Transcript Chapter 5 Taking Tests EXAM How to Take

Chapter 5
EXAM
Taking Tests
How to Take
a Test
“Tests are not a measure of your value
as an individual—they are a measure
only of how well (and how much) you
studied.”
P.O.W.E.R. Plan
 Prepare: Readying Your Test-Taking
Strategies
 Organize: Facing the Day of the Test
 Work: Tackling the Test
 Evaluate: Taking Your Own Final
Examination
 Rethink: The Real Test of Learning
Why Tests Are So Unpopular
 Produce fear
 Cause anxiety
 Increase apprehension
 Focus on grades
Tests Can Be Valuable
 Identifies what you know
 Compares your performance to others
 Motivates you to study
But how do YOU feel about tests?
Tests are a Measurement
Tests are not a measure of your value
as an individual.
They only measure how well (and
how much) you studied, and your
test-taking skills.
Prepare: Readying your
Test-Taking Strategies
 Attend class
 Complete all assignments
 Find out what type of test you will be
given
 Ask teacher what material will be
covered or if there is a review
 Check your syllabus to determine how
much the test will count
What’s in a Name?
 Quizzes

Brief assessment covering a small amount of
material, doesn’t count much
 Tests

More extensive and covers more material than
quizzes
 Exams

Weighted more heavily, more comprehensive
than tests
Types of Test Questions
 Essay questions


Look at the big picture
See the connections
between the facts
 True-False

 Matching

 Multiple-choice, true-
false, matching

Choose best answer
 Short-answer

Brief responses
Accurate or inaccurate
Pair correct items
together
 Fill-in

Add missing words
Test Anxiety
 Temporary condition characterized by
fears and concerns about test-taking
 Prepare thoroughly
 Learn relaxation techniques
 Visualize success
 Form a study group
Techniques for Dealing with
Math Anxiety
Myths
 Boys are better than girls at math
 Math has no practical value
Study groups are small, informal groups
that are useful for learning course
material.
To Cram or Not to Cram?
Hurried, last-minute studying is not the
best answer. Long-term retention is lost
and you are likely to forget the material.
Instead, use your campus learning or
tutorial center resources.
Organize: Facing Test Day
 Bring at least two pens/two pencils to
test
 Bring your watch
 Don’t forget blue book if needed
 Bring text if open-book test
 Bring eraser
Work: Tackling the Test
 Try to relax and remember to “breathe”
 Read instructions and skim the entire
exam
 Spend time on questions that count the
most
 Answer easier questions first
 Write legibly
Computerized Test-Scoring
If you feel your test was graded incorrectly, ask your
instructor to go over the test with you.
Computerized testing isn’t perfect.
Conquering Essay Questions
 Turn to page 131 in your text
 Learn the differences between words
used in essay questions
 For example, “Should students pay for
the cost of copies in the library?”

Clarify, Discuss, Justify, State
What’s the Difference?
“College life is very different from the life of
a student in high school”
 Explain (give reasons why or how;
clarify, justify, illustrate)
 Prove (using evidence and arguments,
convince the reader of a particular point)
Master Multiple-Choice
 Watch out for “every”, “always”, “only”,
“none”, and “never”. These are rarely
correct answers.
 “Generally”, “usually”, “often”, “rarely”,
“seldom” and “typically” may indicate a
correct response.
Educated Guess
 Eliminate false answers
 Narrow it down to correct answer
True-False Questions
 Answer the ones you know first
 Don’t rush
 Key words such as “never”, “always”
often determine response
Matching Questions
 Match items you know are correct first
 Use educated guess on the rest
Short-Answer and
Fill-In Questions
 Require specific answers
 Be as short as possible
Academic Dishonesty
 Plagiarism




Copying another’s work
Copying another’s idea without giving
credit (quotations needed)
Paraphrasing without giving credit
(document source)
Results in lower grade or expulsion from
class or college
Academic Dishonesty
 Includes using a calculator when it is not
allowed
 Taking an exam for another person
 Stealing an exam
 Using a textbook for a closed-book exam
 Is plain wrong
Evaluate: Taking Your Own
Final Exam
 Check your work at the end of a test
 Look for unanswered questions
 Correct misspelled words
 Guess the answer rather than leave it
blank (since it will be wrong anyway)
 Know when to stop
Rethink: Reflect on the Real
Test of Learning
When you get the grade back- Examine mistakes and learn from them
 Examine your handwriting skills
 Get the correct answers
 Talk to instructor if needed
Career Connections
Tests do not end with a degree. Many professions
require licensing exams or continuing education.
Careers in medicine, law or business require
national, standardized tests.
P.O.W.E.R. Plan
PREPARE
Review your work on a
regular basis
ORGANIZE
Bring the right tools to the test;
follow directions carefully
WORK
Tackle the test
EVALUATE
Save time to check your work;
know when to stop
RETHINK
Reflect on what you’ve learned
when you get a test back
Resources
How to Ace Any Test by Beverley Chin (Wiley, 2004)
Test Anxiety and What You Can Do About It by
Joseph Casbarro (National Professional Resources,
2003)
Web Links
 Handout of suggestions on
approaching multiple-choice exams
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/
multicho.html
 Suggestions to manage and reduce
level of stress and test-anxiety
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/personal/stress.html
Journal Topics
 What makes a test “good and bad” from
your perspective?
 What factors contribute to your success
or failure on a a particular exam? Which
are these factors are under your control?
 What strategies do you use when taking
tests to maximize your performance?