9.2: Test-Taking Strategies

Introduction

On the surface, tests don’t look dangerous. Maybe that’s why we sometimes treat them as if they were land mines. Suppose a stranger walks up to you on the street and asks, “Does a finite abelian P-group have a basis?” Would you break out in a cold sweat? Would your muscles tense up? Would your breathing become shallow?

Probably not. Even if you had never heard of a finite abelian P-group, you probably would remain calm. However, if you find the same question on a test and you have never heard of a finite abelian P-group, your hands might get clammy.

Grades (A to F) are what we use to give power to tests. And there are lots of misconceptions about what grades are. Grades are not a measure of intelligence or creativity. They are not an indication of our ability to contribute to society. Grades are simply a measure of how well we do on tests.

Some people think that a test score measures what a student has accomplished in a course. This idea is false. A test score is a measure of what a student scored on a test. If you are anxious about a test and blank out, the grade cannot measure what you’ve learned. The reverse is also true: If you are good at taking tests and you are a lucky guesser, the score won’t be an accurate reflection of what you know.

Grades are not a measure of self-worth. Yet we tend to give test scores the power to determine how we feel about ourselves. Common thoughts include If I fail a test, I am a failure or If I do badly on a test, I am a bad person. The truth is that if you do badly on a test, you are a person who did badly on a test. That’s all.

It is easier to do well on exams if you don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Don’t give the test some magical power over your own worth as a human being. Academic tests are not a matter of life and death. Scoring low on important tests—medical school exams, bar exams, CPA exams, and the like—usually means only a delay.

You might want to explore your feelings about tests before you begin this lesson. Complete the following sentences:

As exam time gets closer, one thing I notice that I do is... When it comes to taking tests, I have trouble...
The night before a test, I usually feel...
The morning of a test, I usually feel...

During a test, I usually feel...
After a test, I usually feel...
When I learn a test score, I usually feel...

Once you have a better understanding of how you feel about tests, you can do something about it. You might ask yourself, What can I do to experience my next test differently? How can I prepare more effectively? How can I manage stress before, during, and after the test? When you answer such questions, you take back your power.

This lesson includes strategies for improving your test-taking skills, including dealing with test anxiety, preparing for tests, and understanding how to take different types of tests.

Dealing with Test Anxiety

Whether the chance of doing poorly is real or exaggerated, worrying about it can become paralyzing. Test anxiety is a common problem among students, and it can surface in many ways. Here are some examples:

• Anger: The teacher never wanted me to pass this stupid course anyway.
• Blame: If only the class were not so boring.
• Fear: I’ll never have enough time to study.

Believing in any of these statements leaves us powerless. We become victims of things that we don’t control—the teacher, the textbook, or the wording of the test questions.
A little tension before a test is fine. You can enjoy the benefits of a little tension while you stay confident and relaxed by trying some of the following strategies:

Yell “stop!” If you notice that your mind is consumed with worries and fears or your thoughts are spinning out of control, mentally yell, “Stop!” If you’re in a situation that allows it, yell it out loud. This action can allow you to redirect your thoughts.

Describe your thoughts in writing. Certain thoughts tend to increase test anxiety. One way to defuse them is to simply acknowledge them. To get the full benefit of this technique, take the time to make a list. Write down what you think and feel about an upcoming test. Capture everything that’s on your mind, and don’t stop to edit.

Dispute your thoughts. You can take the above technique one step further. Do some critical thinking. Remember that anxiety-creating thoughts about tests often boil down to this
statement: Getting a low grade on a test is a disaster. Do the math, however: A four-year degree often involves taking about 32 courses (eight courses per year over four years for a full-time student). This means that your final grade on any one course amounts to about only 3 percent of your total GPA. This is not an excuse to avoid studying. It is simply a reason to keep tests in perspective.

Praise yourself. Many of us take the first opportunity to belittle ourselves: “Way to go, dummy! You don’t even know the answer to the first question on the test. We wouldn’t dream of treating a friend this way, yet we do it to ourselves. An alternative is to give yourself some encouragement. Treat yourself as if you were your own best friend. Prepare carefully for each test, and then remind yourself, I am ready. I can do a great job on this test.

