TEST TAKING STRATEGIES
Whether you are starting a new class or applying for a new job, chances are you
will be asked to take some type of assessment or test. For many people, taking a
test is a set-up for failure because it immediately causes them to become
nervous. Here are some well-developed strategies for answering true/false
questions, multiple-choice questions, matching questions, and sentence
completion questions. Being prepared with some test taking skills will alleviate
some of the pressure of taking tests.
Test taking hints:
1. Study one section at a time; don't try to cram or things will all run together.
2. Organize your material and try to tie things together. Compare and
contrast, tell yourself a story, write a song.
3. Quiz someone else. The best wa y to learn material is to try to teach it to
someone else!
4. Get a good night's sleep!
5. Try to relax, breathe deeply, etc. before starting the exam.
6. 6 Be sure you know what the question is asking and try to answer it before
looking at your choices.
7. Watch out for the word NOT in the question.
8. Eliminate the answers that you know are wrong before guessing.
9. If you can't answer a question right away, do not spend a lot of time
thinking about it. Move on and come back. Sometimes a question later on
will jog your memory, or even answer the first question! Just be sure you
are marking the correct number on your answer sheet.
10. You can't get a question right if you leave it blank. Guess!
11. NEVER CHANGE YOUR FIRST ANSWER UNLESS YOU ARE CERTAIN
IT IS WRONG!
Types of Questions
True-false questions, multiple-choice and matching questions have at least one
thing in common--the correct answer is provided. Your job as a test taker is to
discern which choice to choose.
True - False Questions
In its simplest form, a true -false question is a statement that attributes a property
to one or more persons or things.
Examples:
T or F Fish can swim.
T or F Children are creative.
T or F Plants are edible.
The problem with these questions is that they are very simple, which is not the
case most of the time. Most true/false questions contain qualifiers or negatives.
1. Qualifiers:
Here is what happens when we add qualifiers to our basic true -false questions:
Examples:
T or F All fish can swim.
T or F Some children are creative.
T or F Most plants are edible.
Qualifiers may be grouped into sets. The six most common sets are:
1. All – most – some – none (no)
2. Always – usually – sometimes – never
3. Great – much – little – no
4. More – less – equal – equal to
5. Good – bad
6. Is – Is not
The qualifiers may overstate a true-false statement, understate it, or make it just
right. Whenever one qualifier from a set is used in a true-false statement,
substitute each of the others for it, in turn. In this way, determine which of the
qualifiers in the set fits best. If that is the given qualifier, the answer is true;
otherwise, the answer is false.
Example: T or F All fish can swim.
Substituting the other qualifiers in the "all" set gives you these four statements:
All fish can swim.
Most fish can swim.
Some fish can swim.
No fish can swim.
The statement beginning with the word "all" fits best, since that is the given
qualifier. The answer is true.
Some qualifiers are 100% words. They imply that the statements in which they
appear are true 100% of the time. These words are no, never, none, every,
always, all, only, entirely, invariably, best. Such statements are almost always
false because there are very few things that are 100% one way or the other.
Qualifying words that fall between the extremes are generally used in true
statements. Here are some in-between qualifiers: seldom, most, usually,
sometimes, few.
2. The parts of a true-false statement:
If any part of a true -false statement is false then the whole statement is false.
Example:
Consider the statement: A warm-climate product, bananas are grown in Mexico,
Costa Rica, Columbia, Ecuador, and southern Iceland. The answer is false
because of Iceland.
Sometimes two statements are connected by such words as "therefore" or
"because" implying that the two parts have a logical relationship. In most cases
they do not have a logical relationship and are usually false. Example, take the
statement: The flu vaccine didn’t work because nurses administered it. T or F
3. Beware of negatives:
True - false statements that contain negative words and prefixes are difficult to
sort out and answer. Such words include not and cannot, and the negative
prefixes are des, il, im, in, non, and un, as in inconsequential or illogical.
Example:
It is not possible for a bird that flies to also be able to swim underwater.
When you are confronted with such statements, begin by circling the negative
words and negative prefixes. Then try to get the meaning of the statement with
out the negatives.
4. Think "True" - and guess when you must:
Most true - false test contain more true statements than false. If it will not count
against you, you should take a guess.
Characteristics of Multiple Choice Questions
The multiple -choice questions, matching, and true -false questions ha ve at least
one thing in common - the correct answer is provided.
