Test Taking Strategies

Effective Preparation and Successful Delivery

General Rules for Medical Students• Just because you’ve seen the material before doesn’t mean you don’t

need to re-learn it in order to have a deeper comprehension of the material.

• Your instructors will require deeper knowledge on exam questions that extends beyond familiarization with key terms.

• Preparation has to include active learning skills for true comprehension to occur.

• Recall is everything. Practice often, from memory, in many formats. Draw it. Speak it. Summarize it.

Tips to Remember• Make a study plan and DO IT.• Do NOT change your answers.• Do NOT read into the

questions.• Read the entire question and

all potential answers first before answering it.

• Make practice exams to test what you truly know and clarify what you don’t.

• Use your time effectively and efficiently

• Review verbally to yourself or someone else. Can you articulate the material?

• Quiz a study partner to pick up discrepancies.

• Rewrite in your own words. Highlight. Underline. Circle.

Test PrepAsk yourself three questions:

1. What do I need to know?2. What do I know?3. What don’t I know and how should I best learn it?

• Use simple math. Spend 80% of your time on what you don’t know and 20% on just overall review.

• Know the setup of the test: number of questions, type of questions, minutes allowed per question.

Preparation: Before Test Day• Break up the work so it doesn’t get boring and strenuous.

• Set up a schedule of alternating times and locations to work/study• Classify your exams in order of difficulty

• Decide what subject needs the majority of your focus and attention• Take breaks in between in between topics

• Give yourself adequate time to prepare. Cramming doesn’t work• Use common sense. Work on it while it’s fresh. Putting it off until the

weekend before the exam isn’t enough time for true comprehension to occur.

Which Test Taker Type Are You?If the shoes fits, Cinderella…

• The Rusher• The Turtle• The Personalizer• The Second-Guesser• The Philosopher• The Squisher

The Rusher: High risk for misreading, misinterpreting, and mistaking due to focus on getting it over with.

Characteristics SuggestionsHurries through test in a desperate rush to finish

the exam before facts are forgotten Practice relaxation techniques

Arrives early, very anxious Lessen cramming with an actual plan to allow appropriate time

Tightened body Pace each question using a definitive thought process

Known to have test anxiety or diagnosable anxiety

Strategically take a break and leave the room if needed to regroup and take a moment to gather

yourselfWhile most students are still in the initial portion

of exam, the rusher is 1/3 finished

The Turtle: suffers from lack of time and inability to complete tasks rather than lack of knowledge or poor preparation

Characteristics SuggestionsMoves through each question slowly, methodically,

and deliberately Take practices tests with time constraints

Last one to finish or does not finish Focus on increasing reading speed and comprehension

Scores better in the first part of the exam compared to the end of the exam Use a clock or timer during exams.

Unable to choose between answers that are similar Calculate the amount of time allotted for each question

Check pace at various points of the exam, then increase speed if needed

Determine questions that are answerable. Make a best guess and mark for later review if time remains.

The Personalizer: Gives answers based on info learned from observation and experience only

Characteristics SuggestionsUsually older, more mature students Focus on principles that support actions

Knowledge, insight gained through life or career experience

Avoid making mental connections between test scenarios and personal experience

Specialized Master’s degree or higher level education concentration Focus on generalities about the content

Formulate decisions in testing situations based on professional standards

Read answer choices first to create a parameter in which the answer must be found

Remind yourself what the faculty member said or what the learning material showed

The Second Guesser: realizes that he/she had the right answer and changed it

Characteristics SuggestionsPlays roles of both the examinee and

the examiner Only go back and check marked items

Changes answers because they seem wrong

Avoid changing responses unless you can state in multiple ways exactly why

an answer is wrongLack confidence in answers chosen Move through the test carefully

Proceeds through test as if correcting it Avoid using extra time to evaluate and change answers

The Philosopher: answers questions with own information or prior knowledge instead of the writer’s actual intent

Characteristics SuggestionsPlaces high value on understanding the complexities

of the situation Develop self confidence

Doesn’t believe he/she knows enough about the topic Focus on items as they are writtenPours over selected questions with great intensity Avoid over-reading test questionsOveranalyzes and reads into questions looking for

intent or a trick Use practice tests and questions

Has great difficulty reading items as they areTends to select responses that only provide his/her

own view of the truth

The Squisher: Emphasis in planning avoidance of the exam vs. preparing for the actual test

Characteristics Suggestions

Views exams as a hurdle to jump Determine a plan for progressive, discipline study

Preoccupied with grades, fears failure Break test prep into smaller more attainable steps

Avoids responsibility Devise time frames for completion of tasks and stick to it.

Has a plan for test prep but doesn’t follow through Move toward a consistent study plan

Resorts to cramming and doesn’t fully comprehend material

Build a reward system for following through

Grammatical Cues•One or more distracters don’t follow

grammatically from the stem

Logical Cues•A subset of the options is collectively

exhaustive

Absolute Terms•Terms such as “always” or “never” are

in some options

Long Correct Answer•Correct answer is longer, more

specific, or more complete than other options.

Word Repeats•A word or phrase is included in the

stem and in the correct answer

Convergence Strategy•The correct answer includes the most

elements in common with the other options

When taking a

MCT, look for:

Multiple Choice Tests

Word associations• To help evaluate, pay attention to the following:• Closed words (such as never, only, always, all none, and most)

are often (but not always) indicators of a false statement because the restrict possibilities.

• Open words (such as usually, frequently, mostly, may, and generally) are often (but not always) found in true statements.

• If any part of the question is incorrect, then the entire statement is incorrect.

Four steps to better exam-taking skills:1. Read the question closely2. Think3. Eliminate answers4. Pick the best remaining answers

Sounds simple, right?

Four steps to better exam-taking skills:

1. Read the question closely• Look for key words• Read critically• What is the concept

the question is truly asking

Four steps to better exam-taking skills:

2. Think• Don’t jump to answers

without truly understanding the question.

• Organize your thoughts about the topic.

• Have an idea about what you need to see in the answer.

Four steps to better exam-taking skills:

3. Eliminate answers• Throw out answers known to

be incorrect.• Look for key words that signify

an incorrect answer.• You want to narrow it down to

no worse than 50/50.• Compare and contrast the

answer choices you are drawn to. Where the answers differ is where you’ll find the answer.

Four steps to better exam-taking skills

4. Pick the best remaining answer• Reread the stem and paraphrase it. Read it with

the remaining answer choices.• Don’t dwell and overthink by reading too much

into the question.• Decide if the question is worth more time or if it

makes more sense to answer other questions with that time.

• When in doubt, go with your gut.