Consider the worst. Rather than trying to put a stop to your worrying, consider the very worst thing that could happen. Take your fear to the limit of absurdity. Imagine the catastrophic problems that might occur if you were to fail the test. You might say to yourself, Well, if I fail this test, I might fail the course, lose my financial aid, and get kicked out of school. Then I won’t be able to get a job, so the bank will repossess my car, and I’ll start drinking. Keep going until you see the absurdity of your predictions. After you stop chuckling, you can backtrack to discover a reasonable level of concern.

Breathe. You can calm physical sensations within your body by focusing your attention on your breathing. Concentrate on the air going in and out of your lungs. Experience it as it passes through your nose and mouth. Do this exercise for two to five minutes. If you notice that you are taking short, shallow breaths, begin to take longer and deeper breaths. Imagine your lungs to be a pair of bagpipes. Expand your chest to bring in as much air as possible. Then, listen to the plaintive chords as you slowly release the air.

Dealing with Math Anxiety

Test anxiety can occur for any subject, but many students seem to have more anxiety when it comes to taking math tests. This can be attributed to a lack of confidence about doing math, even beyond taking tests.

The following are strategies to help you deal with math anxiety:

Connect math to life. Think of the benefits of mastering math courses. You’ll have more options for choosing a major and a career. Math skills can also put you at ease in everyday situations— calculating the tip for a waiter, balancing your checkbook, figuring out the discounted price while shopping, or working with a spreadsheet. If you follow baseball statistics, cook or bake, do construction work, or snap pictures with a camera, you’ll use math. And speaking the language of math can help you feel at home in a world driven by technology.

Pause occasionally to get an overview of the branch of math that you’re studying. What’s it all about? What basic problems is it designed to solve? How do people apply this knowledge in daily life? For example, many architects, engineers, and scientists use calculus daily.

Take a first step. To ensure that you have an adequate base of knowledge, tell the truth about your current level of knowledge and skill. Before you register for a math course, locate assigned texts for the prerequisite courses. If the material in those books seems new or difficult for you, see the instructor. Ask for suggestions on ways to prepare for the course.

Notice your pictures about math. Succeeding in math won’t turn you into a nerd. Actually, you’ll be able to enjoy school more, and your friends will still like you.

Mental pictures about math can be funny, but they can have serious effects. If math is seen as a field for white males, then women and people of color are likely to get excluded. Promoting math success for all students helps to overcome racism and sexism.

Change your conversation about math. When students fear math, they often say negative things to themselves about their abilities in this subject. Many times this self-talk includes these statements:

• I’ll never be fast enough at solving math problems.
• I’m good with words, so I can’t be good with numbers.

Get such statements out in the open, and apply some emergency critical thinking. You’ll find two self-defeating assumptions lurking there:

• Everybody else is better at math and science than I am.
• Because I don’t understand a math concept right now, I’ll never understand it.

Both of these statements are illogical. Replace negative beliefs with logical, realistic statements that affirm your ability to succeed in math:

• Any confusion I feel now can be resolved.
• I learn math without comparing myself to others.
• I ask whatever questions are needed to aid my understanding.

Choose your response to stress. Math anxiety is seldom just in your head. It can also register as sweaty palms, shallow breathing, tightness in the chest, or a mild headache. Instead of trying to ignore these sensations, just notice them without judgment. Over time, simple awareness decreases their power.

Preparing for Tests

One of the best ways to improve your test-taking skills is to have a solid plan in place as to how you are going to prepare for the test. Having a solid plan in place for studying will help you be more confident and successful when taking a test.

Try some of the following strategies:

Create study checklists. You can use study checklists the way a pilot uses a preflight checklist. Pilots go through a standard routine before they take off. They physically mark off each item: test flaps, check magnetos, check fuel tanks, adjust instruments, check rudder. A written list helps them to be sure they don’t miss anything. Once they are in the air, it’s too late.

Taking an exam is like flying a plane. Once the test begins, it’s too late to memorize that one equation you forgot to include in your review.

Make a checklist for each subject.

• List reading assignments by chapters or page numbers.
• List dates of lecture notes.
• Write down various types of problems you will need to solve.
• Write down other skills to master. Include major ideas, definitions, theories, formulas, and equations.
• For math and science tests, choose some problems and do them over again as a way to review for the test.

