Preparing for and Taking Tests

Preparing for the Test Repetition - Repetition - Repetition Preparation prevents poor performance. There is no substitute for studying. Repetition is the key to learning, and studying is were you repeat many variations of what was presented in class and in the book so you can reproduce it on a test and later in life when you need to use it. Rewrite your notes. This is another form of repetition. The material covered in class is the basis for all tests. If you don't understand the notes or the problems discussed in class, how can you expect to do the problems on the test? Ask questions. If don't ask questions, you are not getting what you are paying for. Remember, you are paying for an education, and you have a right to ask questions. Swallow your pride and get your money's worth. Seek help. Take advantage of office hours. Ask questions via email. Use tutors. The university is here to serve your needs. Your are the paying customer! Assess what is important and what is not. This should be made clear from the time spent on a topic in class and the specific comments by the instructor. Test questions should not be a surprise. Redo all problems. Repetition is the key to learning. If you were given a problem to do, it is cleary a candidate for a test question! If you don't understand the solutions, ask questions. It is your responsibility to ask the question. Create new versions of the problems. If you can not create a new version of a problem, you probably don't understand it. Do the assigned problems. If you don't do the assigned problems, what hope do you have for passing the test! Memorize the terms asked in class. If you are asked to define a term in class, the instructor clearly thinks it is important. If it is important then LEARN IT. Prepare a two sided summary sheet of the material. The goal is not to replicate the book; the goal is to reduce anxiety and provide memory joggers. Put formulas, examples, and definitions on the summary sheet. Don't make your sheet so congested you can't find information fast. Remember, when taking the test, SPEED COUNTS! Taking the Test Speed counts!! You have a limited amount of time and you MUST use it wisely. Divide the total time by the number of questions to determine the time you have per question. Try to avoid spending more than that on any one question. Do the easiest problems first. They should take much less than the average time estimated above. Do not waste time on problems you don't know. You are not likely to get a revelation in the next hour. At least don't frustrate yourself in the beginning of the test with hard problems. Build confidence by doing what you know first. Avoid using your calculator when it is not needed. It is a lot faster to add 1/7 + 2/7 to get 3/7 than it is to convert them to decimal and then add .143 + .286 = .429 Don't simplify fractions unless you have to. Leave them unreduced. It takes time to reduce them, and you may have to expand them later anyway when you are adding them. 2/12 + 3/12 = 5/12 is easier to add than 1/6 + 1/4. Besides 3/12 is equal to 1/4 so be done. Move on. Speed counts. Two points determine a straight line. You can use a third to check you line, but any more is a waste of time! It may make you feel good, but it is time that should be spent on another problem. Speed counts. Avoid careless mistakes. Careless mistakes will happen. They can be minimized by double checking your work, but don't do that until you have done all the easy problems first. Check for consistency. Are all the probabilities less than one? Do the probabilities add up to one? Do the probability tree branches add up to one? Is the average value less than the maximum value of x? Time Management In many ways, preparing for and taking tests is all about time management and setting priorities. You must determine what is important and focus on it. Preparing for and taking tests is a microcosm of what it takes to be successful in life and work.