Mp3 Script for Exam Study: Taking the Test (DURING) PREPARING FOR & TAKING Tests & Exams at University By the Learning Strategies Development team Queen’s University This is the second part of three presentations on Test & Exams. In this presentation we focus on strategies to help you DURING a test or exam. Aside from learning your material well before the exam, successful exam-taking also requires you to: • Organize & budget time • Read carefully, especially directions • Know how to answer different questions types • Reduce test anxiety and stay positive Let’s look more closely at this topic… Timing Your Exam Before you begin to write… Scan over the entire test first. Look at the mark for each question, the style of questions and how many of each style there are (e.g. 50 multiple choice), the instruction words at the beginning of each short and long answer question (e.g. “discuss”, “compare”).   Budget Your Time You need to calculate adequate time for reading each question very carefully. Professors say that most marks are lost at this stage, i.e. students are in such a hurry answer the question that they misread it. Before you start to answer any questions, Do a memory or idea dump. Write down everything you can remember about the topic before crafting any answer. This is helpful in the event you forget later on or anxiety is a problem. Now start answering the questions: start with the easiest one first as it helps you build confidence as well as guaranteeing you marks. Finally, proofread the entire test for content and language mistakes. A good proofread often results in finding small mistakes which, once fixed, will gain you several more marks. So consider making it part of your exam-taking approach. The most common question types on undergraduate exams are: multiple choice, short answer, essay, and problem-based. Most students have a preference for certain styles. Unfortunately, you can’t chose your preferred question type and in some cases an exam might contain questions in only one type. Therefore, you will need to learn HOW to study for different types of test questions. To learn how to match your studying to different question types, go to “Matching Your Studying to Your Exam Question Types” in the TOOL section of the EXAM Module. Click on the pdf or text-only version. Multiple Choice Questions Multiple choice tests are very common in undergraduate courses with anywhere from 50-100% of the questions written in this format. Although some students like having the possible answer given to them, many students find MCQs very difficult. So why are MCQs so difficult? 1. There are a lot of questions to answer and the topics are often scrambled and shuffled. 2. Ideas from lectures and/or readings may be reworded in different/unfamiliar ways. 3. Very often the question is not asking for simple recognition of ideas but asking you to go beyond straight memorization and apply knowledge from the course, make an analogy, solve a novel problem. Budgeting Time for Multiple Choice Poor reading of the question or “stem” is particularly problematic with multiple choice questions. Because there are many questions, you may feel very pressured to get through them all. In your haste, you miss critical words presented in the stem such as ‘qualifiers’ e.g. “some”, “in most cases”, etc. So, it is imperative that you budget exact time to reread and paraphrase each question. Here’s a rule of thumb: Take 1 minute to read the question and an additional 30 seconds to answer it. However, if multiple choice style is difficult for you, you’ll have to allot even more time. For strategies to help you answer MCQs, go to “Multiple Choice: Revered or Feared? ” and “Writing the Multiple Choice Exams: Ready, Set, Go!” in the TOOL section of EXAM Module. Click on the pdf or text-only version. ESSAY Many components comprise a good essay answer. However, what is most important is your ability to analyze the question and accompany your analysis with factual evidence. The Question Before outlining or drafting your exam, you must understand the question being asked. Make absolutely sure you understand the nature of the essay. The prof will direct you with an “instruction word” (e.g. ‘discuss’; ‘assess’, compare). Writing an essay which does not address the instruction word will result in a poor grade. If you are unsure about instruction words, go to “Instruction Words for in Essays and Exam Questions” in the TOOLS section of the EXAM Module. Click on the pdf or text-only version. Writing the Essay Except for the severe time restriction, writing an essay exam is not dissimilar to writing an essay at home. Now more than ever, you will need to plan and organize your essay before writing it. Otherwise, you might find that you run out of time and/or go off on tangents. To learn how to answer essay exams in the EXAM Module, go to these TOOLS: “Essay Exam: Plan Before You Answer” and “More on Essay Exams”. Click on the pdf or text-only version Short Answer Beware of two potential dangers! Writing TOO little: being too general; not enough evidence and facts. What’s the outcome? You don’t get full marks. Writing TOO much: repetition or too much evidence. What’s the outcome? You run out of time. How should you prepare for a short answer question? • Review lecture notes and readings • Make a list of important terms and their definitions. Cue cards are useful here. • Relate each term to the general ideas/concepts of the course. Mind-maps are useful here. • Add supporting evidence How should you approach writing a short answer question? Short-answer questions are organized like a main idea paragraph in the essay exam: 1st Identify the direction word. 2nd Layout the Main idea— translate the main idea into a strong, focused topic sentence. 3rd Give Evidence— check to see how many points are assigned. 3-4 sentences with evidence should suffice. 4th Recap the gist of the paragraph in a summary sentence. Special Techniques for Math and Science Tests 1. Translate problems into English. Putting problems into words aids your understanding. When you study equations and formulas, put those into words, too. The words help you see a variety of applications for each formula.   2. Perform opposite operations. If the problem involves multiplication, check your work by dividing; add, then subtract; factor, multiply; square root, square; differentiate, integrate. 3. Use time drills. Practise working problems quickly. Time yourself. Exchange problems with a friend and time each other. You can also do this in a study group. 4. Analyze before you compute. Set up the problem before you begin to solve it. When a problem is worth a lot of points, read it twice, slowly. Analyze it carefully. When you take time to analyze, you can often see ways to take computational shortcuts. 5. Make a picture Draw an elaborate coloured picture or a diagram if you are stuck. Sometimes a visual representation will clear a blocked mind. 6. Estimate first. Estimation is a good way to double-check your work. Doing this first can help you notice if your computations go awry, and then you can correct the error quickly. 7. Check your work systematically. When you check your work, ask yourself: Did I read the problem correctly? Did I use the correct formula or equation? Is my arithmetic correct? Is my answer in the proper form? Avoid the temptation to change an answer in the last few minutes--unless you’re sure the answer is wrong. If you redo a solution, do not erase the original answer—just draw a line through it. 8. Review formulas. Right before the test, review any formulas you’ll need to use. Then write them on the margin of the tests or on the back of the test paper. Reduce Test Anxiety: Dealing with Physical Sensations Here are some excellent ways to help you reduce the negative physical sensations associated with anxiety. By practicing these techniques before a test or exam, your body will respond more quickly when you need to use them DURING the test. Here are some strategies to help you: Breathe Scan Your Body Tense and Relax Use Guided Imagery Exercise Aerobically To learn how to use these strategies, go to our online EXAM module. Go to the pdf or text-only version. Reduce Test Anxiety: Dealing with Thoughts Worry and/or negative thoughts about the exam may also cause anxiety.   Here are some strategies to help you deal with anxiety-provoking thoughts. Visualize Success. Praise Yourself. Practice Focusing. Zoom Out. Use humour to overtake catastrophic thinking. Accept and be with it.   To learn how to use these strategies, go to our online EXAM module. Click on either the pdf or text-only version. If you have anxiety specifically surrounding math and science, go to our online EXAM module. Click on either the pdf or text-only version. This concludes our second presentation on taking tests and exams. Go to Part 3: “Debriefing the Exam” to learn more about what to do when your exam is over.