27 Test-Taking

learning objectives

In this chapter, you will:

• Learn how different types of assessments link to learning
• Learn about different types of writing assignments and test-taking strategies
• Identify and evaluate the test-taking strategies you currently use

Student Spotlight

This video will help you understand why test-taking is helpful for your learning. What are the challenges when you take a test and what are some tips that you can follow?

Self-Reflection

Pre-Activity: As you begin thinking about your test-taking practices, self-reflect. Ask yourself the following questions, and write down the answers so that you may look back on them later.

• Identification: What test-taking strategies do you currently use?
• Implementation: When do you use each of these test-taking strategies?
• Effectiveness: How effective are these strategies? How do you know?

Purpose of Test-Taking

A key part of acing your academics will be considering your test-taking practices. The test-taking practices you choose will vary by the type of test you are taking, your comfort with test taking, and the strategies you choose to support you in your test-taking.

Test-Taking Strategies

Before the Test

• Use your study skills as you go.
• Research the test’s structure and scope.
  • What is the test format?
  • What chapters does it cover?
  • How many questions are on it?
  • What is the time-limit?
  • What materials are allowed?
  • Is a study-guide provided?
  • Are practice tests available?
  • What percentage of your final grade is the test?
• Collect and organize the resources you need to study.
  • Classroom notes
  • Textbook notes
  • Master set of notes
  • Study guides
  • Practice tests
  • Handouts
  • Slides or presentations
• Study over several sessions
  • Make a study plan for several days before the exam
  • Have a clear goal for each study session
  • Study in 45-60 minutes chunks and then take a break
• Make study aids
  • Create flashcards
  • Make a study guide
• Make a practice test
  • Predict test questions
  • Practice answering essay questions
• Get a good night’s sleep
• Have a healthy breakfast
• Be sure you have all necessary materials
  • Pencils
  • Erasers
  • Pens
  • Answer sheets/test booklets
  • Calculators
• Arrive early and relax

During the Test

• Scan the test first to see what it covers
  • This often reduces anxiety and boosts confidence
  • Identify the point value of each test section
• Write down what you know
  • If you are trying to remember things like formulas, definitions, lists, etc., flip your test over and write down everything you are trying to remember. This will clear your brain, allowing you to focus 100% on the exam, rather than using part of your attention to remember specific information.
• Plan your time
  • Now that you have scanned your test, how much time should you spend on each section?
  • This can often reduce anxiety and keeps you from unnecessarily rushing
  • Check on the time often to make sure you are on track. Slow down or speed up as necessary.
  • Work on high point-value questions first
• Read the instructions carefully
  • Don’t assume you know what the instructions are. Be sure!
• Answer the easy questions first and skip the harder ones.
  • Go through the test and answer all of the ones you know first.
  • Skip the ones you are unsure of. There are often clues later in the exam or another question will spark your memory.
  • Stay positive by not getting down about a question you don’t know. Skip it and return to it later.
• Read each question carefully!
• Answer everything. Don’t leave anything blank, even if you have to guess.
• Don’t rush! Use all the time available. There are no points for finishing first.
• Check your work for accuracy.
  • Check to make sure you have answered all parts of a question.
  • Check your answer sheet every 10 questions to make sure you aren’t mismarking.
  • Only change an answer if you are SURE you made a mistake. Your first instinct is most likely correct.

After the Test

• Reward yourself for a job well-done!
• Stick with your study schedule
  • We have a tendency to take a break from our studies after an exam, often resulting in being behind the next week.
• Use the test as a learning tool
  • What did you do well?
  • What can you do differently for the next test?
  • What did you learn about this instructor’s testing style and how will that impact your study plan?
• What patterns do you notice about your test-taking?
  • Did you lose points for not answering all parts of the essay?
  • Did you not read questions or instructions carefully?
  • Do you need to focus more on dates, vocabulary, formulas, etc.?
• Review your test carefully and fix all errors so you don’t make the same mistakes again.
• Apply the feedback to the next test

Strategies For Specific Question Types

You can gain even more confidence in your test-taking abilities by understanding the different kinds of questions an instructor may ask and apply the following proven strategies for answering them. Most instructors will likely use various conventional types of questions. Here are some tips for handling the most common types.