Remember that a study checklist is not a review sheet; it is a to-do list. Checklists contain the briefest possible description of each item to study.

Instead of a checklist, you may want to use a test prep plan. This written plan goes beyond a study checklist to include the following:

• Date and time of each test, along with the name of the course and instructor
• Type of items—such as essay or multiple choice—likely to appear on each test
• Specific dates and times you intend to study for each test (which you then enter on your calendar)
• Specific strategies you intend to use while studying for each test

Create mind map summary sheets. There are several ways to make a mind map as you study for tests. Start by creating a map totally from memory. You might be surprised by how much you already know. After you have gone as far as you can using recall alone, go over your notes and text, and fill in the rest of the map. Another option is to go through your notes and write down key words as you pick them out. Then, without looking at your notes, create a mind map of everything you can recall about each key word. Finally, go back to your notes, and fill in material you left out.

Create flash cards. Flash cards are like portable test questions. On one side of some 3 × 5 cards, write questions. On the other side, write the answers. Carry a pack of flash cards with you, and review them whenever you have a minute to spare. Use flash cards for formulas, definitions, theories, key words from your notes, axioms, dates, foreign language phrases, hypotheses, and sample problems. Create flash cards regularly as the term progresses. Buy an inexpensive card file to keep your flash cards arranged by subject.

Preparing for Tests—Practice and Review

In addition to having a plan in place for studying for tests, it is important to have a plan for practicing and reviewing the material. Practicing and reviewing will help keep the material fresh in your mind and will deepen your understanding of it.

Try some of the following strategies:

Take a practice test. Write up your own questions based on course material—a good activity for study groups. Take your practice test several times before the actual exam. You might type this “test” so that it looks like the real thing. If possible, take your practice test in the same room where you will take the actual test.

Meet with your instructor to go over your practice test. Ask whether your questions focus on appropriate topics and represent the kind of items you can expect to see. The instructor might decline to give you any of this information. More often, though, instructors will answer some or all of your questions about an upcoming test.

Do daily reviews. Daily reviews include short preclass and postclass reviews of lecture notes. Conduct brief daily reviews with textbooks: Before reading a new assignment, scan your notes and the sections you underlined or highlighted in the previous assignment. In addition, use the time you spend waiting for the bus or doing the laundry to conduct short reviews.

Concentrate daily reviews on two kinds of material: (1) material you have just learned, either in class or in your reading, and (2) material that involves simple memorization—equations, formulas, dates, and definitions.

Begin to review on the first day of class. Most instructors outline the whole course at that time. You can even start reviewing within seconds after learning. During a lull in class, go over the notes you just took. Immediately after class, review your notes again.

Do weekly reviews. Review each subject at least once a week, allowing about one hour per subject. Include reviews of assigned reading and lecture notes. Look over any mind map summaries or flash cards you have created. Also practice working on sample problems.

Do major reviews. Major reviews are usually most helpful when conducted the week before finals or other critical exams. They help you integrate concepts and deepen your understanding of the material presented throughout the term. These are longer review periods—two to five hours at a stretch, with sufficient breaks. Remember that the effectiveness of your review begins to drop after an hour or so unless you give yourself a short rest.

After a certain point, short breaks every hour might not be enough to refresh you. That’s when it’s time to quit. Learn your limits by being conscious of the quality of your concentration. During long sessions, study the most difficult subjects when you are the most alert—at the beginning of the session.

Schedule reviews. Schedule specific times in your calendar for reviews. Start reviewing key topics at least five days before you’ll be tested on them. This allows plenty of time to find the answers to questions and close any gaps in your understanding.

Monitor your reviews. Each day that you prepare for a test, assess what you have learned and what you still want to learn. See how many items you’ve covered from your study checklist. Look at the tables of contents in your textbooks, and mark an X next to the sections you’ve summarized. This helps you gauge the thoroughness of your reviews and alerts you to areas that still need attention.

Predicting Test Questions

Predicting test questions can do more than get you a better grade. It can also keep you focused on the purpose of a course and help you design your learning strategies. Making predictions can be fun too, especially when they turn out to be accurate.

