Some students do well at understanding their course material, but are not as skilled at taking exams. There are some excellent strategies for improving test-taking that can help anyone to better demonstrate what they know and get the grades they deserve.
Every class, study session, reading assignment, homework assignment, and note taken is the foundation material used in test preparation. The class immediately before an exam is key, because instructors often review test material and offer information about the test itself. If the instructor hasn’t already described the test, it’s okay to ask:
- Will questions be true/false, multiple choice, short answer, essay, or something else?
- What topics and textbook chapters will be covered?
Preparing Yourself
Gather your notes, homework assignments, and textbook. Then look at the test date and count back five planned study sessions. People learn best when they study information in chunks and have adequate time for repetition. If the test is a long one, covering multiple chapters, you may need to start sooner.
Quizzes require approximately three hours’ study for an A or B grade, depending on your memory and the difficulty of the material. Longer exams require eight to 10 hours’ study time. If you already review your notes and materials on a regular basis, you will probably need less dedicated study time before the exam.
Break the study material into chunks of equal length, to be studied on planned days. Finish your planned study schedule with one extensive final review of all the material on the day before the test.
When you set up your study plan, work on the oldest chapter first. Often, materials in chapters build on each other conceptually and you will understand newer material more easily if you have a thorough understanding of the older material first.
For each study session, write out a plan, including the materials/topics you will study, and how you will study them. Active study will help move the information to your long-term memory: for example, make yourself a quiz in your first study session, and make a recording to listen to in the car for your second study session.
During the Test
1. Get settled. Arrive early and relax before the test begins. Do a quick review of your flash cards or other notes while you wait.
2. Start at the beginning. Many students end up making easily-avoided errors because they skip reading the instructions.
3. Use timing strategies. Some exams require students to finish within a certain amount of time. If this is the case, answer the highest-scoring questions first. For example, if the test contains 20 questions worth one point each, and two questions worth 25 points each, do the 25-point questions first.
4. Start with easy questions. Get points for everything you know. Once the easiest questions are answered, you may feel more confident about difficult items.
5. Think strategically. If you don’t know the answer to a question right away, skip it and come back later if there is time. Work through the question logically. Underline key words to help you focus on the pertinent information. Eliminate answers you know are wrong. Now, search your memory by asking yourself related questions about the topic, as it may trigger the information you want. Visualize your text and lecture notes, or imagine the sound of the instructor’s voice giving the information. Skim other questions, looking for related material; other questions often hold clues.
6. Do them all. Never leave any line or question blank. If you can’t figure out the answer, make a strategic guess.