Lesson 6

Lesson 6

Test taking Skills and Strategies

Basic Principles about Review

I. ORIGINAL LEARNING must take place. You have to learn the material before you can review it.


II. EARLY REVIEW is most efficient, most productive.


A. Before you attempt to learn new material in class or through reading:

Glance over previous chapters or notes.

Run through your mind what you know already.

Since memorization of new material is most effective when it is associated with the material already known, this process brings all available mental "hooks" to the surface.


B. Immediately after learning:

Rework your notes, adding material that comes to mind. (Don't recopy; this is wasteful.)

Order and organize what was learned. (Star, use arrows, additional comments, etc.)

Integrate new material with what you already know.


Forgetting is most rapid right after learning.

Review helps combat this.

Relearning is easier if it is done quickly. Don't wait until it's all gone.


III. Space initial early reviews to support original learning. Several brief periods spread over 5 or 10 days is usually enough to ensure good recall for intermediate review.


IV. Intermediate review is important when work is spread out over several months or longer. For example, when the final is 4 months away, follow this schedule:


original learning

immediate review of limited material same day (5-10 minutes)

intermediate review of material covered so far, after 2 months

final review, before exam

Intermediate and final reviews should stress understanding and organization of material.


V. Final review is a REVIEW, not "cramming" of unlearned material. No new learning takes place except to draw together the final main currents of thought.


Be brief. Review entire semester's work in 2-4 hours. (Set a limit and stick to it.)

Outline and organize from memory. Don't bother copying.

Recite (in writing or out loud to a friend or self)


VI. USE SPACED REVIEW rather than MASSED PRACTICE . 60 minutes used in 3 groups of 20 minutes each is more effective than 60 minutes used all at the same time.


break up learning period for any one subject

avoid fatigue

review and strengthen previous learning

increased motivation, better concentration

General Guidelines:

1. Gathering knowledge of the truth is the best preparation for tests.

* Concentrated hours of effective study to force facts into your memory is the best way to prepare for any test.

* However, teachers often try to test your memory of the material by slightly altering it. In this case, practice and some test-taking skill will help.

General Guidelines:

2. Always arrive early and take a moment to relax and reduce your anxiety.

* This brief time period will boost your confidence

* Use this time to focus your mind and think positive thoughts.

General Guidelines:

3. Listen attentively to last minute instructions given by the instructor.

* Teachers often last minute changes.

* Missing instruction causes extreme anxiety.

General Guidelines:

4. Read the test directions very carefully and watch for details.

* You may find that more than one answer may be possible on multiple choice.

* A key detail may require only three out of the five essay questions.

General Guidelines:

5. Plan how you will use the allotted time.

* Estimate how many minutes you will need to finish each test section.

* Determine a pace which will ensure completing the whole test on time.

* Start with the easiest section to build your confidence.

General Guidelines:

6. Maintain a positive attitude.

* Don’t let more difficult questions your raise anxiety and steal your valuable time. Move on and find success with other questions.

* If you are not penalized for wrong answers, guess and move on.

* Avoid watching for patterns. Noticing that the last four answers are "c" is not a good reason to stop, go back, and break concentration.

General Guidelines:

7. Rely on your first impressions.

* The answer which comes to mind first is often correct.

* Nervously reviewing questions and changing answers can do more harm than good.

General Guidelines:

8. Plan to finish early and have time for review.

* Return to difficult questions you marked for review.

* Proofread your essays and pay attention to grammar and spelling.

* Make sure you answered all questions. More than one student has failed to notice questions on the back side of the paper.

General Guidelines:

9. Consider every test a practice session - analyze your performance.

* Test taking is an art which needs refinement. One can not refine the art without practice and serious evaluation.

General Guidelines:

* Go through each test thoroughly and see if your plan worked.

* Look at each section to identify your fault patterns. Do you need to work on true/false, multiple choice, or essay?

* Talk to teachers regarding low scores, especially on essays.

Education

Lesson 6