ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTRE, DAWSON COLLEGE
A5.1
TIPS FOR TAKING EXAMS
PREPARATIONS
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Begin studying a week before the exam. You will remember much more if you study several times than
if you "cram" the night before.
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Ask your teacher what the exam will cover and what kinds of questions will be asked.
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Go through your class and textbook notes and make an outline based on both sets of notes.
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Clarify the material you don't understand: speak to your teacher, see a tutor, or visit the library.
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Form a study group: each student will know something that the others may have missed.
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Make up model questions; think of questions that bring together the course material.
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Eat on schedule and get a normal amount of sleep before the exam.
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If possible, take time off from your part-time job and suspend your other activities.
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In certain cases (such as math), you might ask the teacher to provide copies of previous exams.
PREPARING FOR ESSAY EXAMS
In essays you must express your position and support it with evidence, so:
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Practice organizing and restating ideas from the course rather than just rereading your text and notes.
Think about how you would support or prove each point.
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Practice stating ideas in your own words. If you can't do so before the test, you probably won't be able
to do so during the test.
TAKING ESSAY EXAMS
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Before looking at the questions, read the instructions very carefully.
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Then read all the questions, and select the ones that you are sure of to answer first.
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Examine each question, determining exactly what is being asked. Underline key words and phrases.
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Think about the question, and write brief notes based on the key information required.
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Before you write your essay, prepare a brief outline—your thesis and a list of supporting points.
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Remember the importance of opening each paragraph with a clear topic sentence.
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Make sure that your essay addresses the question very directly and provides specific supporting facts.
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Write something for every question. Even if you can’t say much, something is better than nothing.
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Write clearly and neatly. This creates a more positive attitude in the person who is marking the exam.
TAKING MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAMS
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Read all the questions before you begin. Answer the questions you are sure of first.
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Underline the key words and phrases in the questions.
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Cover up the answers before you read the question. Answer the question in your head, and then
choose the response which best fits your answer.
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Mark questions which you cannot answer or are unsure of, and go back to them at the end.
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Never leave questions unanswered unless it is clear that incorrect answers count against you.
Further Strategies for Answering Multiple-Choice Questions
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When in doubt, go with your first guess.
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Use information from other questions and/or answers.
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Absolute words such as always, never, none, and all are often seen in false statements.
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Eliminate the answers that are clearly not correct
Example:
The nose
a) develops during gastrulation
b) has two movable parts
c) is structured in part by turbinals
d) is an organ of balance
PREPARING FOR LANGUAGE EXAMS

Break vocabulary lists into small, related sets. Spread memorization out over several sessions.
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Practice grammar by writing sentences related to your own life.
PREPARING FOR MATH AND SCIENCE EXAMS
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Memorize the formulas, so that you can write them down as soon as the exam starts.
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Review formulas, diagrams, cycles, etc., which may be required on the test.
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Be able to define all terms that are in bold print or italics in your text.
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Practice doing problems.
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If possible, get copies of old exams from your teacher. Try writing them in the time limits set for the
exam. Working with old exams also prepares you for doing problems out of the context of the textbook.

Work toward understanding how all the bits of information relate to the whole topic. Without this
framework for your knowledge, you are attempting to remember clusters of unconnected facts.
DD 2003