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Copyright 1992, 2005 Lamon H. Small Text used by permission. |
Chapter 7TestsTesting is a word that brings fear to all our hearts. No matter how many tests you take, there is always a certain amount of stress associated with them. Test anxiety is usually a result of not being prepared. Test anxiety is also associated with a fear of failing. When these two elements are conditioned into the learning process, test anxiety can become overwhelming. Concerns and explanations may be misdirected, leading to negative self-criticism and self-doubt. These negative perceptions can manifest themselves in a lowering of self-esteem. On the other hand, healthy concerns lead to motivation that leads to preparation and success, not to anxiety. When self-doubt occurs over a period of time the, statement "I’m not good at taking tests" is conditioned in to explain poor performance. The student begins to believe it and has a built-in excuse for not doing well on tests. When this happens, it is too easy to blame everything and everyone else for the poor performance. This manifests itself in a loser’s limp. Test anxiety will manifest itself in both physical and psychological ways. Physical symptoms can range from sweaty palms to nausea. Psychological symptoms can range from a negative outlook such as a feeling of helplessness to not taking responsibility and blaming others. Conditions of test anxiety may include the following:
One of the best ways to control test anxiety is to be prepared for the test. Each time you are prepared for a test and do well on it, the stress of test anxiety lessens. It takes time and work to recondition yourself to deal effectively with test anxiety.
Tests scare me because: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ I cannot overemphasize this important fact: The best way to do well on a test is to be prepared. There are many excuses for not doing well on an exam: I do not do well in early morning classes, I do not do well in evening classes, the test was too hard or unfair, I don’t do well on those type of tests, it covered too much material. The list goes on. Again, usually the main reason students do not do well on a test is that they are not properly prepared. They have not studied or they do not know how to study productively. If studying was done, it was not productive. There is always a reason for not knowing the material.
Tests give feedback on how well you learned the material. They show strengths and weakness. If you do not do well on a test, analyze your mistakes and learn from them. Learning from your mistakes will help you better prepare for future tests. If your mistakes are not obvious or you do not understand why you missed something, ask why. Ask the instructor to explain why the answer was incorrect. If you still feel uncomfortable with the test results, ask the instructor for help. You can ask the instructor to look over your notes and study sheets to see if you are on the right track. Ask yourself these questions when you experience poor performance on a test:
TYPES OF TESTS Everything you do has to be measured in some fashion. In education the most popular way of evaluating the performance of a student is with tests. Basically a test is a measurement of learning. Contrary to popular belief, a test is usually not designed or constructed to fail students. A test is designed to motivate students to learn the material. When the material is learned, it does not matter what types of questions are asked. If you know the material, you will know the answer. It is also very important to know what type of test you will be taking. You need to know how and by what means you are to be measured before studying begins. You can find this either on your syllabus or from the instructor at the beginning of the term. Collect as much information as possible about the type of tests that you are to take. Some instructors will have copies of old tests on file either in the department or in the library. If they do, be sure to review them. This will give you an example of how they write test questions. Old tests can also be used as study guides. There are different study techniques for different types of test questions. When taking ANY test IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO READ ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE TAKING THE TEST. Not reading instructions seems to deal students the most trouble. The following are brief descriptions of the types of test questions that you can expect to be answering in college. MULTIPLE CHOICE Multiple choice tests are usually the most common types of tests given. These consist of a question and a number of answer choices from which to select. Multiple Choice Strategy: The instructions are usually to select one answer for each question. It is very important to read the instructions very carefully. The instructions may ask you to select the best answer. There may be more than one answer that is correct, but the one that is most correct is the one being sought. Some instructions may ask for all correct answers; therefore, there may be more than one correct answer to the question. TRUE/FALSE In true or false questions you only have two possible answer choices—true or false. With these you have a fifty-fifty chance of getting a correct answer just by answering the question. These questions can be very tricky sometimes. True False Strategy: Make sure you understand the question before selecting the answer. Be careful with questions containing words such as may, sometimes, never, and always. If any part of the statement is false, then the question or statement has to be false. This is another reason for reading and understanding the question thoroughly before answering it. MATCHING With matching you are usually given two columns of words, names, or phrases. The instructions are usually to select the word, name, or phrase that matches. This is done either by writing one next to the other, selecting a matching letter, or drawing a line to connect the two. Matching Strategy: Make sure you read both columns before you start selecting your matches. Use the process of elimination here. Go through the lists and answer the ones you know first. Then go back through the list now that it is condensed and select the ones you think match and so on. SENTENCE COMPLETION In sentence completion tests, you are given a partial or incomplete sentence and instructed to complete the sentence or thought. Sentence Completion Strategy: Be straightforward. Just supply the needed word(s) or information. Often