Preparing for Exams:
A Survival Guide
Presenter Name(s)
Date
E-mail
Advanced
Learning
–
Exams:
A Part
of theWorkshop
University
Experience
Status
(14 June 2013)
 “In this world nothing can be
said to be certain, except death
and taxes. Oh and exams in
college.” With apologies to
Benjamin Franklin
 “Good luck on the final exams
you’re complaining about on
Facebook, instead of studying”
 “Examinations – the only way to
know something at least for a
few days.”
2
4/13/2015
Advanced
Workshop
Exams:
TheLearning
Key to Success
is–
Preparation
Status
(14 June 2013)
 “You think you can win on talent
alone? Gentlemen, YOU DON'T
HAVE ENOUGH TALENT TO WIN
ON TALENT ALONE!” Herb
Brooks, Coach, 1980 USA
Olympics Hockey Team
 Preparing for an exam is much
like an athlete training for a
sporting event . . . It involves
exercising, eating the right
foods, and getting a good night's
sleep! And yes, you also have
to study!
3
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Advanced Learning Workshop –
Learning Objectives
Status (14 June 2013)
 Learn preparation and test taking
techniques for various types of
exams
 Understand the keys to successful
exam preparation
 Cope with exam anxiety
4
4/13/2015
Advanced Learning Workshop –
Danger Will Robinson
Status (14 June 2013)
 When classes begin, exams represent a
distant event . . . “I have plenty of time
to prepare for exams.”
 But beware of that enemy of preparation
. . . Procrastination
 Time is going to advance much faster
than you think and before you know it,
preparing for the exam becomes less
about learning and understanding the
material and more about cramming . . .
And then you’re in Danger!
 Don’t let procrastination endanger your
academic success
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4/13/2015
Advanced Learning Workshop –
Session Topic Agenda
Status (14 June 2013)
 Group Exercise
 General Preparation
 Exam Types
– What to do before the exam
– Taking the exam
 Term-End Study Plan Exercise
(Optional)
 The Seven Day Study Plan (Optional)
 Coping with Exam Anxiety
 Exam Preparation Reference
 For More Information
6
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
Advanced Learning Workshop –
Group Exercise
Status
(14
June
2013)
Recall an exam in which you really excelled:
– Record the type of exam
– List two or three characteristics of your preparation for
that exam that were the key to your performance
(What was special or different about your approach?)
 We will divide into groups of 5 to 6 students:
– Share your list with other students in the group
– Look for the common themes and unique preparation
approaches
– Create a group list
 We will sample some of the lists in a report
back to the session
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4/13/2015
Advanced
LearningStarts
Workshop
Exam
Preparation
Long–
Before
theJune
Exams
Status (14
2013)
 To do well on an exam you
must understand the
material
 That means committing
yourself to learning at the
start of the academic
session
8
4/13/2015
Advanced
Learning
Workshop
–
General
Exam
Preparation
Tips
Status (14 June 2013)
In Class – Learning the Material
 Be prepared by having your assignments completed
 Take good notes during the lectures
 Be an engaged student . . . Ask and answer questions
After Class – Learning the Material
 Prepare a study schedule for every class and stick to it
 Review your notes soon after class
 Do all of your homework assignments
 *Organize your notes, texts, and assignments according the topics
and problems that will be covered on the exam
 Assess the topics and problems that are most difficult for you and
schedule extra time to study these areas
* It is acceptable to ask the professor about the topics to be covered
on the exam
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Exam Types
 Problem Based
 Open Book Exams
 Essay Exams
 Multiple Choice Exams
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Advanced
Learning
Workshop –
Problem
Based
Engineering
Exams
Status (14 June
2013)
Preparation
 The typical problem based
engineering exam requires you
to solve problems related to the
subject matter
 Learning how to solve these problems is a
building process that starts from the first day of
class
 In order to understand the next step you must
comprehend the current and previous steps
 Don’t even try to cram for this type of
exam!
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4/13/2015
Advanced
Learning
Workshop –
Problem
Based
Engineering
Exams
(2)
Status (14 June
2013)
Preparation
 Do all of your assigned homework problems and inclass problems
 Ask questions on methods and procedures that you are
finding difficult
 Solve unassigned homework problems
 Simulate test conditions at home
– Give yourself a time limit
– Have on hand the materials you’re allowed to have during
the exam
– After you complete the simulated exam, focus future
studying on the areas you found difficult
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4/13/2015
Advanced
Learning
Workshop –
Problem
Based
Engineering
Exams
(3)
Status (14 June
2013)
Preparation
 Form a study group with other students
– Study groups bring together a diversity of
knowledge
– You might know things they don’t and they
might know things you don’t . . . So you will
all learn
− Also, by helping others you will better learn the material . . . “If
you can't teach it, you don't know it!”
 Use Previous Exams as a Study Guide
– They are a great way to understand how the professor thinks and
writes problems
– They provide a good test of your knowledge and can point to
areas that need additional study and work
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Advanced
