Test-Taking Strategies
Moultrie Technical College
Student Academic Center
Purpose
To provide helpful
hints to Moultrie
Technical College
students.
Outline
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References
Ten Step Process
Extra Techniques
Summary
Conclusion
References
• How to Get Good Grades in
College, Linda O’Brien,
Woodburn Press, 2001
• Becoming a Master Student,
Dave Ellis, Houghton Mifflin
Company, 2006 (textbook for
COL 099, College Success)
• Making Your Mark, 5th Edition
• University of West Georgia
Student Development Center
Test/Exam Planning
• Any plan is better than
none
• Conduct planning for trips
and tests/exams
The Ten Step Process
1.
2.
3.
Get off to a good start
Develop a plan
Mark questions that you want to return
to
4. Increase your odds on multiple-choice
questions
5. Know how to approach essay
questions
6. Look for key words in True/False
questions
7. Be prepared for open book tests
8. Improve your math test scores
9. Check your answers
10. Go over all returned tests
Step 1-Get off to a good start
• Get to the test early
• Check that you have everything
you need (pencil, calculator,
etc.)
• On receipt of your test, dump or
write down anything you need
to remember (dates, facts,
equations, memory cues, etc.)
• Listen very closely to any verbal
instructions
• Carefully read the test
directions
Step 2-Develop a plan
• Quickly look over the entire test
and develop a plan
• For example
– a. Plan 15 minutes to
complete 25 multiple-choice
questions
– b. 15 minutes for each essay
question
– c. 10 minutes to check your
answers
Step 3-Mark Questions that you want to return
to
• Place a light dot or ? Mark by
any answer you're not sure of or
any question that you didn’t
answer
• After going through all
questions, go back to the ones
you marked and try again
• If you aren’t sure, go with your
first instinct
• Don’t panic if you don’t know
the answers to the first few
questions, since it sometimes
takes a few minutes to get “in
gear”
Step 4-Increase your odds on multiple-choice
questions
• Read the question twice to make sure
you understand what is being asked
• While reading the question, try to
come up with the answer before
looking at the choices
• Read all of the answer choices
• Don’t be tempted to mark the first one
that sounds correct
• Pay attention to the meaning of the
words in the question
• If you aren’t sure, cross out choice(s)
you know are incorrect, then make an
educated guess
• If two of the choices are similar or
opposite, probably one of them is the
correct answer
• Take questions at face value, don’t get
caught up looking for tricks
Step 4-Increase your odds on multiple-choice
questions (continued)
If you are having trouble:
– Rephrase question in
your own words
– Underline key words
to help untangle
complicated
questions
– Look for answers in
other test questions
Step 4-Increase your odds on multiple-choice
questions (continued)
Taking A Guess
– If two answers have similar words
(perpetrate, perpetuate) choose one
of them
– If two answers have opposite
meanings, choose one of them
– Choose the longest answer
– Studies indicate the following
• (b)-correct 40% of the time
• (c)-correct 30% of the time
• (a)-correct 20% of the time
• (d)-correct only 10% of the time
Step 5-Know how to approach essay
questions ( 1 of 4)
• Read each essay question
and start with the easiest
one to increase your
confidence and give you a
little time to think about the
harder question(s)
• Read directions twice to be
sure you understand what
you are being asked to do
Step 5-Know how to approach essay
questions (2 of 4)
Know what the
meanings of these
direction words
(refer to handout)
• Analyze
• Compare
• Contrast
• Criticize
• Define
• Discuss
• Enumerate
• Evaluate
• Explain
• Illustrate
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Interpret
Outline
Prove
Relate
State
Summarize
Trace
Step 5-Know how to approach essay
questions (3 of 4)
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Note how many points each essay is worth so
you can adjust your time
Before writing, brainstorm by recording key
words, dates, points to cover
If you have time, organize these points into a
simple outline
If you don’t have time, number the points in
order you want to present them
Make sure you are really answering the
question
Write legibly so your instructor doesn’t have to
guess
Use clear, concise and complete sentences
(standard written English)
Data shows that when two identical essays
are graded, the one that is more
legible/standard written English gets the
higher grade
Step 5-Know how to approach essay
questions (4 of 4)
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Introduce your topic in the opening
paragraph and tell the instructor what
he/she can expect to learn from the essay
In the middle paragraphs, present details,
evidence and facts to support the points
Remember, each paragraph has a topic
sentence (controlling idea) with the
remainder of the sentences providing
support
Summarize main points, your analysis, etc.
