© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Student Resource Guide: Test-Taking Strategies Active Reading Skills, 1/e Kathleen McWhorter PowerPoints by Gretchen Starks-Martin

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Starting With An Advantage Bring the necessary materials. Time your arrival a few minutes early. Sit in the front of the room. Listen carefully to your instructor’s directions. Preview the exam. Plan your time. Avoid reading too much into the question.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman General Suggestions for Objective Exams Read the directions. Leave nothing blank. Look for clues. Choose the best answer. Look for clues later in the exam to answer an earlier question. Write your answers clearly. Check over your answers before you turn in the exam. Don’t change answers without a good reason.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Begin by reading each question as if it is a fill-in-the-blank or short-answer question. Read all choices first, considering each. Read combination choices and treat each choice as a true or false statement.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Use logic and common sense to reason out the answer and eliminate choices. Example: Prejudice and discrimination are: A. harmful to our society because they waste our economic, political, and social resources. B. helpful because they ensure us against attack from within. C. harmful because they create negative images of the United States in foreign countries. D. helpful because they keep the majority pure and united against minorities.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Examine closely items that are very similar; one of them is likely to be correct. Numerical answers that are in the middle range of choices are probably correct.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Pay special attention to the level of qualifying words. Words that do not contain exceptions are often incorrect: best, always, all, no, never, none, entirely, completely. Words that provide for exceptions are often correct: often, usually, less, seldom, few, more, most.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Some multiple-choice questions require application of knowledge or information to analyze a hypothetical situation or solve a problem. Jot down the essence of a process or order of events. Then select the choice that matches what you wrote.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Avoid the unfamiliar. If you have studied, a choice that is unfamiliar is probably incorrect. Eliminate choices that are obviously false by treating the statement as a true-false question. Choose the longest or most inclusive answers as a last resort.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Be careful of “all of the above” or “none of the above” questions. If even one choice is incorrect, “all of the above” will be incorrect. If two choices are correct, but you are unsure of the third one, choose “all of the above.”

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Techniques for Taking Multiple-Choice Tests Make educated guesses. In most cases you can eliminate one or more choices. If you can eliminate two choices, you have increased your odds to 50%. Try taking the practice quiz in your textbook. Use your reasoning skills and make educated guesses!

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Achieving Success with Standardized Tests Standardized tests are commercially prepared. They are usually timed and lengthy. Your score is compared to large numbers of students at the national or state level.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Preparing for the Test Find out as much as possible about the test. Take a review course if possible. Obtain a review book. Begin your review early.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Preparing for the Test Start with a quick overview of the test from a review book. Take practice tests. Review your answers. Keep track of your scores.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Taking the Test Arrive in the exam room prepared. Get there early to get a good seat. Bring pencils with erasers. Get organized before the timing begins and carefully fill out your answer sheet. Skim the instructions.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Taking the Test Work quickly and steadily. Don’t plan on finishing the test, so work on the easier questions first. Don’t expect to get everything right.

© 2005 Pearson Education Inc. Publishing as Longman Taking the Test Find out if there is a penalty for guessing. If not, use the last 30 seconds to randomly fill in answers. Odds are l in 5. Check your answer sheet periodically to make sure you did not skip an answer. Don’t just stop if you finish early; proofread and check the answer sheet for stray marks.

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