Hello, My Socratica Friends!
We’re here to help you be a great student.
The big day is here.
It’s TEST DAY.
You’ve done your homework.
You studied.
You took a pre-test or two.
There’s nothing left for you to do but TAKE THAT TEST.
You didn’t think I was going to send you into that test room alone, did you?
I’ll be there with you, every step of the way.
Well, in spirit.
Today, let’s talk about how to do your very best on that test.
Let’s assume you’ve already watched our video about how to STUDY for the test, and
now you’re thinking about actually TAKING the test.
But there are a few things I want to remind you to do leading up to the test.
First - NO cramming.
You knew that was coming, right?
To do the best on your test, you need to plan ahead - ideally about 2 weeks before the test
- to spread out your studying over many days.
We recommend the Pomodoro Technique.
This is a way to break up your studying into small chunks, so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Feeling nervous?
A lot of test anxiety comes from uncertainty.
Before you start preparing, find out what you can about the test.
What’s the format: True/False?
Multiple choice?
Essay questions?
How long is the test?
If your instructor gives you practice exams, TAKE THEM.
You don’t want to walk into that classroom and have it be a big surprise.
Promise me you’ll take good care of yourself before the test.
Get a good night’s sleep.
There’s no point in pulling an all-nighter.
You can’t learn everything in one night.
Really, all you’re doing is sabotaging your performance the next day.
EAT something before the test!
You need fuel for your brain.
Pick foods that will stay with you for several hours - sugary breakfast cereal will cause
your blood sugar to crash in the middle of the test.
Eat something well-balanced, with protein and complex carbohydrates: Whole wheat toast
with peanut butter, steel cut oatmeal with eggs...
It should be hearty.
You have serious work to do!
Pack your bag the night before with everything you need, so you’re not running around stressed
in the morning.
Check with your instructor - what can you bring in with you - a calculator?
Notes?
Pack a bottle of water, a couple of pens and pencils, erasers, kleenex - not that you’ll
be crying, because you are going to ACE this test!
DON’T BE LATE.
Set your alarm.
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to class so you aren’t rushing, and
so you can use every minute of your test time!
Now.
You’re in the classroom, and they’re passing out the tests.
As soon as you are allowed to, put your name on your test.
Don’t make your instructor come chasing after you to figure out if that’s your paper.
And put your first name AND last name..
Your test shouldn’t say Ricky, it should say “Richard Parker.”
We are not in kindergarten.
Use your whole name!
Read the instructions.
Don’t assume every test is the same.
Sometimes you have a choice about how many questions you need to answer, but usually
you have to answer everything.
Make sure you understand the rules before you begin.
When you start your test, it goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway)
- read each question carefully.
Be on the lookout for important words like ALWAYS, NEVER, EXCEPT, NOT etc.
These “qualifiers” dramatically change the meaning of the question, and they WILL
change your answer.
I suggest you underline or circle these words.
Let’s make a list of these keywords in the comment section together.
You might be used to answering each question in order, not moving on until you’ve completely
finished a question.
BAD IDEA.
What if you don’t know the answer to the first question?
SKIP IT.
You’re going to make several passes through the test.
Answer the easy questions first!
In this first pass, you give yourself a chance to see the whole test, but you’re not going
to answer every question.
Only answer the ones you know immediately.
For example: “How many valence electrons does Carbon have?”
4.
I don’t have to even think about that one.
I’m answering it quickly and moving on.
Getting a few questions like this is a great boost for your confidence.
SKIP the questions you’re less sure of, that will take more time.
Make a little mark so you can come back to the questions you skip.
“Explain which regulations led to the collapse of the subprime loan market….”
Yeah, I’m going to come back to that one.
One benefit of this method is, it lets you see all the parts of the test.You’ll see
what can be finished quickly, and which parts will take longer.
Here’s a true/false section - easy peasy.
Here’s an essay - okay, I’m going to have to take 10-15 minutes on that question.
Now I know not to dawdle over the easy section, because I have something much more challenging
coming up.
This also prevents that horrible situation of forgetting about the last page.
Don’t let this happen to you.
SECOND PASS: Now, return to those questions you were less sure about.
Re-read the question carefully.
If it’s multiple choice, are you able to narrow down the options?
Some of the answers should be clearly incorrect, and hopefully by now, you’re choosing between..
two likely answers.
Here’s where a lot of people get stumped, and they waste time arguing with themselves.
Don’t overthink it.
Don’t go making up some outlandish situation where sometimes, maybe...you might think...NO.
It’s NOT a trick question.
If it’s true, pick that answer and move on.
Keep an eye on your time.
It’s going to be a little different for each test, but let’s say you have an hour,
and there are 30 multiple choice questions and 1 essay.
Aim for around 15 minutes for the first pass, where you answer about 10-12 of the multiple
choice questions, and you jot down a few ideas in an outline for your essay.
In your second pass, take another 15 minutes to answer the remaining multiple choice questions,
and complete the outline for your essay.
Then write your essay.
Hopefully you’ll have a little time left over.
For math and science tests with problems, here’s my most important tip:
SHOW YOUR WORK.
If you just write down your final answer, and it’s wrong, you won’t be able to get
any of that sweet, SWEET Partial Credit.
Your instructor wants to give you points, believe me.
Give them every opportunity to do that, by showing how much you know.
For example, if you need to use a formula, WRITE DOWN THAT FORMULA FIRST before you start
plugging in numbers.
F=ma shows at least you know you need an equation that relates force, mass, and acceleration.
But if you just write down 30 = 70x - well, I’m not really sure
you know what you’re doing.
Oh, and don’t forget units.
UNITS UNITS UNITS.
Include them.
Is that 70 kilograms?
That means something!
Write it down.
How about those essay questions?
Look for words like COMPARE/ CONTRAST/ DEMONSTRATE/ SUMMARIZE -
and take these instructions to heart.
Now is NOT the time to get creative.
Your instructor is telling you exactly what kind of answer they expect.
Clearly and completely, answer what the question is asking,
in the most straightforward language you can.
DON’T waste your time writing about a different question that you happen to know a lot about,
just because you studied it.
Answer THIS specific question, and move on.
If you’ve done a good job studying and pretesting, nothing on the test should come as a complete
shock to you.
But - worst case scenario, you come across a question where you just have no idea.
Try writing down some notes for yourself about what you DO know.
Organize your thoughts, and see if something jumps out at you.
You’ll be surprised how often you can come up with a reasonable answer, if you just give
yourself a chance.
Don’t stare at a blank page.
Start writing.
Write an outline.
Write bulletpoints.
Write SOMETHING.
LAST PASS: Ideally, you have a few minutes left, and you’ve answered every question.
Don’t rush out of the room as soon as you finish.
Take this time to proofread your answers.
Read them slowly and carefully.
Check to make sure you’ve written down all the key vocabulary terms.
Did you include essential names, dates, facts?
Did you write down the formulas correctly?
Use this time.
It’s your time, until the final bell rings.
You did it!
I’m sure you did your best!
But wait.
You’re not finished when you hand in your test.
You still have work to do.
When you get your test back, take this time to review any questions you missed.
They’re not going to go away just because the test is over.
Learn from your mistakes!
Did your instructor write any notes next to your incorrect answers?
Read those carefully.
Some instructors even offer a review session to go over the corrected tests.
If not, do this work on your own.
Find the correct answers in your class notes or your homework.
You’ll want to get those questions right the next time you see them - on the midterm
or final.
Demonstrating what you know on a test...it’s all part of being a GREAT student.
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