Test-taking Tips to Ace Your Exams
It’s completely normal to be nervous or anxious going into an exam, but it can really have a negative effect on your performance. You show up unprepared, misread a question or two, and make a mess of your exam. When it gets returned you have no idea how you missed such simple questions!
Here are a few test taking tips to help you reduce midterm anxiety and really show off what you know!
1. Show up early and prepared.
Several days before the exam, check your syllabus to see if you are allowed a calculator, water bottle, etc., and if you are required to bring your own multiple-choice bubble sheet, formula sheet, etc.
The night before your exam, check that you have everything you need - a few pens and pencils, a good eraser, and a pencil sharpener. Don't forget your student ID! Put them in the bag you will take for your exam so you don’t have to think about it in the morning.
2. Have a light meal or snack.
Tummy rumbles are distracting! Eat something relatively healthy and protein-rich that you know will agree with you so you have the energy to power through the exam.
Watch your fluid intake! If you down a 20 oz. coffee right before the exam you might be in trouble! Keep in mind that a 5-minute bathroom break during a 50-minute exam will take up 10% of your exam time.
3. Don't do the exam in order.
For most exams you aren't required to do the questions in order, but whenever I give an exam most of the students seem to start at the beginning and work through to the end without flipping back.
They often end up making silly mistakes, like answering a multiple-choice question on a topic correctly and a short answer question on the same material incorrectly (or vice versa).
If there is a short answer section on your exam, you may find hints in the multiple-choice. As soon as you're allowed to open your exam, flip to the short answer section and just read the questions. In the margins, or on scrap paper, jot down anything that comes to mind to help you answer the question later. Then do the multiple-choice.
Now that you've read the short answer you might identify some hints or key terms that will help you with the harder, high-value short answer questions.
4. Do the easy questions first.
For the multiple-choice section (or if your exam is only multiple choice), skip any questions you don't know right away. Make a mark by them so you know to come back later. That way you'll have done all of the easy ones you know first for maximum points!
When you come back to look at the questions you struggled with, see if you can cross out any answers you know are wrong. This can increase your chances of figuring out the right answer! If you can cross out two out of four options, you now have a 50% chance of guessing the right answer (assuming you crossed out the right ones!).
Make sure you know the multiple-choice scoring rules. For some exams, a correct answer gets you a point and an incorrect answer gets a zero. On these exams, it makes the most sense to guess on any questions you are unsure of, especially if you can narrow them down.
For other exams, a correct answer gets you a point but an incorrect answer loses some fraction of a point. On these exams, you will want to be more sure of the right answer before you choose!
5. Keep track of time.
Make sure you leave enough time to go back over your answers. Don't assume you will get extra time to fill in Scantron bubbles at the end! Before the exam starts, look at how many points the exam is worth and how many minutes you have to write it.
This will help you figure out how much time you should spend on each question. Keep in mind that short or long answer questions will take longer to answer, and reserve a couple of minutes for review at the end. Check your pace every 10-15 questions to make sure you aren’t falling way behind.
6. Watch for tricky questions.
Many students miss important words in questions, like "none of", "not", "least likely". Read each question carefully and underline any words that jump out as important.
7. Answer the question that is asked, not the one you wish had been asked.
Many students fall into this trap. If you are asked to define a term, give a definition. If you are asked to give an example, give an example. Make sure you are reading questions carefully and answer the question that was asked!
I've had so many students give excellent definitions when asked for examples, and vice versa. Unfortunately, since they didn't answer the question that was asked, they get no points.
8. Make sure it's clear to the grader what your answer actually is.
If you make a mistake, neatly but clearly cross it out. If you've made a lot of mistakes but finally come to what you believe to be the right answer, circle it or somehow make it obvious that it's your final answer.
If there are instructions (on your syllabus, in your class notes, or on the exam) for how to indicate your final answer, make sure you follow them. Some instructors want you to circle your final answer, or write it in a “final answer” box.
Liked these tips? Follow us on Instagram for more tips on how to best #studywize.
Looking to study effectively? This video will help you take great notes online using Google Docs!
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