Advice on Preparing for Tests and Exams.

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Advice on Preparing for Tests and Exams.
Igor Voytsekhivskyy

Studying for Multiple-Choice Exams

What kinds of questions are on multiple-choice exams? There should not be questions to which everyone will know the answer, for example, What stage comes between the preoperational and the formal operational stage? or What is the fifth stage in Erikson's psychosocial theory? And there should not be questions to which no one will know the answer. Furthermore, multiple-chice eams shouldn't include questions for which there are not two or three alternative answers that would look correct to someone who hasn't done the reading or come to class but are clearly incorrect. Sometimes very important concepts cannot be included on the exam because it is too difficult to prepare a good exam question around these concepts. As you study for a multiple-choice e xam, look for material from the texts and lectures that is presented in pairs or triads or quartets--for example, the attachment styles or the parenting styles--for it is relatively easy to prepare good exam questions around this sort of material.

(a) As you read each question for the first time, cross out the options that you know are definitely wrong (it's OK to write on the exam), so you don't waste time rereading them
(b) After you have decided that you have a correct answer, cross out that question on the exam, so that you don't waste time rereading it.
(c) If there is a question for which you don't know the answer, skip it. Don't waste time on one question. Instead, move quickly to the questions that you can get correct.
(d) If you follow these first three tips, then after you have completed your first pass through the exam, you should have lots of time to consider the few remaining questions about which you are still uncertain. You will not be wasting time reviewing questions and options that you have already decided are clearly wrong or correct.

One of the most important and vital things in studying is memory. Those who have good memory skills spend mush less time preparing for classes and exams. As a rule, if you have excellent memory techniques, you will not have to study that much because you remember all the material from lectures (provided you attend them). Here you will find a few advices for improving your memory skills.
You may want to use one or more of them that seem the most adequate for you:
1. Preview the chapter: Read the section headings and summary statements to get a general sense of where the chapter is going and how much material will be devoted to each topic. Try to understand each summary statement and ask yourself whether this is something you knew or believed before reading the text.

2. Make up a study question: From the heading of the section make up a question related to the title that you will try to answer while reading the text. E.g., If it is a heading on "Study Skills", you can ask yourself what relevance is it to you, what is it about or what category of people are they addressing? This will give you an active goal to pursue while trying to read the section.

3. Read: Read the section trying to understand it and answer your question. Try to relate what you are reading to situations in your own life or similar situations or whatever it has bearing to.

4. Reflect: At the end of each section, read the summary and ask yourself if that is the main point you got of the section and why this is the main point. This may require you to go back and reread some parts of the section.

5. Recite: After finishing a section, try to recall the information contained in it. Try answering the questions you made up for the section. If you cannot recall enough, reread the portions you had trouble remembering.

6. Review process: Go through what you have read mentally reviewing the main points. Try answering the questions you made up for yourself in step 2 plus any other questions that it occurs to you to ask. Often, if you are preparing for an exam, it is good idea to ask yourself what kind of questions you would make for the exam based on the section you have read.

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