I say to myself, ‘Well, maybe under cer-tain circumstances choice A would be correct, but then again, choice B would work in a different situation.’ I do it every time!” Tim has a prob
Trang 1Getting Over Test-Taking Obstacles
Tim and Tameka had been studying for exams that would qualify them for promotions They’d been studying for several months and were confident they knew the material As it got closer to test time, they both began to panic because they knew they’d be given
a combination of different kinds of tests
Tim told Tameka, “I think I can handle everything but fill-in-the-blanks I’m OK, if the right answer is there and I can find it, but I’m really stuck if I have to come up with the name of something
on my own I have trouble with names!”
Tameka said, “What about me? I get confused when I see a bunch of answers that are similar to each other and I have to choose the one that’s right I say to myself, ‘Well, maybe under
cer-tain circumstances choice A would be correct, but then again, choice B would work in a different situation.’ I do it every time!”
Tim has a problem coming up with the right names, and
Tame-ka has a problem when answer choices are very similar What Tim needs to do is learn to associate names with meanings, and
Tame-ka needs to come up with an answer before looking at the choices.
still may find some questions challenging That’s because these tests are often designed to be tricky: multiple-choice tests offer “close” answers in addition to the correct one; matching tests use words out of context So
in addition to knowing the subject matter, you’ve got to learn how to take these kinds of tests, and this includes making up your own practice test
STUDYING FOR A TEST
The best way to study for a test is to test yourself, or have your study buddy test you
TESTING YOURSELF
Creating a test of your own forces you to think like a teacher As you develop questions, you hone in on what’s most important in what you’re studying This helps you understand the material better, and it gives you
Trang 2it for yourself; enjoy the feeling! Writing a test also helps you understand
how tests are made This can make you more comfortable when you take
the real test
TESTING WITH A PARTNER
If you’re studying with a partner, make up a test for each other Be sure
to make up answer sheets on separate paper and have proof for every
correct answer If you’re studying from a pamphlet or book, for example,
cite the page number on which the answer can be found When you and
your partner have completed each other’s test, swap Check your
partner’s answers with your answer sheet and have him do the same Go
over the answers for both tests together
CREATING QUESTIONS
Getting Ready
First, pretend you’re the instructor
Get a piece of paper, and:
1 List what you would want your students to get out of the course
or book Write as many things as you can think of
2 Circle three items that are most important to you These three
items should represent the general idea of the course.
3 Circle two items that fall under each of your three main ideas.
These points should be more specific; they will concern details of
the course material
4 Now you have nine items Make each one into a question.
Questions for Your Study Buddy
If you’re preparing a test for a partner you can make up any of the four
types of short-answer questions Multiple-choice questions may seem
difficult to create at first Follow this formula for choices: make up four
possible answers for each question—a correct answer, a nearly correct
answer, an answer loosely associated with the right answer, and an answer
that is obviously wrong
Trang 3Questions for Yourself
Fill-in-the-blank questions can be used to help you learn definitions of new vocabulary you encounter while studying You can also prepare multiple-choice, true/false, and matching questions to simulate the actual test you’ll be taking Although you’ll probably be able to answer such questions easily since you made them up, the process of creating the questions will give you new insights into correct answers—and help you predict what tricks you’ll see on the real test
Get a piece of paper and write the answers to the following questions
If you tested yourself:
• What did you do to make up the test?
• Which was more comfortable for you, making the questions or making the answers?
• Which answers were easiest to come up with?
If you worked with a partner:
• Which was more comfortable for you, creating the test or answering your partner’s test?
• What did you do to complete the test?
• Which questions were easiest for you to answer?
PROCESS OF ASSOCIATION
As you study, try using large index cards for terms and ideas you could be tested on Write big so key words will stick in your mind Use a different color for each category For instance, in a Spanish class, you might use one color for the names of foods, another color for the names of kinds of businesses, and a different color for the names of articles of furniture Next, come up with associations between these unfamiliar words and ideas and things that are more familiar to you Ask yourself, “What does this word remind me of?” It all depends on you; whatever comes to
your mind works The more unusual the association is, the more likely it
is to stick with you Maybe it’s an image of something you see every day, like a tree or a pancake Or maybe it’s something a little stranger: perhaps
Find Out!