Most multiple -choice questions are incomplete statements. A partial statement
(called the stem) leads into four or five sentence endings, or options, listed
directly under it. One of the options is the correct answer. The incorrect options
are called distracters or decoys.
Example: (stem) The American buffalo almost became extinct because
1. they were over hunted by the American Indians. (Decoy)
2. of a form of hoof and mouth disease. (Decoy)
3. they had too many natural enemies. (Decoy)
4. they were over hunted by settlers. (Correct answer)
This incomplete-statement question exhibits good construction in the following
ways:
1. all options are grammatically correct.
2. extraneous material is excluded from the stem.
3. the stem contains one central problem.
4. double negatives are not used.
5. all options are plausible.
6. only one option is the correct or best answer.
Answering Multiple Choice Questions
Before you even look at a question on a multiple-choice test, you must read the
directions carefully. You must be sure of what the question is asking.
Begin by reading each question all the way through. Then read the options all the
way through.
You should read all the options even if the question is unfamiliar. One of the
options might provide you with a hint as to what the question is about.
After you read the stem and options, spend no more than a few seconds puzzling
over the question. If you cannot answer it quickly, cross out any options you have
eliminated and go on. Return later to the question.
If you cannot eliminate all options to a question, and if it will not count against
you, then you should guess.
1. Additional hints on decoy eliminating - the true -false technique: To use the
true-false technique, you make a complete statement from the stem and each of
the options, in turn. An option that results in a false statement is eliminated as a
distracter. One that results in a true statement is probably the correct answer.
2. Stick to the subject of the course: When a multiple-choice question includes
options that you don't recognize or seem out of place, it is a good bet that the
strange options are decoys.
3. Watch out for negatives and extreme words. Whenever you find negative
words such as not or except in the stem or in the options, circle them so they will
stand out. Make sure you take them into consideration when you choose your
answer. Always circle 100 percent words such as never, no, none, best, worst,
always, all, and e very; and be suspicious of the options in which you find them.
4. Foolish options are usually incorrect: Sometimes test writers dash off foolish
statements as an option. You should almost always view such statements as
decoys worthy of being immediately crossed out.
5. The option "all the above" is often correct:
Example: Until the first half of the second millennium B.C., an army laying seize
to a city made use of
a. scaling ladders
b. siege towers
c. archery fire
d. all the above
The correct option is d .
6. Numbers in the middle range are usually correct. If you have a choice of
options that are all numbers, one of the middle numbers is probably the right
choice. Test writers usually include a too high number and a too low number.
You may eliminate them, then have a fifty/fifty chance of choosing the correct
option. You may improve your chances by comparing the numbers to something
with which you are familiar.
7. Check for look-alike numbers: Test makers sometimes include, in one
question, two options that are alike except for one word. Such a pair seems to
indicate where the test maker's interest was focused, so it is logical to assume
that one of the pair is the correct answer.
Example: The author considers himself an authority on
a. the history of Cubism.
b. the work of Picasso.
c. animal behavior patterns.
d. vacation bargains.
A and B seem to be the focus. You would, therefore, choose one of them. Be
very careful if there are two pairs of similar options.
8. Check longer or more inclusive options. In multiple-choice questions, the
correct option is often longer than the decoys.
Adapted from Walter Pauk, How to Study in College
How To Work Through Matching Questions
Matching questions provide a most efficient way to test knowledge in courses
such as history (in which events, dates, names, and places are important) and
psychology (for which numerous experiments, experimenters, results, and
special terms and definitions have to be remembered).
In a matching question, two vertical lists of items are placed next to each other.
Each list contains a half dozen or more words or phrases, in random order. The
task is to match the items in one list with those in the other list, according to a
relation that is given in the directions for answering the question.
Match the name of the President associated with each historical fact.
President Historical Facts
1. John F. Kennedy
A. The 37th President of the United
States.
2. Abraham Lincoln
B. The first U. S. President to be born
in a hospital.
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
C. The first U. S. President.
4. Ronald Reagan
D. The first U.S. President to be
assassinated.
5. George Washington
E. The last U. S. President to be
assassinated.
F. The oldest person to be elected
President.
6. Jimmy Carter
7. Thomas Jefferson
G. The first U. S. President to have a
presidential airplane.
