In the last section, we covered general study techniques.  In this section, let's look at some specific strategies to help you succeed at test taking. 

_____1.  Find out as much as you can about the types of questions your professor will ask.

    You should know if the questions will be primarily objective, which just require you to recognize accurate information, if they will be primarily subjective, which will require you produce information, or a combination of the two.  Examples of objective questions include multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions.  Examples of subjective questions include essay, short answer, and fill in the blank questions.


_____2.  Give yourself plenty of time to prepare.

     Promise yourself that you will not cram for tests.   It's best to allot at least ten hours to prepare for an exam, and that's assuming you've kept up with your reading, reviewing your lecture notes, and any assignments.   Those ten hours should be spread out over several days.  Classes that require a lot of memorization, or teach difficult concepts, may take more time.   Final exams that cover the whole course may also require more time and more days of studying.


_____3.   Plan your study schedule, so that you know what you want to review each day.

    If you do this, you'll know when you've studied enough each day.  This will reduce your stress and keep you on track.


_____4.  When planning your schedule, take the amount of material you have to study and divide it by the number of days you have before your test.

    When you do this, I suggest you leave the last day before the exam free.  You can use that day to take a breather, or to make up for any days where you just couldn't study as much as you'd hoped.

    Here's an example of this strategy:  I give my anatomy and physiology students a study guide to help them prepare for the final exam.  I tell them that all my questions will come from the topics listed on the study guide which contained about 60 items.  I gave them the guide about two weeks before the exam and suggested they focus on five or six items a day.  If they do that, they will have studied all the material a few days before the exam and can use the last few days for a final review.


_____5.   Use as many senses as possible as you study the material.

    Read your notes, rewrite them, write down possible questions and their answers, say the questions and answers out loud, and explain the material to a willing listener.  All of these activities will help you store information in long term memory and make it easier to retrieve it during the test.


_____6.  Overlearn the material.

    This means go over and over it until you absolutely know that you know the material.  Don't go into the test hoping for the best.  Go into the test knowing you studied hard and really know your stuff! 


_____7.    On the day of the exam, do all you can to help your brain function at its best.

    Get a decent night's sleep, eat a decent pre-test meal with protein and complex carbohydrates, and try to get some exercise before the exam to help with alertness and reduce stress.  Also, make sure you'll get to class in plenty of time before the exam so you're not in danger of being late.  Some professors won't let you take the exam if you arrive late, and you don't need the stress of rushing to get there on time!


_____8.  Avoid milling around with other students just before the test.

    Their anxiety will increase yours.  Students often frantically ask each other questions about the material, and sometimes the answers they give each other are wrong.  Instead, find a quieter place to take some deep breaths and get as calm as possible before the exam.


_____9.  Once the exam begins, read the directions carefully and plan how you'll tackle the test in the time you have to take it.  

    Have an idea how much time each question should take.  You might want to make a note as to when you should be finished with half the exam.


____10.  If you don't understand the directions or what the professor expects of you, ask for clarification if possible.

    This may not be possible in a large auditorium type of testing situation, but in smaller classes, put that hand up!  If the professor doesn't want to answer your question, he'll let you know. 


____11.  Answer the easier questions first.  

    Save the harder questions for last because struggling with a difficult question can eat up a lot of time.  You don't want to miss out on "for sure" points because you've spent so much time on questions you can't easily answer.


____12.  If you struggle with test anxiety, see your school's counseling department for help.

    Most colleges have counselors trained to help students master test anxiety.  There are specific techniques you can use to calm your nerves down so that your brain can retrieve the information you've worked so hard to learn.


____13.  When you get your tests back, make sure you go over the answers you missed.

    Understand why you missed any wrong answers.  Also, make sure the grading is accurate.  Occasionally a professor or teaching assistant makes a mistake coding an answer or calculating a grade.  If you think a mistake has been made, courteously bring it to his or her attention. 


____14.  If you didn't do as well as you had hoped for, come up with an improvement plan for the next exam.

    Unless you know for sure how you can prepare better next time, get some help.  Set up a time to meet with your professor, talk to another student who earned an A, or possibly set up a session with a tutor.   Take some action and come up with a concrete plan. 

    For more tips on test taking strategies, check out this inexpensive reference:

Test-Taking Strategies (Study Smart Series): winner, HomeStudy Book of 2007