Trang 4person’s head Maybe it’s the name of a celebrity or politician Maybe it’s
a configuration of numbers Whatever your association is, write it on
your card with the term or idea you need to learn Carry the cards with
you to review at opportune times—for instance, on the bus, on the
exercise bike, and while waiting in line
• If you learn best by using images: Draw any images that you
associate with the information on each card Use your imagination!
• If you learn best by seeing: Tape up your index cards in places
you can’t miss, for example, on the bedroom and bathroom mirrors
and by the front door Use colors to highlight key words.
• If you learn best by hearing: Sing the words on your cards, even
if you’re not an opera star This will make the association more
unique, and it will get another part of your brain operating What
you sing stays with you longer than what you say.
There are probably other wacky but effective things you can do; use
your imagination Only you think like you!
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE TEST
KEEPING CALM
Even before the test day there are things you can do to quell test anxiety
You may want to review Chapter 1, “Getting Started,” for tips on keeping
calm You feel calmer when you’re satisfied that you’ve studied as much
as possible You may also want to review Chapter 7, “Knowing What You
Know,” for tips on making sure you’re as prepared as you think you are
Eating nourishing meals will help; so does getting a good night’s sleep
Shortly before taking the test:
• Imagine yourself in a soothing place Close your eyes, and enjoy
the smells, sounds, and feelings of this out-of-the-way spot It can
be a place you actually have been to, a place you’ve seen in a
photo-graph or movie, or somewhere that your imagination has created
Trang 5• Breathe slowly and deeply as you are imagining this place Open your eyes when you feel calm
If you can practice this exercise several times during the days before the test, it will be easier to visualize the place if anxiety sets in
PSYCHING YOURSELF
Now that you’re calm, cool, and collected, you’re ready to concentrate Remind yourself that you’ve studied carefully Some people like to use their imagination to help them concentrate and to help remind them that they know the material they’ve studied You could pretend you’re the instructor (or even the textbook!) and visualize that all the material is inside you When you can picture something like this in your head, you’re better able to hold your concentration
A TESTY SITUATION
Each of the following test formats has its own way of being tricky The best way to learn how they work is to practice The more tests you take, the easier it will be for you to weed out wrong answers
MULTIPLE CHOICE
A multiple-choice test can be tricky Often, you have four possible answer choices Usually, they follow this pattern:
• One answer is correct
• One answer is close to the correct answer
• One answer is very different from the correct answer
• One answer is loosely associated with the correct answer but is not close
TRUE/FALSE
A true/false test works on a similar principle The contrast between your two choices can be great or small; your options can be direct opposites or one can be close but not quite correct
Trang 6A matching test is similar to multiple-choice in that the answer is there,
but you have to find it among answers that may be close in definition
Some matching tests have more choices in one column than in the other
It’s important you read the directions very carefully so you don’t get
confused by extra choices
FILL-IN-THE-BLANK
A fill-in-the-blank test is the opposite of a matching or multiple-choice
test The answer is not there for you; you have to come up with it yourself
The best way to prepare for this type of test is to know your vocabulary—
including correct spelling
READING CLOSELY TO FIND THE CORRECT
ANSWER
Your first clue to a right answer is in reading the question closely (You
might want to review Chapter 10,“Getting More out of Reading.”) You need
to find out exactly what a question is asking As you read the test question:
• What questions come to mind?
• What images or words come to mind?
USE YOUR LEARNING STYLE
As always, use the style that suits you best to approach a question (You
may want to review Chapters 2 through 5 on learning styles.)
• If you learn best by hearing: Read the question out loud (softly, if
others are nearby!)
• If you learn best by seeing: Use scrap paper to write down key
words or draw a picture that comes to mind
• If you learn best by using images: Turn the question into a picture
or movie in your head Ask yourself: “What’s needed to complete
the picture?”