8. Richard M. Nixon
H. The Louisiana Purchase was
completed while this President was in
office.
How to Answer Matching Questions
The following sequence of steps will help you work through any matching
questions systematically and efficiently.
1. Read the directions. Then run your eyes down both columns to get a brief
overview of the specific items with which you will be working.
2. Read the top item in the left-hand column. Then look carefully down the
right-hand column until you find a match for it. Don't stop at the first likely match;
instead, continue through to the end of the right-hand column to make sure there
is not a better match.
3. When you are certain that you have found a match, fill in the proper letter
or number. If you are not sure of your choice, skip the item and come back to it
later.
4. Continue down the left column, filling in all the matches of which you are
sure. This will drastically reduce the number of items that are left when you have
to make the more difficult matches.
5. As you use each item in the right column, circle its letter or number to
show that it has been used.
Don't do any guessing until you are almost absolutely sure you're completely
stumped. If you make an incorrect match too soon, you'll remove an item from
later consideration. Then, a second match, which would have made use of that
item, will also be wrong. So first, do your very best; then, using common sense
and hunches, go ahead and guess at the remaining matches.
While true-false, matching, and multiple choice are the most common types of
questions used on employment tests, you may find yourself with one other type
that is sometimes used. These are the sentence completion questions. To
respond to sentence-completion and short answer questions, you must first find
the correct information in your memory and then write it concisely.
Sentence Completion Questions
1. Finding the Clues and Filling in the Blanks
It is the responsibility of the test writer to provide enough information so that you
will know exactly what is wanted. There should be enough clues to draw the
correct answer out of your memory.
Example: In China there are about 80 million people named Chang; in France,
the most common last name is Martin; in Germany it's Schultz; in Spain it's
Garcia; in Russia it is Ivanov; and in the United States there are 2,400,000
____________.
If you answered Smiths you are correct. This statement provides a number of
clues. There should be no doubt that what is wanted is the most common name
in the United States.
2. Two-Blank Statements
Two blanks in a statement with only a space between them indicate that a twoword answer is required. When two blanks in a statement are widely separated,
you must treat them as if they occurred in separate sentences.
Example: Corn is the second most widely grown crop on earth today, after
____________, and in the United States corn is the largest crop; however, no
one in Europe knew about corn until ____________ returned from the New
World.
In the first portion of the sentence, the word corn tells you you're dealing with a
grain. Another widely used grain is wheat, which is the correct answer. The
second blank demands a person's name; in this case, it is Columbus.
3. A Long Blank
A long blank indicates that a long answer is desired - a phrase, a clause, or even
the equivalent of a sentence.
Example: Wedding rings have been worn on the third finger of the left hand since
the days of ancient Greece, because the Greeks believe
_______________________________________.
4. Grammatical Clues
Occasionally, a word in the incomplete statement will give you a clue to the
missing word.
Example: About 75 million meteors enter our atmosphere each day, b ut usually
no more than ____________ ever reaches the ground. Because reaches is the
singular form of the verb reach, the answer must be one. If the answer was more
than one, the verb form would have had to have been reach.
Sometimes, a completion question will provide you with the a-or-an clue. This
can help you reduce the number of possible answers.
Example: In addition to being one of this country's greatest statesmen, Benjamin
Franklin also made lasting contributions to modern life as an ____________.
The word an in the question requires an answer that begins with a vowel A, E, I,
O, U. So the answer must be author, autobiographer or inventor. If "a" had been
in place of the word "an," the answer would have had to be diplomat, philosopher
or painter.
4. When Should You Guess?
You should begin each test by reading quickly through it once to answer the
questions of which you are reasonably sure. Mark those you can't answer so you
will be able to find them later. Go through the test a second time. If you can't
answer them then, you should guess. There is usually no penalty for guessing.
5. How To Write Short Answers
Generally you are given a small space to provide answers for these "almost
essay tests." So think before you write. Give direct answers, concentrate on
presenting information, and write in telegraphic sentences unless the instructor
specifically asks for complete sentences.
Example of a short answer test and its answer in telegraphic sentences:
Name and briefly discuss or describe, the following animals.
1. Fastest-animal: The cheetah. For short distances, can top 70 miles per hour.
2. Fastest bird: The swift, which can top 106 miles per hour; the fastest of all
living creatures.
Adapted from Walter Pauk, How to Study in College