Ask about the nature of the test. Eliminate as much guesswork as possible. Ask your instructor to describe upcoming tests. Do this early in the term so that you can be alert for possible test questions throughout the course. Here are some questions to ask:

What course material will the test cover—readings, lectures, lab sessions, or a combination? Will the test be cumulative, or will it cover just the most recent material covered?
Will the test focus on facts and details or major themes and relationships?
Will the test call on you to solve problems or apply concepts?

Will you have choices about which questions to answer?

What types of questions will be on the test—true/false, multiple choice, short answer, essay?

Put yourself in your instructor’s shoes. If you were teaching the course, what kinds of questions would you put on an exam? You can also brainstorm test questions with other students—a great activity for study groups.

Look for possible test questions in your notes and readings. Have a separate section in your notebook labeled Test Questions. Add several questions to this section after every lecture and assignment. You can also create your own code or graphic signal—such as a T! in a circle—to flag possible test questions in your notes. Use the same symbol to flag review questions and problems in your textbooks that could appear on a test.

Remember that textbook authors have many ways of pointing you to potential test items. Look for clues in chapter overviews and summaries, headings, lists of key words, and review questions. Some textbooks have related websites where you can take practice tests.

Look for clues to possible questions during class. During lectures, you can predict test questions by observing what an instructor says and how he says it. Instructors often give clues. They might repeat important points several times, write them on the board, or return to them in later classes.

Gestures can indicate critical points. For example, your instructor might pause, look at notes, or read passages word for word.

Notice whether your teacher has any strong points of view on certain issues. Questions on those issues are likely to appear on a test. Also pay attention to questions the instructor poses to students, and note questions that other students ask.

When material from reading assignments is covered extensively in class, it is likely to be on a test. For science courses and other courses involving problem solving, work on sample problems using different variables.

Save all quizzes, papers, lab sheets, and graded materials of any kind. Quiz questions have a way of reappearing, in slightly altered form, on final exams. If copies of previous exams and other graded materials are available, use them to predict test questions.

Apply your predictions. To get the most value from your predictions, use them to guide your review sessions.

Remember the obvious. Be on the lookout for these words: This material will be on the test.

Preparing for Tests—Studying in Groups

Study groups can lift your mood on days when you just don’t feel like working. If you skip a solo study session, no one else will know. If you declare your intention to study with others who are depending on you, your intention gains strength.

Study groups are especially important if going to school has thrown you into a new culture. Joining a study group with people you already know can help ease the transition. To multiply the benefits of working with study groups, seek out people of other backgrounds, cultures, races, and ethnic groups. You can get a whole new perspective on the world, along with some new friends.

Joining a study group also helps you to develop a number of skills for working on teams in the workplace. Effective teams consist of people who know how to resolve conflict, give each other constructive feedback, collaborate to reach a common goal, and build consensus based on creative and critical thinking. You can start learning these skills now, and use them to advance your career in the future.

Ask your instructor for guidelines on study group activity. Many instructors welcome and encourage study groups. However, they have different ideas about what kinds of collaboration are acceptable. Some activities—such as sharing test items or writing papers from a shared outline—are considered cheating. Let your instructor know that you’re forming a group, and ask for clear guidelines.

Set an agenda for each meeting. At the beginning of each meeting, reach an agreement on what you intend to do. Set a time limit for each agenda item, and determine a quitting time. End each meeting with assignments for all members to complete before the next meeting.

Assign roles. To make the most of your time, ask one member to lead each group meeting. The leader’s role is to keep the discussion focused on the agenda and ask for contributions from all members. Assign another person to act as the recorder. This person will take notes on the meeting, recording possible test questions, answers, and main points from group discussions. Rotate both of these roles so that every group member takes a turn.

Teach each other. Teaching is a great way to learn something. Turn the material you’re studying into a list of topics and then assign a specific topic to each group member, who will then teach it to the group.

Test one another. During your meeting, take a practice test created from questions contributed by group members. When you’re finished, compare your answers. Or turn testing into a game by pretending you’re on a television game show. Use sample test questions to quiz one another.

Compare notes. Make sure that all the group’s members heard the same thing in class and that you all recorded the important information. Ask others to help explain material in your notes that is confusing to you.
Create wall-sized mind maps or concept maps to summarize a textbook or series of lectures. Work on large sheets of butcher paper, or tape together pieces of construction paper. When creating a mind map, assign one branch to each member of the study group. Use a different colored pen or marker for each branch of the mind map.

