you have plenty of time to get to the classroom General Suggestions for Taking Exams Bring necessary materialsGet there early, or at least on timeSit in the front of the roomPreread the examPlan your timeRead the instructions carefullyGeneral Hints for Taking Objective Tests Read the directionsLeave nothing blankLook for cluesDon’t change answers without a good reason Hints for Taking True/False Tests Watch for words that qualify or change the meaning of a statement (absolutes)Read two-part questions carefullyLook carefully at negative and double-negative statementsIt is not unreasonable….means that it is reasonableMake your best guessAbsolute statements tend to be falseMark statements that contain unfamiliar terminology or facts as falseWhen all else fails, it is better to guess true than false Hints for Taking Matching Tests Before answering any items, glance through both listsAnswer items you are sure of first, crossing off items as you use themDon’t grab the first answer; items later in the list may be betterHints for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Read all the choices firstUse logic and common senseStudy any items that are very similar. Try to put each in your own wordsLook for qualifying wordsBe alert for questions that require application of knowledgeAnswer items using your own wordsAvoid selecting answers that contain unfamiliar terminologyPick the choice that seems most completeMake educated guesses—use process of eliminationEssay question: Describe the stages involved in the memory process. Memory is very complicated in how it works. It involves remembering things that are stored in your mind and being able to pull them out when you want to remember them. When you pull information out of your memory, it is called retrieval. How well you can remember something is affected by how you keep the information in your mind and how you put it in. When keeping, or storing, information you have to realize that this information will be affected by old information already in your memory. Putting information in your memory is called encoding, and it means that you store facts and ideas in word form in your memory. Information stored in your memory can also be influenced by information that you add to your memory later.There are two ways you can retrieve information. You can either recognize it or recall it. When you recognize information, you are able to spot the correct information among other information. When you recall information, you have to pull information out of your head. Recall is what you do when you write an essay exam. Essay question: Describe the stages involved in the memory process. Psychologists believe that memory has three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval.In the encoding stage, you are putting facts and ideas into a code, usually words, and filing them away in your memory. Encoding involves preparing information for storage in memory.The second stage of memory is storage. It is the stage that most people call memory. It involves keeping information so that it is accessible for use later in time. How well information is stored can be affected by old information and newer information that is added later.The third stage in memory is called retrieval, which means the ability to get back information that is in storage. There are two types of retrieval—recognition and recall. In recognition, you have to be able to identify the correct information from several choices. For example, taking an objective test with true/false or multiple choice items requires recognition of learned information. In recall, you have to pull information directly from your memory without using the recognition type of retrieval. For instance, writing an essay during an essay test requires students to recall information.The Writing Process PrewritingChoose a topicNarrow the topicWrite a tentative thesis statementBrainstormCreate a bare-bones, tentative outlineThe Writing Process Write a draftRevise for contentAre the ideas clearly expressed?Is the information well organized?Are the ideas supported or developed with facts, details, examples?ProofreadCheck for mechanical errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation) Hints for Taking Essay Exams Read the directions first Read the question carefully for clues The question tells you the topic of your essay The question often includes a limiting word that restricts and directs your answer The question often includes a key word that indicates how to organize your answer (tells you what expository style is needed) Watch for questions with several partsKey Words Used in Essay Questions—partial list from page 445 Essay Question Contrast the health-care systems in the United States with those in Great Britain.Enumerate the reasons for U. S. withdrawal from Vietnam. Essay Questions Discuss the long-term effects of the trend toward a smaller, more self contained family structureTrace the development of monopolies in the late nineteenth century.Explain the effects of the Industrial Revolution on transportation.Describe the events leading up to the War of 1812.Summarize the techniques a speaker may use to emphasize the important concepts and ideas in a lecture.Hints for Taking Essay Exams Convert the question into the thesis statement for your essayBrainstorm Organize your answer—make a bare bones outline. Be sure you address all the parts of the question Begin your essay with your thesis statement Use correct paragraph form Every paragraph should have a topic sentence. Use transitions! Make your points easy to find—be clear and direct Include sufficient explanation—develop your ideas; don’t just list them. Unless specifically requested to do so, avoid opinions and judgments Don’t plan to rewrite your essay, but make your answer as readable as possibleUse inkUse clean, neat paperNumber your pages and write your name on eachWrite on only one side of the paperLeave space between questions and between paragraphsSave a few minutes to proofread your answerIf you run out of time…If you don’t know the answer….Controlling Test Anxiety Be sure your anxiety is not an excuseGet used to test situationsBecome familiar with the building and roomDevelop practice or review testsPractice working within time limitsTake as many tests as possible, even if you hate themControl negative thinkingCompose yourself before the test beginsAnswer easy questions first ................
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