these are definitions and you are asked to supply the term. FILL IN THE BLANK Fill in the blank questions are like sentence completion questions. The sentence is completed with one word left blank. It is your task to fill in the missing word. Fill in the Blank Strategy: Look for key words in the question or statement that may help you remember the correct response. ESSAY With essays you are given a question and asked to explain or describe it. Essay Questions Strategy: If the test is composed of all essay questions, read all questions before you attempt to answer any one question. Start answering the questions that you feel most comfortable with. When you select a question to answer, make sure you understand what the question is asking, then underline key words and ideas of the question. Do not attempt to write an answer until you have spent a few minutes thinking through the question. THINK BEFORE YOU WRITE. First read the question and make sure you understand what is being asked and how you are expected to answer it. Then spend a few minutes and write an outline. This will allow you to plan and organize your thoughts before you start writing. You may find that while you are answering one question, it may contain material that can be included in another question. Make note of that. Use key terms and phrases. Try to bring in examples to explain your ideas and demonstrate that you understand the material. Make sure you stay on topic. Do not refer to anything unless it relates to the topic. Do not try to cover up your lack of knowledge with poor penmanship. When you have finished answering the question reread the question and then the answer. Did you cover all the points that were asked? OPEN BOOK TESTS With an open book test the student is allowed to use the textbook and sometimes even notes to answer the questions. On the surface this seems like an easy way to take a test. In reality it can be more difficult than the other tests discussed. The reason is that the instructor usually makes it more difficult since the student has the book to refer to. The test usually has a time limit that causes problems since it takes time to look up information. Often the answers are not ones that can just be copied from the book. Probably the biggest problem with this type of test is that students take studying for it too lightly. They feel there is no problem since the book can be used, and they wind up not studying as they should have. Open Book Tests Strategy: This is where previous organization and preparation are essential. The better highlighted and arranged your textbook and notes are, the easier the information will be to find. Know the material as well as you would for any other type of test. Do not rely on being able to just turn to a page and find an answer. Open book tests are usually very misleading. STUDY STRATEGIES FOR QUESTIONS As discussed, it is important to know what type of test questions will be asked before you begin study preparations. The types of questions will help guide your study approach. There are basically three strategies to be concerned with when preparing for a test: recognition, recall and understanding. Recognition is a process of being able to identify or recognize something that has already been learned. Recognition is used when studying for multiple choice tests, true false, and matching test questions. Recall is an approach of regurgitating information that has been memorized, like a poem or a list of bones that make up the skeletal system. Recall is used when studying for sentence completion and fill-in-the-blank test questions. Understanding is a process of knowing the material. It is a process of being able to explain ideas and concepts. Understanding of the material is needed to answer essay questions. This strategy should be used for all types of studying.
TEST TAKING TECHNIQUES The best way to do well on any test is to be prepared. There are no exceptions to this rule. No technique will help if you do not know the material. Therefore study, learn, and know the material before attempting any test. This is why those who do very well on tests seem so confident. They study and prepare. The following are some productive test taking techniques for you to use.
Read the first question. Make sure you read all the answer choices before making your choice. If you know the answer, mark it. If you do not know the answer, do not spend any time on that question but go directly to the next question. This is to be done throughout the test. Only read the question once. This is to be done even if it is not a timed test. You do not want to get stuck on one item. If you do, it will prove to be very frustrating. This can and probably will have a negative effect on the rest of the test. When you are reading the answers, start using a process of elimination. For example if there are four answer choices (a, b, c, d), and you know it is not d, then eliminate that answer. Put a mark by it. Lessening the number of choices will increase your probability of selecting the correct answer. If it is a timed test, make sure you keep track of the time. Once you have gone through the entire test and have answered all the questions that you are sure you know, then return to the beginning of the test. Go back to the first question that you left blank. Reread it. If you think you know the answer this time then mark it. Do the same for the remaining questions. Do not forget about the time. If time runs out before you finish, (let’s say you have one minute left and five questions to answer) select the best answer and go with it. Remember you have already marked the answers you thought were incorrect. This will allow you to make a better choice in the short time that is left. THINGS TO DO BEFORE A TEST As we have discussed before, the best way to do well on any test is to BE PREPARED. If you follow Productive Study Techniques methods and procedures, you will have the needed self-confidence to do well on any test you prepare for. Do not study the night before a test. This will only add stress and may be more detrimental than productive. The only preparations at this point, if you feel you need to, is to just look over your notes. Relax and get a good night’s sleep. This way you will be rested and in the best state of mind. RELAX AFTER A TEST Reward yourself in some way. If you do not have another test or project due, take some time off—rest, play, do something that will take your mind off the test or project you just finished. You deserve a break. Take it!
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