Test Taking Tips (that I Endorse)

Use them if you want, but these are some good test-taking strategies that I have used in the past, and they work well. But remember: Mastery of material and success in a class are what lead to good test grades, with mastery of material and success in class coming from good studying. (See my web-pages Tips for Better Writing and A Script for Better Reading )

Multiple-Guess Questions:

Multiple choice questions are all about selecting the best answer. Indeed, there may be two or three potentially correct answers out of four or five alternatives. Instructors do this on purpose to see how well you understand the material, not to confuse and/or frustrate you. The best advice that I can give is that when this arises determine which answer is most relevant to the question. Of course, this is where critical thinking comes into play.

When taking a multiple choice test you should minimize the time spent on “easy” questions and maximize the time spent on “hard” questions. The best way to do this is to go through the test and answer all of those questions that you know for sure are correct (i.e., the “easy” questions). While you are going through the test and answering the “easy” questions, circle the number corresponding to questions that you ‘sort of know’, but don’t answer them (i.e., the “moderately hard” questions). Also, put question marks next to questions that you are totally unsure of, but don’t answer them yet (i.e., the “hardest” questions). When you have gotten to the end of the test go back and take your time to answer all of the circled questions. When you have finished those go back and answer all those with question marks. You’ll be amazed at how much clearer those questions and answers are now that you have let them sit in your brain for a few minutes. By doing this, you spent maybe between seven and ten minutes on the easy questions. Now, you have more time to spend on the harder questions.

Never randomly select an answer without first trying to reduce the number of alternatives. By eliminating alternatives that you know are incorrect you increase your chance of being correct. For example, for a multiple choice question with five alternatives you have a 20% chance of being correct if you select an answer at random. If you eliminate just one answer you are left with four alternatives and your chance of being correct is now 25%. If you can eliminate two answers you are left with three alternatives and your chance of being correct is 33%. If you eliminate three answers you are left with two alternatives and your chance of being correct is now 50%. Finally, if you can eliminate four answers you are left with only one and your chance of being correct is 100%! Indeed, by eliminating answers that you know are incorrect you are forced into critically thinking about the question and you may happen across the correct answer.

Finally, use space around questions to write comments about why you selected a certain answer. If you can sufficiently justify your choice with a logical, coherent and genuine argument, then it is possible that you will get partial credit for your choice, even if it is technically incorrect.

Essay and Short-Answer Questions:

I don’t know why students hate writing; it’s how you get noticed by professors! Some of my tips coincide with my Tips for Better Writing webpage, so if you have read that please bear with.

First, I cannot stress how important it is to write clearly and legibly. If I cannot read your essay, then I cannot grade it, therefore it is a zero. (PS: I will not allow you to re-take something that was poorly written to begin with.) Make sure that your essay (a) makes sense, (b) has logical flow, (c) includes evidence and/or arguments, and (d) makes sense. (Yes, I put ‘makes sense’ twice.) This is important. If your arguments, statements, sentences, phrases or whatever are ungrammatical and make your essay difficult to follow I cannot grade it. Remember: I do not know what you are thinking about when you are writing, so please make sure that you carefully explain your thoughts, points and position clearly, coherently and logically so when I read it I will have no questions.

Second, take a minute and jot down all of the points that you need to say and want to say. This will get your brain working on the problem and cause you to begin forming associations between the different points that you will cover in the essay. Hence, don’t just start writing.

Third, outline your essay before writing. Take a minute and plan out a strategy in which you will list the different points to be covered. When you are listing these points in your outline always ask yourself “Does this point logically follow the last point and will it logically precede a point that I have not yet selected?” Doing this in preparation for writing the actual essay will save you time and energy later during any editing. It also forces you to start forming associations between the various points that you will cover in your essay

Fourth, if the essay question is one that you do not immediately know how to answer, just start jotting down everything on the back of your test that you think is even remotely relevant to the question. It is likely that at least one of these points will activate a memory for something that is very relevant to the question, which should get you closer to answering the question.

Fifth, if you are at a complete loss for how to answer an essay question, don’t get frustrated and don’t force yourself to answer the question. This just causes anxiety, stress and frustration. Instead, write your own question. That’s right: If you really cannot answer a question write your own that is closely related to the question that I asked. Then, answer it. Now, because you did not answer my question, which is what I believe important for mastery in the course, I cannot give full credit. I will give partial credit depending on how closely your question matches my question and how well you answered your question. You have control!

Above all, write clearly. For essays I am not going to take off points for minor spelling and/or grammatical mistakes, but if your essay is written poorly or illegibly it will receive a bad grade because I may not understand what you wrote, even your idea/argument is the best one in class. Remember, I do not know what you are thinking about when you are writing, so please make sure that you carefully explain your thoughts, points and position clearly, coherently and logically so when I read it I will have no questions.