Use technology to collaborate. Web-based applications allow you to create virtual study groups and collaborate online. For example, create and revise documents with sites such as Google Docs (www.docs.google.com) and Zoho Writer (https://www.zoho.com/writer/). For more options, do an Internet search with the key words collaborate online.

During the Test

It is important to arrive for the test early. Being early often leaves time to do a relaxation exercise. While you’re waiting for the test to begin and talking with classmates, avoid asking the question, How much did you study for the test? This question might fuel anxious thoughts that you didn’t study enough.

Use the following guidelines to feel confident during the test:

Ask the teacher or test administrator if you can use scratch paper during the test. If you use a separate sheet of paper without permission, you might appear to be cheating. If you do get permission, use this paper to jot down memory aids, formulas, equations, definitions, facts, or other material you know you’ll need and might forget. An alternative is to make quick notes in the margins of the test sheet.

Pay attention to verbal directions given as a test is distributed. Scan the whole test immediately. Evaluate the importance of each section. Notice how many points each part of the test is worth, and then estimate how much time you’ll need for each section, using its point value as your guide. For example, don’t budget 20 percent of your time for a section that is worth only 10 percent of the points.

Read the directions slowly. Then reread them. It can be agonizing to discover that you lost points on a test merely because you failed to follow the directions. When the directions are confusing, ask to have them clarified.

Now you are ready to begin the test. If necessary, allow yourself a minute or two of panic time.

Answer the easiest, shortest questions first. This gives you the experience of success. It also stimulates associations and prepares you for more difficult questions. Pace yourself, and watch the time. If you can’t think of an answer, move on. Follow your time plan.

If you are unable to determine the answer to a test question, keep an eye out throughout the test for context clues that may remind you of the correct answer or provide you with evidence to eliminate wrong answers.

Taking Different Types of Tests

To help you improve your test-taking skills, understand the types of questions and tests you might encounter. Understanding the format of questions in different types of tests will help you decide how to answer questions and demonstrate what you know. The following information will help you take any type of test with confidence.

Multiple Choice

• Answer each question in your head first. Do this step before you look at the possible answers. If you come up with an answer that you’re confident is right, look for that answer in the list of choices.
• Read all possible answers before selecting one. Sometimes, two answers will be similar and only one will be correct.
• Test each possible answer. Remember that multiple choice questions consist of two parts: the stem (an incomplete statement or question at the beginning) and a list of possible answers. Each answer, when combined with the stem, makes a complete statement or question-and-answer pair that is either true or false. When you combine the stem with each possible answer, you are turning each multiple choice question into a small series of true/false questions. Choose the answer that makes a true statement.
• Eliminate incorrect answers. Cross off the answers that are clearly not correct. The answer you cannot eliminate is probably the best choice.

True/False

• Read the entire question. Separate the statement into its grammatical parts—individual clauses and phrases—and then test each part. If any part is false, the entire statement is false.
• Look for qualifiers. Qualifiers include words such as all, most, sometimes, or rarely. Absolute qualifiers such as always or never generally indicate a false statement.
• Find the devil in the details. Double-check each number, fact, and date in a true/false statement. Look for numbers that have been transposed or facts that have been slightly altered. These are signals of a false statement.
• Watch for negatives. Look for words such as not and cannot. Read the sentence without these words and see whether you come up with a true/false statement. Then, reinsert the negative words and see whether the statement makes more sense. Watch especially for sentences with two negative words. As in math operations, two negatives cancel each other out: We cannot say that Chekhov never succeeded at short-story writing means the same as Chekhov succeeded at short-story writing.

Computer Graded

• Make sure that the answer you mark corresponds to the question you are answering.
• Check the test booklet against the answer sheet whenever you switch sections and whenever you come to the top of a column.
• Watch for stray marks on the answer sheet; they can look like answers.
• If you change an answer, erase the wrong answer thoroughly, removing all pencil marks.

Open Book

• Organize your notes, readings, and any other materials you plan to consult when writing answers.
• Write down any formulas you will need on a separate sheet of paper.
• Bookmark the table of contents and index in each of your textbooks. Place sticky notes and stick-on tabs or paper clips on other important pages of books (pages with tables, for example).
• Create an informal table of contents or index for the notes you took in class.
• Predict which material will be covered on the test, and highlight relevant sections in your readings and notes.

