Preparing for:
SEMESTER
EXAMINATIONS
[ Oh No ! ]
Freshman Seminar
November 26 & 27, 2014
Why Prepare for Semester
Examinations?
 Are you kidding? It can be 20% of your
grade!
 Semester Grades Matter – It’s YOUR
Transcript! – Your Choices!
 Protect the good work you have earned
during the semester
 It‘s an opportunity to RAISE your
grades!
(or lower them!)
WHEN SHOULD YOU
PREPARE FOR SEMESTER
EXAMINANTIONS?
 From the first day of the semester
 Every class period of the semester
 Every week before the examination
 Every day before the examination
 Every hour before the examination
If you were paying attention and taking notes –
you WERE preparing for your examinations
Ask yourself,
”How do I study for my
examinations?”
Your learning style:
- use your strengths
Your time management: (Exam Schedule)
- schedule your study time
Your support:
- friends, classmates, teachers, parents
PREPARING FOR TESTS
 Test Preparation Tips
 Test Preparation Wisdom
 Test Taking Tips
 Multiple Choice
 Essay
 True/False
 Short Answer
 Mathematical/Quantitative
 “Cramming” [Not Recommended]
 Reducing
Test Anxiety
TEST PREP TIPS - 1
Budget your time, make
sure you have sufficient
time to study so that you
are well prepared for the
test.
TEST PREP TIPS - 2
 Go to review, pay attention to hints that
the instructor may give about the test.
Take careful notes and ask questions
about items you may be confused about.
 Ask the instructor to specify the areas
that will be emphasized on the test.
 Make sure you go to the class right
before the test; it's another prime time for
the instructor to give out more hints or
the format of the test.
TEST PREP TIPS - 3
 Go over any material from practice tests, home
work, sample problems, review material, the
textbook, class notes... And compile a “Study
Sheet”**
 Eat healthy & drink water before a test, having
food in your stomach will give you energy and
help you focus, but avoid heavy foods which
can make you sleepy.
 Don't try to pull an all nighter, get your
NORMAL hours of sleep before the test.
TEST PREP TIPS - 4
 Put the main ideas/information/formulas onto a
single sheet that can be quickly reviewed many
times, this makes it easier to retain the key
concepts that will be on the test.
 Review this single sheet out loud with a coupe of
“study buddies” from your class – you will
remember more this way.
TEST PREP WISDOM - 1
 If it was on a quiz, it might be on the
EXAMINATION
 If you spend two days on it in class, it might be
on the EXAMINATION
 If you got it wrong on a quiz and haven’t
learned the right answer yet, you’ll get it wrong
on the EXAMINATION
TEST PREP WISDOM – 2
 If you got a 3 out of 10 on a homework
assignment, you’ll get it wrong on the
EXAMINATION – unless you learn it afterwards
 Your teachers have been telling you what’s on
the EXAMIANTION all semester long – you just
had to write it down
 Your teachers are still telling you what will be
on the EXAMINATION Write it down!
 If you copied homework from somebody during
the semester – you have to learn it now, or
you’ll get it wrong on the EXAMINATION
TEST TAKING TIPS
Essay
Budget your time, if you have an hour to write 3
essays, spend no more than 20 minutes on
each essay, then if you have time left over at
the end go back and finish any incomplete
essays.
 If you aren't sure about an exact date or
number, then use approximations i.e.
"Approximately 5000" or "In the late 17th
century."
 If you make a mistake, simply draw a line
through it, it is much neater and quicker than
erasing it.

