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Study Skills- Chapter 10 & 11. PREPARING and TAKING EXAMS. Contents. Developing a study plan Test- taking strategies. I. Developing a study plan. Exercise. I. Developing a study plan. Determine the content coverage and question format of the exam? Course Syllabus Textbook Chapters
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Study Skills- Chapter 10 & 11 PREPARING and TAKING EXAMS
Contents • Developing a study plan • Test- taking strategies
I. Developing a study plan • Determine the content coverage and question format of the exam? • Course Syllabus • Textbook Chapters • Lecture Notes • Previous Exams and Quizzes • Instructor’s Handouts • Information From Other Students • Information From the Last Class Before the Exam • Organize and separate the content into parts • Use thematic study, which involves organizing all relevant content, no matter • where it is found, around specific topics or themes. For example, a unit covering different wars in history might be organized as follows: causes, major battles, military leaders, and political and economic consequences
I. Developing a study plan • Identify specific study strategies • Predicting Exam Questions: Lower level questions involve responses regarding facts, dates, terms, or lists. Questions beginning with Who . . . ? What . . . ? When . . . ? and Where . . . ? are appropriate for lower level questions. The following examples are stems for higher level questions: Why . . . ? How . . . ? What if . . . ? How does A affect B? What are the advantages or disadvantages of . . . ? What are the strengths or weaknesses of . . . ? What are the differences between . . . ? What is your opinion of . . . ?
II. Test- taking strategies • Objective test questions • Essay questions Test-taking strategies cannot substitute for ineffective exam preparation
II.1. Objective questions • How should you manage your time? • Always know how much time you have for the test. • During the test, check the clock once in a while so that you will • know how much time is left. • When you begin the test: • a. Answer questions you know first. • b. Do not spend too much time on hard questions. Try not to get upset when you cannot answer a hard question. • c. Skip hard questions and go back to them at the end of the test. • When you have answered all the questions, go back and check your work. • How should you approach each question? • If you do not know the answer to a question, read the question again. • Read each of the answers. • Mark the best answer only after you have read all of the answers. • If you cannot figure out the answer to a question, guess. • Be sure you mark one answer for each question. Do not leave a question blank. • When should you change an answer?
Strategies for True- False questions • Carefully read key words such as all, most, some, always, little, none, completely, better, and more. A key word is a single word that can determine the overall meaning of the statement. • Do not read too much into the statement. Base your response on the information provided in the statement, not additional knowledge you may know about the topic. • Carefully read questions that have two-part statements. Remember that both parts of a statement must be true for you to correctly mark it “True.”
Strategies for matching questions • Understand the direction • First match the terms you know • Work from one side only • Eliminate any items on the answer list that clearly are not related • Draw a line through all terms that have matched. • Strategies for Fill-in-the-blank questions • Make your response grammatically correct. • Be sure the answer makes sense • Do not leave any blanks
Strategies for Multiple-Choice questions • Follow the direction • Determine the time allotted • Read the stem and all the choices before determining the best answer • Skip difficult questions at the beginning of the exam • Review choices that are very similar. • Use caution for “ all of the above” or “none of the above” • Review difficult questions before you hand in the exam • When in doubt, guess. • Review exam results
II. 2. Essay Questions • Read the directions carefully and do exactly what is asked. • Read each question carefully to determine what is expected in the response • Determine how you will use your time • Determine the order you will response • Organize your response • Follow specific procedures • Review your exam results Bertrand Russell: What I Have Lived For