College Study Skills: Taking Tests
You’ve studied for hours and believe you know all the information you need to ace the test. You take the test and leave thinking that you performed well. The minute the test comes back, however, you realize that you failed it miserably. How can you fail something when you studied for hours? Is it possible to learn how to pass tests easier?
Taking Objective Tests
Objective tests are tests that have a simple question and answer to them. Sometimes they are multiple choice, other times they are fill in the blank, and sometimes they are matching questions. These may seem like the easiest types of tests to pass, but most often these are the tests that students fail. In fact, all too often students fail tests like these simply due to the fact that they believed it would be easier than it actually was.
There are, however, some ways you can pass these tests much easier. To begin with, when it comes to multiple choice questions, look closely at all of the answers. You may find one that you believe looks to be the right one. Don’t mark it right off. Instead, look closely at your choices before selecting one. Also, rephrase the question. Often when you rephrase the question you will find that your memory gets a little boost and something becomes clearer than it was before. You should also always try to eliminate the wrong answers before you look for the right ones. Most multiple choice tests have a blatant wrong answer or two on them, so eliminating them first can make it easier to find the right answer.
If you’re trying to answer true/false questions, be careful with the wording of the questions and the answers. Often the professor will throw in the term “always” or “never”. Make sure you take a close look at these – the majority of the time the questions that have absolute words like these are not true.
The Killer Essay
Nothing is more dreaded by a majority of college students than an essay. Essays are often difficult to pass for many, even when they know the answer and are able to verbally give it to you. There are a number of reasons why people fail essays. The first reason is that they didn’t answer the question! It is easy to go off on a tangent when you are answering an essay question and to miss giving your answer entirely. In order to avoid that, make sure that you read the question and are constantly checking your writing.
Also, make sure you actually write the essay properly. Too many times students focus on answering the question, or giving the facts, without making sure that the essay is properly written. Good grammar is essential to a good essay, which is another reason that it is vital to check your work before you hand it in. Never be afraid to cross out something or to erase it, as it is more important to give a well-written, correct essay than it is to give one that simply looks pretty.
College tests can be scary, but as long as you utilize college study skills in order to properly plan for and execute a test, you will find that they’re not quite as daunting as they may seem.
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