 o Program Summary After finishing a typical essay exam, three students compare notes. Ron knew the material well, but wrote so much on the first two questions that he hardly started on the third, and ended up with a score of 70. Jessie got bogged down on the second question, and had even less time for the third. Her score was 62. Carol budgeted her time better. Recognized that she was better prepared to answer the first and third questions, she wrote her answers for those before tackling the second. On that question, she outlined what she did know, and got half credit for it, ending with a score of 80. All three agree that they might have done better on the test, with better preparation. They seek out the help of their teacher, Mrs. Williams, before they start preparing for their next test on the Pacific theater of World War II. Knowing how to study for a test is probably the most important key to success, Mrs. Williams tells them, but you must also know how to manage the test well. First and most important, take a few minutes before you start to write, to read over the questions carefully. Decide which questions you are best prepared to answer, and give them priority. Make a few, brief notes so that your answers will be concise and well organized. Budget your time, so that you don’t spend too much on any one question—especially if it’s a question you’re not sure how to answer. And, finally, leave time at the end for review, to correct mistakes, and to make sure you haven’t overlooked something crucial. Mrs. Williams then advises them on effective strategies for review. She tells them that they can organize and focus their study for an examination by looking ahead to the kinds of questions that are likely to appear on it. First, they should go through their notes, looking for the facts and ideas that were emphasized most heavily in class. These are likely to be the subjects to appear on a test. Also, they can look at their notes as if they were actually outlines for possible essay questions that will be asked. That is, they should look for the same patterns of organization that they looked for when they were listening to class lectures. For example, if their notes include a chronology pattern, they could predict a question like "What were the events leading up to…" In like manner, they could predict a cause-and-effect question such as "What are the reasons for…," or "Explain the causes of…," or just "Why…," if their notes describe two or more things that have certain characteristics in common, or that differ in certain respects—such as the two separate offensives of the Pacific war. These two strategies, effective test management and focused test review, can lead to better achievement on tests. o Questions for Class Review 1. Why should you take time to read over all the questions on an essay test before you try answering any of them? 2. Should you tackle each question in order? If, not, which questions should you work on first? 3. What if you don’t remember all the information you need to answer a question? Should you skip over the question? 4. What if you don’t remember all the information you need to answer a question? Should you skip over the question? 5. There are two main reasons for leaving time at the end for review and revision. What are they? 6. The program suggests that you can study for an exam by "predicting the questions" that are likely to be asked. How do you go about this? 7. What’s the value of "predicting the questions?" o Answers to Review Questions 1. Reading over the questions allows you to budget your time, plan your answers, and make notes. 2. Work on the "easy" questions first. Make sure you get credit for what you do know. 3. Instead of simply dividing the test period by the number of questions, allow more time for the hard questions than for the easy ones. And leave time for review at the end. 4. Put down what you do know, even if it’s just a partial answer. Most teachers will give partial credit for partial answers. 5. a) To find mistakes that need to be corrected. b) To spot information that is missing and needs to be inserted. 6. You look for the same kinds of patterns of organization that you learned to listen for, such as chronology, cause-and-effect, and compare-and-contrast. Essay questions are likely to be based on these patterns. 7. It "ties the information together," making it easier to understand and remember. o Test-Taking Skills Activities 1. The following list, "Tips for Test-Taking," might be presented on the chalkboard or in a handout. a) Do not start an answer with an introduction, but summarize the content of your answer clearly and directly in the first sentence. Restate the question and add the information that provides the answer. A question like, "Discuss the four causes that led to the Revolution," would have an answer that begins, "The four causes leading to the Revolution were _______________, _______________, ______________, and ____________." b) Use your own "clue words" to make the organization of your answer plain, and to connect it to the pattern suggested by the question. If the clue words in the question are something like, "list the events leading up to…," you would use clue words like "first," "second," "next," "after," and "finally." If the clue word in the question is "contrast…," you would use clue words such as "differ," "on the other hand," "however," and "in contrast." c) Try to summarize your key ideas at the beginning of the essay, to be certain they won’t get overlooked. But also summarize these points at the end, using clue words such as "in summary," or "to conclude." d) Be neat. Use a pen, write only on one side of each sheet, provide margins for teacher comments, and leave at least one blank line between answers. Appearance counts, on test papers as well as in other aspects of life. e) Watch your time. If you’re running late, outline the remaining answers. Be sure to write something on every question. 2. After viewing the program, and discussing its main points, ask students to write short essays on some or all of the questions below. a) List and identify important test-taking skills that are explained and demonstrated in this program. b) What are the benefits of answering the easiest questions on an essay test first? c) What are the steps, in order, that you would take in preparing for an essay test? d) Compare and contrast the way you have prepared for tests in the past, and the way you plan to prepare for them in the future. |
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