Multiple-Choice Questions

• Read the instructions carefully to determine if there may be more than one right answer.
  • If there are multiple right answers, does the instructor expect you to choose just one, or do you need to mark all correct options?
• Read each question carefully and try to answer it in your head before reading the answer options.
  • Then consider all the options.
  • Eliminate first the options that are clearly incorrect.
  • Compare the remaining answers with your own answer before choosing one and marking your paper.
  • If you are stuck, treat the remaining answers as True/False statements. This often helps pick the correct answer.
• Look for clue words that hint that certain option answers might be correct or incorrect.
  • Absolute words like “never,” “always,” “every,” or “none” are rarely found in a correct option.
  • Less absolute words like “usually,” “often,” or “rarely” are regularly found in correct options.
• Be on the lookout for the word “not” in the stem phrase and in the answer choice options; it is an easy word to miss if you are reading too quickly, but it completely changes the meaning of the possible statements.
• Skip difficult questions.
  • There are often clues in later questions. Or, you may recall information that you had forgotten
• Go back and answer all questions.
  • Do not leave any questions blank, unless there is a penalty for wrong answers (this is often on standardized tests like the SAT and LSAT but rarely on college tests.)

True-or-False Questions

• Most of the tips for multiple-choice questions apply here as well.
• Be particularly aware of the words “never,” “always,” “every,” “none,” and “not” because they can determine the correct answer.
• Answer the questions that are obvious to you first. Then go back to statements that require more thought.
• If the question is stated in the positive, restate it to yourself in the negative by adding the word “not” or “never.” Does the new statement sound truer or more false?
• If you still are unsure whether a statement is true or false and must guess, choose “true” because most tests include more true statements than false (but don’t guess if a wrong answer penalizes you more than one left blank).

Matching Columns

• Start by looking at the two columns to be matched. Is there an equal number of items in both columns? If they are not equal, do you have to match some items in the shorter column to two or more items in the longer column, or can you leave some items unmatched? Read the directions to be sure.
• If one column has a series of single words to be matched to phrases in the other column, read all the phrases first, then all the single words before trying to make any matches. Now go back and read each phrase and find the word that best suits the phrase.
• If both columns have single words to be matched, look to cut down the number of potential matches by grouping them by parts of speech (nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, etc.).
• As always, start by making the matches that are obvious to you, and then work on the ones that require more thought. Mark off all items you have already used so you can easily see which words or phrases still remain to be matched.

Short Answer Questions

• Short answer questions are designed for you to recall and provide some very specific information (unlike essay questions, which also ask you to apply critical thinking to that information). When you read the question, ask yourself what exactly the instructor wants to know. Keep your answers short and specific.

Essay Questions

• Essay questions are used by instructors to evaluate your thinking and reasoning applied to the material covered in a course. Good essay answers are based on your thoughts, supported by examples from classes and reading assignments.
• Careful planning is critical to answering essay questions effectively. Note how many essay questions you have to answer and how difficult each question seems. Then allocate your time accordingly.
• Read the question carefully and underline or circle keywords.
  • Watch for words that describe the instructor’s expectations for your response (see the table below.)
  • Use other parts of the exam, like multiple choice, to help you recall vocabulary or specific information.
• If time allows, organize your thoughts by creating a quick outline for your essay. This helps ensure that you don’t leave out key points, and if you run out of time, it may pick up a few points for your grade.
  • Jot down the specific information you might want to use, such as names, dates, and places.
• Introduce your essay answer, but get right to the point. Remember that the instructor will be grading dozens of papers and avoid “filler” text that does not add value to your answer.
  • For example, rather than writing, “In our study of the Civil War, it is helpful to consider the many facets that lead to conflict, especially the economic factors that help explain this important turning point in our nation’s history,” write a more direct and concise statement like this: “Economic factors help explain the start of the Civil War.”
• Write neatly and watch your grammar and spelling.
  • Allow time to proofread your essay. You want your instructor to want to read your essay, not dread it.
  • Remember that grading essays is largely subjective, and a favorable impression can lead to more favorable grading.
• Be sure to answer all parts of the question. Essay questions often have more than one part. Remember, too, that essay questions often have multiple acceptable answers.