in the final paragraph
Proof read your essay
Keep to the point, quality doesn’t depend
on quantity
If you don’t know the answer, write
whatever you know about the subject-you
might get credit
If you don’t have time to finish, explain that
you ran out of time and list the points you
would have covered- you might get partial
credit
Step 6-Look for key words in True/False
questions ( 1 of 4)
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Statements with always, everybody, all, no,
none, never, every, all and none in them
tend to be false
Statements with usually, often, sometimes,
most, many, usually and few in them tend
to be true
Unfamiliar looking phrases and terms are
usually incorrect
Choose an unfamiliar term only when you
are certain all the other options are
incorrect
When one answer to a multiple choice
question is more complete or inclusive
than other answers, it is likely to be the
correct answer
If you are certain that two of the options
are correct and “all of the above” is an
option, choose “all of the above”
Step 6-Look for key words in True/False and
multiple-choice questions ( 2 of 4)
• When options for a multiple choice
question are a series of numbers, the
highest and lowest numbers tend to be
incorrect
• When two options to a multiple choice
question look similar, the correct
answer tends to be one of those
options
• Read True/False questions very
carefully since one word will often
determine whether a statement is true
or false
• For a statement to be judged true, all
parts of the statement must be true
• Assume statements are true unless
you know otherwise
Step 6-Look for key words in True/False and
multiple-choice questions ( 3 of 4)
• True/False questions that
state a reason tend to be
false either because they
give an incorrect reason or
they don’t give all the
reasons
– Look for words such as
“since, because, and reason”
Step 6-Look for key words in True/False and
multiple-choice questions ( 4 of 4)
• Be careful with negatives and double
negatives
– True or False: A cloudy sky is an
unclear sky.
– Answer: True
• Two negatives cancel each other out
– He is not unintelligent=He is intelligent
– See handout for other examples
• Watch for absolute statement: a
statement that excludes all
possibilities except the ones stated
• Double-check each number, fact, and
date
– Look for numbers that have been
transposed or facts that have been
slightly altered which are often signals
of a false statement
Step 7: Be prepared for open book tests
• Be able to locate quickly locate
information
• Use post it flags or bookmarks to
identify specific info
• Highlight your notes and write down
all info on one page
• Create an informal table of contents
• Predict which material will be covered
on the test and highlight relevant
sections in your readings and notes
• Write all formulas, definitions, etc. on a
separate sheet of paper for easy
referral
Step 8: Improve your math test scores
• As soon as you get your test,
write down any formulas,
equation, etc. that you will need
• Try to estimate the answer
before solving the problem
• Draw a picture or diagram
• Don’t spend too much time on
one problem, if “stumped” go
on and come back to it later
• Show all your work-you might
get credit
Additional hints for math and science
• Translate problems into
English: I =P x R/100 x T
“Interest equals principal times
the rate as a percentage times
the time period
• Determine the unknown
• Check for a logical answer
• Check to see if you used all data
supplied
• Check the steps of each
problem
Step 9: Check your answers
• Check all your answers
• You may have read the question
wrong or made a careless
mistake: 0.1 instead of 0.01
• If you are unsure, don’t change
your answer
• Use all of the testing time to
answer and check your
responses
• Professors and instructors
didn’t give extra credit for
finishing before time is elapsed
Step 10: Go over all returned tests
• Review each question you
missed and write in the
correct answer
• Make sure that your test
was correctly graded
sometimes instructors
make simple math errors
• Keep a record of your test
scores
– You might see the questions
again on the final
Extra
• Computer-graded tests
– Make sure the answer you mark
corresponds to the question you
are answering
– Check the text booklet against the
answer sheet when you change
sections and whenever you come
to the top of a column
– Watch for stray marks which can be
interpreted as answers
– If you change the answer,
completely erase the wrong answer
Extra, Extra
• Short answer/fill-in-the-blank tests
– Concentrate on key words and
facts
– Be brief
Example: The attack on ______
______ caused the United State to
declare war on Japan.
Look for grammatical hints: a
sentence that begins with “An_”
indicates the word starts with a
vowel
Extra, Extra, Extra
• Matching Tests
-Begin by reading through each
column, starting with the one with
fewer items
-Look for any items with similar
wording and make special note of the
differences
-Match words that are similar
grammatically (verbs with verbs, verbs
with verbs and nouns with nouns)
-When matching individual words with
phrases, first read a phrase then look
for the word that logically completes
the phrase
-Cross out items in each column when
you are through with them
Summary
Successfully
taking tests
and exams
requires a
few moments
of planning.
Conclusion
“If you always do what you
have always done, you’ll
always get what you’ve
always gotten!”
“Who dares, wins!”