Short Answer/Fill in the Blank

• Concentrate on key words and facts. Be brief.
• Overlearn or overstudy the material. When you know a subject backward and forward, you can answer this type of question almost as fast as you can write.

Matching

• Read through each column, starting with the one with fewer items. Check the number of items in each column to see whether they’re equal. If they’re not, look for an item in one column that you can match with two or more items in the other column.
• Look for any items with similar wording, and make special note of the differences between these items.
• Match words that are similar grammatically. For example, match verbs with verbs and nouns with nouns.
• When matching individual words with phrases, first read a phrase. Then, look for the word that logically completes the phrase.
• Cross out items in each column when you are through with them.

Tests with Essay Questions

Managing your time is crucial in answering essay questions. Note how many questions you have to answer, and monitor your progress during the test period. Writing shorter answers and completing all of the questions on an essay test will probably yield a better score than leaving some questions blank.

Find out what an essay question is asking—precisely. If a question asks you to compare the ideas of Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, no matter how eloquently you explain them, you are on a one-way trip to No Credit City.

Before you write, make a quick outline. An outline can help speed up the writing of your detailed answer; you’re less likely to leave out important facts; and if you don’t have time to finish your answer, your outline could win you some points. To use test time efficiently, keep your outline brief. Focus on key words to use in your answer.

Introduce your answer by getting to the point. General statements such as, There are many interesting facets to this difficult question can cause irritation to teachers grading dozens of tests.

One way to get to the point is to begin your answer with part of the question. Suppose the question is, Discuss how increasing the city police budget might or might not contribute to a decrease in street crime. Your first sentence might be this: An increase in police expenditures will not have a significant effect on street crime for the following reasons. Your position is clear. You are on your way to an answer.

Next, expand your answer with supporting ideas and facts. Start out with the most solid points. Be brief, and avoid filler sentences.

Write legibly. Grading essay questions is in large part a subjective process. Sloppy, difficult-to- read handwriting might actually lower your grade.

Write on one side of the paper only. If you write on both sides of the paper, writing may show through and obscure the words on the other side. If necessary, use the blank side to add points you missed. Leave a generous left-side margin and plenty of space between your answers, in case you want to add points that you missed later on.

Finally, if you have time, review your answers for grammar and spelling errors, clarity, and legibility.

After the Test

Many students believe that a test is over as soon as they turn in the answer sheet. Consider another point of view: You’re not done with a test until you know the answer to any question that you missed—and why you missed it.

This point of view offers major benefits. Tests in many courses are cumulative. In other words, the content included on the first test is assumed to be working knowledge for the second test, midterm, or final exam. When you discover what questions you missed and understand the reasons for lost points, you learn something—and you greatly increase your odds of achieving better scores later in the course.

To get the most value from any test, take control of what you do at two critical points: the time immediately following the test and the time when the test is returned to you.

Immediately following the test. After finishing a test, your first thought might be to nap, snack, or go out with friends to celebrate. Restrain those impulses for a short while so that you can reflect on the test. The time you invest now carries the potential to raise your grades in the future.

When the test is returned. When a returned test includes a teacher’s comments, view this document as a treasure trove of intellectual gold.

• First, make sure that the point totals add up correctly, and double-check for any other errors in grading. Even the best teachers make an occasional mistake.
• Next, look at the test items that you missed. Ask these questions:
  • On what material did the teacher base test questions—readings, lectures, discussions, or other class activities?
  • What types of questions appeared in the test—objective (such as matching items, true/false questions, or multiple choice), short answer, or essay?
  • What types of questions did I miss?
  • Can I learn anything from the instructor’s comments that will help me prepare for the next test?
  • What strategies did I use to prepare for this test? What would I do differently to prepare for the next test?
• See whether you can correct any answers that lost points. To do this, carefully analyze the source of your errors, and find a solution.

Getting Feedback. Getting prompt and meaningful feedback on your performance is a powerful strategy for learning anything. Tests are not the only source of feedback. Make a habit of asking for feedback from your instructors, advisors, classmates, coworkers, friends, family members, and anyone else who knows you. Just determine what you want to improve and ask, How am I doing?