Words to Watch for in Essay Questions

Practicing Academic Integrity On Exams

The attitude of some students that grades are the end-all in academics has led many students to resort to academic dishonesty to try to get the best possible grades or handle the pressure of an academic program. Although you may be further tempted if you’ve heard people say, “Everybody does it,” or “It’s no big deal at my school,” you should be mindful of the consequences of cheating:

• You don’t learn as much. Cheating may get you the right answer on a particular exam question, but it won’t teach you how to apply knowledge in the world after school, nor will it give you a foundation of knowledge for learning more advanced material. When you cheat, you cheat yourself out of opportunities.
• You risk failing the course or even expulsion from school. Each institution has its own definitions of and penalties for academic dishonesty, but most include cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification. The exact details of what is allowed or not allowed vary somewhat among different colleges and even instructors, so you should be sure to check your school’s Web site and your instructor’s guidelines to see what rules apply. Ignorance of the rules is seldom considered a valid defense.
• Cheating causes stress. Fear of getting caught will cause you stress and anxiety; this will get in the way of performing well with the information you do know.
• You’re throwing away your money and time. Getting a college education is a big investment of money and effort. You’re simply not getting your full value when you cheat because you don’t learn as much.
• You are trashing your integrity. Cheating once and getting away with it makes it easier to cheat again, and the more you cheat, the more comfortable you will feel with giving up your integrity in other areas of life—with perhaps even more serious consequences.
• Cheating lowers your self-esteem. If you cheat, you are telling yourself that you are simply not smart enough to handle learning. It also robs you of the feeling of satisfaction from genuine success.
• Technology has made it easier to cheat. Your credit card and an Internet connection can procure a paper for you on just about any subject and length. You can copy and paste for free from various Web sites. Students have made creative use of texting and video on their cell phones to gain unauthorized access to material for exams. But be aware that technology has also created ways for instructors to easily detect these forms of academic dishonesty. Most colleges make these tools available to their instructors. Instructors are also modifying their testing approaches to reduce potential academic misconduct by using methods that are harder to cheat at (such as in-class essays that evaluate your thinking and oral presentations). If you feel uneasy about doing something in your college work, trust your instincts. Confirm with the instructor that your intended form of research or use of material is acceptable. Cheating just doesn’t pay.

A Closer Look

Think about the test taking strategies you use. You should have identified these as you self-reflected, and read more about many of these strategies in the discussion of test-taking strategies above. Take a closer look at which strategies you use, when you use them, and their effectiveness. What are your strengths, what are your challenges? Document the following information for a two week period of time.

After two weeks, review your responses.Which strategies worked well for you? Are there any revisions you will make going forward? If so, what are these and why are you making these revisions?

Next steps: Write down one new thing you will change about your test-taking strategies. Explain why you will make this change.

Additional Resources

• For additional information on testing and strategies for coping with test anxiety, read all of chapter 6.1: “Test Anxiety and How to Control It” from University of Minnesota’s College Success.
• Test Anxiety and Wellness: At LaGuardia there are resources available to you to help you manage your mental health and wellness. Go to the LaGuardia Wellness Center website to learn more about the resources, activities, and support services available to you.

references, licenses, and attributions

LaGuardia Community College (n.d.). The Wellness Center.  https://www.laguardia.edu/wellnesscenter/

University of Minnesota (2015). Chapter 6: Preparing for and taking tests. In College Success. https://doi.org/10.24926/8668.0301. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 except where otherwise noted.

Utah State University (n.d.). Creating study guides. Retrieved October 11, 2022 from https://www.usu.edu/academic-support/test/creating_study_guides