Learning
Workshop –
Problem
Based
Engineering
Exams
(4)
Status (14 June
2013)
Taking the Exam
 Read through the exam and instructions
– Make sure you are answering the question that is asked
– Prioritize items on the test – answer the ones you know first
 Show your work
– Clearly write each step of the solution (professors often give
credit even if the final answer is incorrect)
– Be neat
– Double check your math, especially your
calculator entries
 Don’t get bogged down, If you get
stuck on a problem move on and come
back to it later
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4/13/2015
Advanced
Learning
Workshop –
Problem
Based
Engineering
Exams
(5)
Status (14 June
2013)
Expect the Unexpected
 This scenario will happen, be ready
– The professor spends a lot time emphasizing certain types of
problems will be on the exam, both in class and in homework
– But when the exam is handed out, the problem looks nothing
like what you worked on in class or the homework
 Don’t panic!
– The professor has modified the variables,
what was known is now unknown and what
was unknown is now known
– The professor is teaching you how think like
an engineer
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Open Book Exams
 Open book exams are quite common
in engineering courses
 That eventually may lead you to the
mistaken belief that you don’t have
to study
 Don’t fall into that trap
 In order to succeed your best
preparation is to stay current with the
classwork:
We’ve got an open book exam
tomorrow, so we don’t have to study.
– Participate in all in-class assignments
– Do your homework assignments
– Know how to solve the problems in the textbook . . . Without the
text book in front of you
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Open Book Exams (2)
 Preparation
– Confirm with the professor what “Open Book”
means. Can you bring one text book? Multiple
books? An 8.5 X 11 sheet? Note cards?
– Make your reference materials as user-friendly
as possible so that you don't lose time locating
what you need
– Develop a system of tabs/sticky notes, color coding, concept maps,
etc. to mark important summaries, tables, formulas and problems
– Familiarize yourself with the format, layout and structure of your
text books and source materials
– Write short, manageable summaries or steps for problem solving in
the appropriate place
– List out data and formulas separately for easy access
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Open Book Exams (3)
 Taking the Exam
– Before starting, scan the exam . . . Get a
feel for the types of questions and
problems
– Quickly review the number of questions
and note your level of knowledge for each
• Start with the questions that you are
confident of and/or for which you will not
need much time using your references
Image from memegenerator.net
– Read the questions carefully to understand what is
expected
– If you organized your references well, you should be able
to target the right location to assist you with each
question
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Essay Exams
 Purpose
– Essay exams test not only your
knowledge of the subject but also
your ability to organize and present
thoughts in a persuasive manner
– Different test taking skills are
definitely needed to do well on an
essay exam:
• Time management
• The ability to organize thoughts on the
fly
• Good writing skills
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Essay Exams (2)
 Preparing
– Identify and understand thoroughly everything that the professor
has covered in class
– Ask the professor how many questions will be on the exam (In
some cases with essay exams you are given a choice, e.g. “answer
3 of the 6 questions”)
– Begin your preparation by predicting what essay questions will be
included on the exam:
• Use the major boldface headings in your textbooks and turn
them into questions
• Check the course outline and study guides distributed by your
professor
• Read over the end-of-chapter discussion questions for possible
essay questions
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Essay Exams (3)
 Preparing
– Once you have formulated a list of potential
essay questions, prepare a "study sheet" for
each of the questions
– Review your lecture notes, study guides, and
textbook notes
– Then record on each of the study sheets the
relevant and important material from these
sources that you would want to use when
writing an essay responding to each question
– After you have written all the important and
relevant material, organize it
– Decide on the best way to present this
material in written form
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Essay Exams (4)
 Taking the Exam
– Answer the questions you feel you have the strongest background
– Analyze each question according to the following components:
• TOPIC: The subject area the question focuses on
• TASK: The specific job the essay response must perform, usually
expressed in a key word (define)
• HINTS: Suggestions or stipulations about what information the essay
should contain or how it should be organized and developed
– Think before you write . . . Gather the ideas and thoughts you will
need to include in your essay. Then consider the most effective
way to present that material to your reader
– Write Strategically . . . Move immediately to answering the
question; Order the points of your discussion and incorporate
examples or facts that support your main statements.
– Be legible. You could lose credit if the professor can't read your
work
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Multiple Choice
Preparation





