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Chapter 10: Taking Tests Menu Options: Lecture/ Discussion Chapter Exercises Audio Chapter Summary Focus TV Other © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning You’re About to Discover… • Why you should change your thinking about tests • What to do before, during, and after a test • Why cramming doesn’t always work • What test anxiety is and what to do about it • How to take different kinds of tests differently • How cheating can hurt your chances for success © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning STEP 1 CHALLENGE FOCUS Challenge Case Challenge and Reaction Joe Cloud STEP 2 REACTION What Do YOU Think? p. 220-221 © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Testing 1, 2, 3… Focus TV: Test Taking © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Before the Test: Prepare Carefully 1. Begin preparing for an exam on the first day of class. 2. Put all the exams for all your courses on your calendar. 3. Find out exactly what the test will cover. 4. Understand that you should prepare differently for different types of tests. 5. Make a study schedule. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Before the Test: Prepare Carefully 6. Begin serious reviewing several days before the test. 7. Maximize your memory. 8. Get everything ready the night before. 9. Manage your energy, focus, and work quickly. 10. Don’t give in to a nonproductive, negative attitude. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Before the Test: Prepare Carefully 11. Study with other students. 12. Remind yourself of your long-term goals. 13. Arrive at the classroom early, but not too early. 14. Don’t pop pills to stay awake. 15. Don’t let open-book or take-home tests lull you into a false sense of security. 16. Don’t mess with success. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Cramming: Does “All or Nothing” Really Work? © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning To Your Health © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning p. 226 Do YOU Have Test Anxiety? The four aspects of test anxiety: Cognitive Aspects Emotional Aspects Physiological Aspects Behavioral Aspects © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Chapter Exercise p. 227 During the Test: Focus and Work Hard 1. Jot down what you don’t want to forget right away. 2. Preview the exam. 3. Start with what you know. 4. Weigh your answers. 5. Read directions thoroughly. 6. Read questions carefully. 7. If the test has a mixed format, complete the multiple- choice questions first. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning During the Test: Focus and Work Hard 8. Explain your answer to a confusing question in the margin of your test. 9. Change your answers if you’re convinced you’re wrong. 10. Ask your instructor for clarification. 11. Pay attention to “aha” moments. 12. Don’t give in to peer pressure. 13. Save time for review. 14. Be strategic about taking online tests. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Types of Tests True-False: Truly a 50–50 Chance of Getting It Right? • Watch for parts that make the whole statement false. • Assume statements are true until you can prove them false. • Watch for absolutes; they often make a statement false. • Look for qualifiers; they often make a statement true. • Remember: negatives can be confusing. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Types of Tests Multiple Choice or Multiple Guess? Taking the Guesswork Out. Think of answers on your own before reading your choices. Line up your test and answer sheet. Determine the TPI (time per item). Don’t decide answers based on the law of averages. Use a process of elimination and guess if there’s no penalty. Look for highly similar pairs. Look for contradictory answers. Watch out for tricks intended to trip-up the unprepared! Consider each answer as an individual true-false question. Be wary of “all of the above” or “none of the above” options. Watch for terms that have been emphasized. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Chapter Exercise p. 236 Types of Tests Short-Answer, Fill in the Blank, and Matching Tests Think of short-answer questions like mini-essays. Think it through. Try different combinations of words. Match items you’re certain about and cross them out. © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Types of Tests Taking Subjective Essay Tests • • • • • • • Save enough time for essays. Make brief notes. Read all the questions first. State your thesis up front. • • • • Provide support for your thesis. Zero in on the verb. Use terms from the course. Rifle your answer, don’t shotgun. Generalize if you’re unsure of details. Watch your grammar. Write an answer that reflects what the question is worth. • • Put down what you do know. Proofread and make sure your handwriting can be read. • If you run out of time, jot down anything else you can remember. • © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Summarize at the end. Control Your Learning p. 238 © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Don’t Cheat Yourself 1. Remember that cheating snowballs. 2. Instead of saving time, cheating can take time. 3. If you cheat now, you’ll pay later. 4. If you do get caught, cheating may do you in. 5. Cheating is just plain wrong. “For nothing can seem foul to those that win.” William Shakespeare © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning After the Test: Continue to Learn 1. Analyze your results. 2. Read your instructor’s comments and take them to heart. 3. Explain your grade to yourself. 4. Be honest. 5. Make a specific plan for the next test. 6. Approach your instructor politely if you believe your exam was mismarked. 7. Reward yourself for good “Non scholae sed vitae discrimus. (We do not learn for school, but for life.)” (study) behavior. Lucius Annaeus Seneca, © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Roman philosopher and statesman Insight and Action STEP 3 INSIGHT NOW What Do You Think? Joe Cloud STEP 4 ACTION Your Plans for Change p. 243 © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning Chapter 10 Audio Summary © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning FOCUS TV Test Taking Focus TV Discussion ?s Back to Menu Back to Activities © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning FOCUS TV Discussion Questions 1. FOCUS correspondent, Matt McClain, says that “testing isn’t only part of college; it’s part of life.” What do you think he means? 2. Both Matt and testing expert, Rob Franek, say that students can change their attitude about taking tests. How? 3. Rob says that for many students, dealing with the emotional component of testing is more of a challenge than mastering the material to be learned. Are you a victim of test anxiety? Look back at the FOCUS testtaking chapter to see if you have any symptoms and identify those you may recognize in yourself. 4. Testing yourself before the actual test is identified in this episode as a good strategy. In which of your courses this term would this practice be particularly helpful? How, exactly, would you go about it? Would you work with a study partner and swap your self-made tests? Would you practice writing out essay questions and then try to critique them objectively to improve your answers? What would work best? 5. The word “confidence” as it relates to test-taking comes up several times in this episode of FOCUS TV. What must students do to build confidence for taking tests? © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning FOCUS on Community College Success F CUSPoints An Interactive Teaching Tool FOCUS on COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUCCESS Chapter 10 Constance Staley and Aren Moore © 2010 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning