1. Test-Taking Goals identify your reactions to test taking
determine how your reactions to test taking affect your ability to be successful
use the ‘ten rules’ of test-taking
identify and explain winning strategies for different types of tests
explain the difference between paper tests and computer tests
use this information to improve your testing success

2. Testing Self Check

3. Stress, Tests, and You How does test taking affect you?
calm and relaxed
tense and uptight
How does your body react?
muscles tighten
appetite disappear
overeat
Do your sleeping habits change?
Is your breathing steady?
yawn a lot before a test

4. Good Stress helps you perform better gets your adrenaline flowing
even when you feel anxious or scared
gets your adrenaline flowing
can sharpen your awareness
keeps you alert
helps you become motivated
energizes your body

5. Bad Stress makes performing or achieving your goals challenging
may be linked to increased health problems
depression
heart disease
cancer
demotivates you
zaps your energy
is a symptom of test anxiety
can prevent you from doing your best on exams

6. Stress Reactions

7. Stress Reactions cont’d

8. Letting Go of Anxiety Dealing with Feelings breathe scan your body
tense and relax
use guided imagery
describe it
exercise aerobically
get help

9. Letting Go of Anxiety Dealing with Thoughts mentally yell ‘STOP’
daydream
visualize success
focus
praise yourself
consider the worst

10. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 1: Act as if you will succeed.
thought is powerful
negative thoughts raise stress levels
confidence may drop
leads to feelings of failure
think about success
smile
take deep, slow breaths
close your eyes
imagine getting test back with a good grade written at the top
learn more about visualization and positive self-talk

11. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 2: Arrive ahead of time.
being on time sets your mind at ease
have a better chance of getting your favorite seat
let go of your anxiety
spend time relaxing and preparing yourself for the game ahead

12. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 3: Bring the essential testing tools.
extra pens, sharpened pencils, erasers, a calculator, dictionary, other needed items
if open-book:
notes – create your own index
textbook – plan on using text’s index
Post-It© notes placed at important spots
flashcards you have made
other study tools you have made

13. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 4: Ignore panic pushers.
people who ask you questions about the material to be tested on
people who ask about how much or long you studied
if you know the answers
you will be confident
if you do not know the answers
you may panic and lose your confidence
spend your time concentrating on what you know, not what you don’t know

14. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 5: Pre-view the playing field.
listen to instructions
read directions slowly and carefully
clarify anything you do not understand
determine the point spread
decide how much time you can spend on each question and still finish the test on time
know the point value; ask if necessary
look for easier and more challenging sections
do these first

15. Rule 5 continued budget your time use the test as an information tool
look at point value of a section not the number of questions
stick to your time limits on sections
budget time to look over the test at end
use the test as an information tool
look for clues that answer other questions
use terminology from objective questions for essays

16. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 6: Write in the margin.
before you begin the test; do a memory dump; write down:
key terms
names
dates
memory aids
formulas
any information you’ll need and might forget
do an outline or mind map before starting each essay question

17. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 7: Complete the easiest, shortest questions first.
helps build your experience of success
stimulates associations and prepares you for more difficult questions
mark tough questions so you can come back later
avoid spending too much time on a challenging question
might run out of time to answer the questions you do know
if you are stuck, move on

18. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 8: Know if there is a guessing penalty.
no penalty and time is running out
take a wild guess (true or ‘c’)
there is a penalty
choose your answers wisely
leave blank the answers you do not know
unsure about guessing penalties
ask your instructor

19. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 9: Avoid changing answers.
research has shown that three out of four times your first choice is usually correct
if you think your first answer is wrong because you misread the question
do change your answer
avoid changing answers unless you are absolutely sure your answer is wrong

20. Ten Rules of Test-Taking
Rule 10: Write clearly and neatly.
easy to read
look presentable
answers in the right places
easier it is for the instructor to read
better your chances of getting a higher grade

21. True-False Questions read directions carefully
usually easier as you have only two choices
read the whole statement carefully
one word can make a statement inaccurate
look for absolute or limiting words
examples: always, every, all, no, never, none, only, entirely, guaranteed, great, much, etc.
leave little room for exceptions
sentences containing these words would seldom be true

22. True-False Questions look for tentative words.
examples: seldom, sometimes, some, often, most, many, few, usually, generally, frequently, ordinarily, etc.
provide room for exceptions
sentences containing these words would usually be true
long true-false statement
more likely is true

23. True-False Questions any part of it is false
whole statement is false
watch for negative words and prefixes
examples: not, never, none, no, except, etc. and il-, im-, ir-, dis-, un-, non-, a-, etc.
circle or underline these negatives
do not disregard them
consider omitting the word
decide the answer without the negative
put the word back in
reverse the answer

24. Sample True-False Test

25. Multiple-Choice Questions
read directions carefully
how many correct answers are possible?
are you looking for the correct answer(s) or the best answer or the worst answer?
are you looking for similarities or opposites?
do you need a singular or plural answer?
clarify if you are not sure

26. Multiple-Choice Questions
be wary of ‘all of the above’ or ‘none of the above’ responses especially if not used very often
often are ‘fill’ answers
answer each question in your head before you look at the possible answers
read the question and each option separately
make sure you consider all options
consider each as a true or false statement
mark it to the side accordingly

27. Multiple-Choice Questions
be suspicious of negatives and absolutes
circle or underline these to make sure you are aware of them
answer negatives positively first, then the exception will stand out
carefully consider similar options, opposite answers, more general or more inclusive options
learn how to make educated guesses

28. Sample Multiple-Choice Test

29. Sample Multiple-Choice Test

30. Scantron Tests
make sure the answer you mark corresponds to the question you are answering
check the test booklet against the answer sheet whenever:
you switch sections
come to the top of a column
if you skip a question
make sure you are marking the correct answer spot
watch for stray marks
can be ‘read’ as answers
use the right kind of pencil

31. Matching Questions when used similar to multiple choice
usually only a part of a test
similar to multiple choice
only the correct response needs to be identified
more challenging
must locate the matching terms or ideas from a list

32. Matching Questions read directions carefully
ask questions if necessary
can options be used more than once?
are you looking for similar or opposite terms or ideas?
count number of choices in each column
if not equal – work from longer column to shorter column

33. Matching Questions consider each option each time
systematically eliminate distracters
answer the easiest ones first
where possible, cross off the used ones
consider grammatical clues
match up nouns, adjectives, events, dates
mentally repeat the choices
helps you to focus

34. Sample Matching Test

35. Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
usually are only a part of a test
more difficult than multiple-choice, matching or true-false sections
leave this part until the last
look for the answer in other questions
use memory techniques when stuck
reword the question so that the blank is at the end, if possible

36. Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
watch for grammatical clues
is the verb singular or plural?
does the word “a” or “an” appear before the blank?
your answer must make sense in the context in which it is written
consider the length of the blank; usually:
a short blank means a short answer
a long blank means a long answer
two blanks means a two-word answer

37. Sample Fill-in-the-Blank Test

38. Short Answer Questions
think before you write
generally requires an answer of only a few sentences
look for key words
learn these definitions
start off by restating the key words in your answer
give direct, concise answers
over-learning material really pays off
when you are unsure of the answer:
guess if there are no guessing penalties
leave plenty of space between answers

40. Essay Questions test directions are especially important
how many essay questions do you need to answer?
how long should the essay be?
how should you budget your time?
what type of answers should you give?
use the list of key words
how many components do you need to respond to within the question?

41. Essay Questions write for the intended audience
intended audience is your professor
write as though the reader knows nothing about the topic
write in essay form; this means:
paragraphs
topic sentences
transition words between paragraphs
complete sentences
etc.

42. Essay Questions organize your ideas before you begin writing
think about how the ideas flow
consider using an outline or mind map in the margin
enables you to write faster
less likely to leave out important facts
if you don’t have time to finish:
your outline could win you some points

43. Essay Questions get to the point quickly
forget introductions
include part of the question in your answer
when you expand your answer with supporting materials and facts,
start out with the most solid points
be accurate grammatically and with spelling
consider using a pocket dictionary if allowed

44. Essay Questions make your paper easy to read write neatly
use an erasable pen
write on the right-hand side of your test
leave the left side for making changes and additions
leave space between answers
write on top side of paper only
leave margins – side, top, and bottom
name, date, and number every loose page
summarize your answer first
substitute synonyms for words you use frequently
use connecting words to make the essay flow

45. Essay Questions proofread your answers silently reread
word for word
pronounce every word in your head
catch grammatical and spelling mistakes
look at flow of ideas and organization

46. Performance Tests different than written tests
require a performance or demonstration
preparation:
study and understand the information you have to demonstrate
practice until you are sure you can perform the required task well
study, then practice, practice, practice

47. Open-Book Tests prepare thoroughly for these usually more difficult
when studying:
write down any formulas you will need on a separate sheet
place Post-It © notes or paper clips on important pages
tables, flowcharts, etc.
number notes and make a short table of contents

48. Computer-Based Tests usually multiple choice
score based on how well you answer and on the number of questions you answer
usually a penalty for wrong answers
testing time management is key
complete on-line tutorials and sample questions before attempting test
visit web site of the test maker for more information on the test

49. Computer-Based Tests results are usually provided immediately
before you finish you may have the opportunity to cancel the results before you see your score
if you cancel:
you will need to reschedule another testing date
you will pay again
if you see your score
cannot cancel the test
must accept the results

50. Computer-Based Tests linear mode:
questions are preset and given in numerical order
can return to any question

51. Computer-Based Tests computer- adaptive
selects the difficulty of the next question based on your previous answer
you must answer the question the first time you see it
you cannot go back and change your answer

52. Test-Taking taking a test is like playing a game
object of the game is to get as many points as possible in the time you are given to play
remember there is always another opportunity to play the game, or take a test
you can use these strategies for every type of test you take
may not work all the time
works most of the time