In a multiple choice exams, a student is asked to
select the correct answer among 3 or 4 wrong
answers (called distracters)
The difference is that the student is not asked to
provide the correct answer entirely from his/her
own knowledge of the subject
That leads students to the mistaken belief that a multiple choice
exam is easier than other exams
Not true! Multiple choice exams expect students to have a greater
familiarity with details such as specific dates, names, or vocabulary.
Students cannot easily "bluff."
And because multiple choice exams focus on details, preparation is
critical . . . Learning a little bit each day will allow you plenty of time
for repeated reviews and help you build a more reliable long-term
memory.
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Multiple Choice (2)
Preparation (continued)
 Identify and understand thoroughly
everything the professor emphasized in class
– Fundamental terms and concepts that describe
important events or features, or that tie
related ideas and observations together should
be your focus
 Review the class syllabus to identify key topic areas and also
review highlighted portions in the text
 Study your class notes and your assigned readings
 Then create your own table of key points
 Using the table, look for similarities and differences that might
be used to distinguish correct choices from distracters
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Multiple Choice (3)
Taking the Exam





Divide the number of questions into the amount of time you have
so you can see how much time you have for each question
Start by covering the possible answers with a piece of paper while
you read the question
Do you know the answer in your head? Then, uncover the
responses and see if your answer is on the list. If so, circle it and
then check to be sure that none of the other responses is better.
If you do not see a response that you expected, you can than use a
series of strategies to identify the responses that are probably
wrong
A few examples are:
25
–
Look for grammatical clues. If the question ends with the indefinite article "an,"
for example, then the correct response probably begins with a vowel.
–
The longest response is often the correct one, because the instructor tends to load
it with qualifying adjectives or phrases.
4/13/2015
Place Holder Slide for Organizers
Remove from Deck Before
Presentation
The Following Slides are optional (You can skip both, use
one of them or both) depending on your focus and how
much time you have allocated. Be sure to plan according:
Slide 27: Term End Study Plan – This is an individual
exercise that will take about 10 -12 minutes
Slides 28 to 31: Seven Day Study Plan – This section
describes a plan to help students prepare the exams. It is
just a presentation that will take about 5 – 6 minutes
Both of these sections are available as handouts
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Creating A Term-End Study Plan
In-Session Exercise
 We want to take some time now to have you sketch out a
term-end study plan
 Use the hand-out to:
– Develop a "To Do" list of all the things you have to do between
now and the end of the semester. The list should include
academic work like papers, projects, finals, social obligations,
etc.
– Assign a priority to each item.
– Record the due date.
– Make your plan for accomplishing each task.
Take about 5-7 minutes and we’ll discuss the results
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The Seven Day Study Plan
Day 1
 Review all of your class materials including
notes, problems, homework, etc. and divide
them into three categories based on your level of
understanding of the subject matter:
– A = Low Understanding . . . This category requires the
most attention
– B = Moderate Understanding . . . Requires targeted attention
– C = High Understanding . . . Requires a review to stay current
 Once you have completed your assessment, create a study
schedule for the remaining days
Disclaimer: This is not a cramming plan! It counts on the fact
that you have been keeping up with each class.
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The Seven Day Study Plan (2)
Day 2
 Thoroughly review all the material in Category A
 Identify the concepts that are most difficult for you and
target those areas for specific action
 View your material from as many angles as possible
– Review the notes and practice problems
– Use a sample test if available
– Explore internet resources
– Ask yourself questions about the material
 If there are areas that still remain difficult, reach out the
professor or a classmate the next day
 Don’t stress if after this first day you don’t understand
everything . . . You will be coming back to this material
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The Seven Day Study Plan (3)
Day 3
 Repeat the instructions for Day 2, this time reviewing your
Category B material
– You will likely need less time for this material so earmark about ¾ of
your study time to Category B
 Use the remaining time to address any Category A issues
that remained from Day 2
Day 4
 Repeat instructions for Day 2, this time reviewing your
Category C material
– Again earmark about ¾ of your study time to Category C
 Use the remaining time to address any Category B issues
that remained from Day 3
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The Seven Day Study Plan (4)
Day 5