TEST TAKING TIPS
Short Answer - 1
 Use flashcards, writing the key terms, dates
and concepts on the front and the definition,
event, and explanations on the back.
 Try to anticipate questions that will be asked
on the test and prepare for them. Usually what
your instructor emphasizes in class will be on
the test.
 Try not to leave an answer blank, show your
work/write down your thoughts, even if you
don't get the exact answer, partial credit is
usually awarded.
TEST TAKING TIPS
Short Answer - 2
 If you don't know the answer, come back to it
after you finish the rest of the test and make an
educated guess. Other parts of the test may
give you clues to what the answer may be.
 Read the question carefully and make sure that
you answer everything that it asks for; some
short answer questions have multiple parts.
TEST TAKING TIPS
Mathematical/Quantitative

Show all your work (especially when partial credit is
awarded) and write as legibly as possible.
 Even if you know the final answer is wrong, don't erase
your entire work because you may get partial credit for
using the correct procedure.
 Check over your test after you are done with it. If you
have time redo the problem on a separate piece of paper
and see if you come up with the same answer the second
time around. Look for careless mistakes such as making
sure the decimal is in the right place, that you read the
directions correctly, that you copied the numbers
correctly, that you put a negative sign if it is needed, that
your arithmetic is correct and so on.
“CRAMMING” FOR EXAMINATIONS
[NOT Recommended]
 Cramming for exams should be avoided at all
costs. You should only cram for an exam as a
last resort. It's hard to take in and retain a large
amount of information in a short period of time.
Some of the tips on studying and preparing for
a test may happen somewhat close to the
exam, but remember to plan and manage (not
just cram). Eat some food to give you energy to
study, but try to avoid excess sugar which will
make you hyper and will make it more difficult
to study.
Eve of the Exam Tips - 1

An apple does a better job at keeping you focused and
awake than caffeine.
 Keep a positive attitude, it is easier to study when you are
relaxed than when you are stressed out.
 Since your time is limited you have to choose what you
study, don't attempt to learn everything, focus on things
that will get you the most points on the exam.
 Focus on the main ideas and learn key formulas, skip
the details for now and only come back to them if you see
that you have time after you have learned the key points.
Eve of the Exam TIPS - 2
 Write down the key ideas/formulas on a
sheet of paper and keep on studying
from that sheet, repetition is important.
 Take turns explainaing your study sheet
points out loud with a study buddy.
 Read the chapter summaries (they
usually do a good job at summarizing the
important points), if there're no chapter
summaries then skim through the text
and write down key ideas.
Eve of the Exam TIPS - 3
 Study from past tests, review questions,
homework & review sheets.
 Take at least one five minute break an
hour so that you can gather your
thoughts and let your brain relax.
 TRY to get GOOD sleep before the
exam so that you don't fall asleep when
taking your exam. Don't forget to set
your alarm!
TEST TAKING ANXIETY
 “Test anxiety is when a student
excessively worries about doing well on
a test. This can become a major
hindrance on test performance and
cause extreme nervousness and
memory lapses among other symptoms.
The following are tips on reducing test
taking anxiety. Being well prepared for
the test is the best way to reduce test
taking anxiety. “
REDUCING TEST TAKING ANXIETY
Tips - 1
 Space out your studying over a few days or




weeks, and continually review class material,
don't wait until the night before and try to learn
everything the night before.
Try to maintain a positive attitude while
preparing for the test and during the test.
Exercising for a few days before the test will
help reduce stress.
Get a good night's sleep before the test.
Show up to Exam early so you won't have to
worry about being late.
REDUCING TEST TAKING ANXIETY
Tips - 2
 Stay relaxed, if you begin to get nervous take a




few deep breaths slowly to relax yourself and
then get back to work.
Read the directions slowly and carefully.
If you don't understand the directions on the
test, ask the teacher to explain it to you.
Skim through the test so that you have a good
idea how to pace yourself.
Write down important formulas, facts,
definitions and/or keywords in the margin first
so you won't worry about forgetting them.
Reducing Test Taking Anxiety
Tips - 3
 Do the simple questions first to help build up your




confidence for the harder questions.
Don't worry about how fast other people finish their test;
just concentrate on your own test.
If you don't know a question skip it for the time being
(come back to it later if you have time), and remember
that you don't have to always get every question right to
do well on the test.
Focus on the question at hand; don't let your mind
wander on other things.
If you're still experiencing extreme test anxiety after
following these tips, seek help from your school
counselor.
-- From, “TestTakingTips.Com”, 2007
GOOD LUCK!
 Luck only will get you an…
 Luck plus review will get you a…
 Luck plus review, plus concentrated
study will get you an…
 Good study habits all semester long will
get you…