Long Beach High School
Special Education Department
Test Taking Strategies, Test Prep Hints, Test Taking Techniques, Study Strategies, Study Time Tips, The SQ3R Method and more...
Test Taking Strategies
Tests can be a very frustrating event for many students. You can, however, use a variety of strategies to better prepare yourself for Test-taking. The anxiety you may feel will decrease if you use these helpful tips. As a student, you will encounter many different teachers, diverse teaching styles, dissimilar testing situations, and various kinds of tests. Thus, you may want to try using various strategies to better suit your needs, and to actively engage yourself in enhancing and improving your test-taking abilities.
"A Test is a Test. . ." NOT!
Every teacher creates tests suitable for the course and subject matter to be mastered, and unless you have had a particular teacher several times, the chance you have of "figuring out" a instructor's testing style is slim without consulting the teacher or other students who have had him or her. By using the hints below, you should be able to prepare for your exams in the most effective ways possible for each class.
Test-Preparation Hints
• Attend class regularly, especially the class before an exam. The professor will usually give helpful hints regarding the exam.
• About a week or two before the test, ask your teacher about what you can anticipate being on the exam.
• Start preparing for your exam at least two weeks in advance.
• Listen carefully during lectures. Professors will often stress important topics or points with body- language, voice intonation, or repetition. Put a mark in your notes by that information so you remember that it is important.
• Predict and make practice test questions. Utilize your lecture notes, textbook notes, handouts, previous tests and quizzes, and sample tests from each chapter.
• Study with a group that has good study habits.
• Use note cards to quiz yourself on concepts and vocabulary.
• Repeat information aloud. Hearing it is sometimes more effective than reading it for the millionth time.
• Review ALL class information for the exam. Teachers often throw in questions based on information other than what they specifically talked about in class.
• Never cram for an exam, but do review the night before the exam.
• Get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Your mind, like your body, needs rest and energy to perform well.
Test-Taking Techniques
• Always read the directions carefully.
• Do a "memory dump" as soon as you get the exam. Jot down all formulas, mnemonics, and any information you may need to recall on a scratch paper or in the test margins.
• Skim the test to get a sense of what it covers so you can allot your time appropriately. Note the "weight" of questions. Questions worth more points should be completed in a timely manner, whereas the questions worth one or two can be finished after the larger, more difficult ones are complete.
• Do the easiest questions first, and put marks next to the questions of which youare unsure. When you have completed the exam, go back and finish the "marked" questions.
• Don't be afraid to ask the teacher if you have a question; perhaps others may have the same questions about confusing items or directions.
• Look for key words that might trigger the right answer. Occasionally, the information needed to successfully complete one question lies within another question.
• For essay exams: Before you start, "brain-storm" for a minute so you can recall the information about which you need to write. Then set up a brief outline of your points so you do not forget anything while you are writing. This way, if you run out of time, you can jot down the items left in the outline for partial credit. Hint: If possible, save time to PROOFREAD!
• For multiple choice tests: Always read all the choices; then mark the answers you know are not correct. Continue until you know the correct answer or can submit an educated guess.
• For true and false questions: Watch for words that change the meaning of the statement (i.e., qualifiers like "always" and "never"). Remember, all parts of a statement must be true for the answer to be "true."
• Always write carefully and legibly. If you know you have a problem with your handwriting ask to use a word processor in advance.
• Try and save enough time to go through the test a second time.
Study Strategies: How to Get the Most from Your Classes
Many students believe that studying entails six hours the night before an exam, but in reality, studying is an everyday time management skill. Once you have completed your courses for the day, the trick to becoming a prepared student is to re-read, re-copy, and review all of the material that you covered that day in classes, and utilize any academic support systems available (study groups, tutors, study guides, etc.). Once you have determined your style(s), learn more about the study strategies that work best for you.
You ask, "But how do I study for a test?" If you have been studying for your classes on a daily basis, then the night before the exam should be spent reviewing, once again, your notes, graphs, and handouts that pertain to the exam. Reviewing may seem to be a waste of time, but in the long run, you will be saving your energy and an immense amount of time.
Study Time Tips
• Learn to say "No" to distractions (parties, movies, TV, etc.)
• Do not study for more than two hours at a time.
• Use the 30-3-2 schedule. Study for 30 minutes; take a 3-minute break, and when you return, take 2 minutes to review what you just studied.
• Prioritize. Stay organized. Get a planner, set study times, and stick to them.
• Try to study during daylight hours. Natural light is more conducive to learning. Study in a positive atmosphere: good lighting and a clean work area supplied with all the materials you need to study effectively. (Your bed and/or bedroom are not conducive to study because your body/mind equates sleep and relaxation to those locations.)
• Have a regular study location that is free of distractions.
• When re-writing your notes, take time to predict possible test questions.
• Use your old exams, quizzes, and handouts for study material.
• Use concept maps, time lines, process diagrams or part/function diagrams as visual representations of the material you need to know.
• Create mnemonics that will help you remember information by organizing it and triggering recall. Remember these: HOMES, ROY G. BIV, or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally?
• Sharpen your listening skills and note taking skills. Studying will become review time rather than crunch time.
• Utilize academic support services available to you. Supplemental instruction (SI), tutoring, review sessions, and study skills workshops are offered for many courses and subject areas. Check out the Learning Center or ask a teacher or fellow classmate for assistance.
The SQ3R Method of Study
• Created by Francis P. Robinson in 1941, the SQ3R method of study is one of the most common and easily adaptable study techniques for university students. You can follow all steps as written, or modify them to best fit your learning styles.
• SQ3R is an acronym for the following activities (or steps):
• 1. Survey: When reading a chapter, skim the contents, visuals, headings, etc.
• 2. Question: Form questions that you could answer while you read or use a study guide handed out by the professor.
• 3. Read: Read the text section by section and look for the answers to the question(s) you created.
• 4. Recite: Stop reading after you have completed each section, and check to see if you can answer your question(s) for the section.
• 5. Review: After reading the chapter, go back and review each section by answering the questions you created.
• Suggestion: If you come across material or words that are confusing, mark them and continue or seek help. By rereading material that is difficult or hard to understand, you may only frustrate yourself. Make questions in your notes or in the margins of your book and ask your teacher the next day.