Review thoroughly all of your material from Categories A, B and C
– From your previous work you will know the areas to concentrate on, but
don’t neglect the areas you feel are most comfortable
– Record any areas that still remain difficult after the Day 5 Review
Day 6

Review all of your material from Categories A, B and C
– Pay closest attention to any trouble areas
– Also start to assemble any materials you will need for the exam (books,
formula sheets, etc.)
Day 7 (day before the exam)


31
Conduct a final quick review and run through some remaining
problems in the trouble areas
But limit your studying so you can rest . . . If you followed the plan
you are not going to learn new content the day before
4/13/2015
Coping With Exam Anxiety
Preparation
 It can’t be emphasized enough! Being
prepared will build your confidence:
– Develop good study habits
– Learn how to manage your time
– Develop an exam preparation strategy and plan
– Examine your outside pressures and see what can be
addressed so you are not overwhelmed
– Get plenty of exercise
– Take breaks and don’t over study
– Get plenty of sleep, especially the night before
– Don’t go into the exam with an empty stomach
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Coping With Exam Anxiety
Taking the Exam
 Take a few deep breaths before you start to help you
relax
 Read the directions carefully
 Start with the questions you know to build your
confidence
 If you go blank, skip the question and go on next one,
then come back
 Budget your test taking time
 Change your seating position to help
energize you
 Periodically close your eyes and just
decompress for a few seconds
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Exam Preparation Reference
Before the Exam
During the Exam
• Stay current with all
of your course work
• Create an overall
• Before you look at the exam, jot down the
study plan and stick
information you don't want to forget
to it (7 Day Plan)
• Don’t over study the
night before
• Read all of the directions carefully
• Take the evening
• Ask your professor if you are unclear of
before the exam just
anything
to conduct a simple
• Review the exam to determine how to
review
schedule your time
• Exercise the day
• Divide the time you have by the number of
before
questions
After the Exam
• Don’t second guess yourself following
the exam, especially if you compare
answers with other students
• It will only cause you to panic and you
can’t go back and change the answers
. . . And there’s no guarantee they had
the right answers
• If this was the first quiz or exam you
had with this professor, use the exam
has a guide to how the professor
thinks
• You can gain insights that will help you
prepare for the next exam
• Scan the questions and start with the
• Get a good night's
questions you know how to answer or
sleep
solve
• When you get the exam back, conduct
• Eat something before
• If you come to a question you don't know,
a thorough analysis
the exam
mark it and move on. Come back to it
• Review the questions that you got
• Arrive early and
later
wrong and try to understand the
check to make sure
• Answering other questions may trigger
reasons
you have everything
your memory to retrieve the correct
you need
answer
• Practice relaxation
techniques while
waiting: deep
breathing, muscle
relaxers
• Allow for a few minutes to review your
exam and double check your answers
• You don’t get extra points for finishing
first, so use of your time
• Start preparing the next exam
immediately
For More Information

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35
Conquering Finals : http://scs.tamu.edu/?q=node/77
Self Help Exam Planner: - http://scs.tamu.edu/?q=node/82
Exams – Be Test Wise:
http://www.uccs.umn.edu/oldsite/lasc/handouts/betestwise.html
Getting Ready for Finals:
http://www.uccs.umn.edu/oldsite/lasc/handouts/gettingready.html
Don’t Change the Answer:
http://www.uccs.umn.edu/oldsite/lasc/handouts/dontchange.html
Analyzing True and False Questions:
http://www.uccs.umn.edu/oldsite/lasc/handouts/analizingtf.html
Reducing Anxiety:
http://counselingcenter.gwu.edu/reducing-test-anxiety
Essay Exams: http://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/essayex.html
Open Book Exams: http://www.studygs.net/tsttak7.htm
Multiple Choice Exams: http://www.studygs.net/tsttak3.htm
General Preparation Tips: http://ualr.edu/blackboard/2013/12/02/tips-forpreparing-for-final-exams/
4/13/2015
For More Information (2)
Place holder slide

List academic resources available through your university

If none are available – remove slide from deck
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Questions
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Advanced Learning Workshop –
Contact Information
Status (14 June 2013)
Name
E-mail
Phone
Campus Student Life contact(s):
Ombudsman, Dean of Students, etc.
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