Test Taking Strategies

MAKE EFFICIENT USE OF YOUR TIME

• Make sure you know exactly how much time your professor has allocated for the test. Check periodically to see if you are keeping up. For example, when half of your time is up make sure you are halfway through your test.
• Do not waste time on difficult problems. If one of the questions is confusing or you do not know the answer, circle it or put a star by it and come back to it later.
• Review your answers if you have time. When you review them more slowly you may find that there is a better answer. Do not hesitate to change your answers (see #4, below).

TRY NOT TO READ INTO THE TEST

Sometimes people read into a question, think that some items are trick questions, or too easy. Instead of it being too easy, it may be that you studied effectively and remember the material well.

FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS:

• Anticipate the answer before you look at them.
• Read over all of your options.
• Eliminate highly implausible answers.
• Some examiners give away answers in their tests. By answering one question, you may be able to deduce the answer to another.
• If you must guess, keep in mind the following tips for multiple choice tests:
  • Sometimes lengthy or highly specific answers will be the correct answer.
  • Be aware of words like "always," "never," "only," "must," and "completely." These are usually the wrong answers since there are many exceptions to rules. These are extreme words which are more than likely to be the wrong choice.

TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE YOUR ANSWER ON MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS

The popular belief is that "your first hunch is your best hunch." Several of our students feel that they should not go back and change their answers. This popular belief is wrong. Research has shown that changes from a wrong answer to a right answer outnumber changes that go from a right answer to a wrong answer by a margin of approximately 3 to 1. Research has also shown that changing answers improve students' scores!