New Student Orientation Resource Book
Studying For Tests and Test Anxiety
- Recognition occurs when you’re able to arrive at a correct answer after you have been given a number of answers to choose from. A multiple-choice question requires you to recognize the correct answer.
- Recall involves remembering information without any choices or cues - that is, without the aid of recognition. Essay questions and even short-answer questions put an emphasis of this skill.
- Overcoming test anxiety involves changing your study habits by putting the emphasis on recalling information. After all, most test questions do the same.
- With true-false tests, think "true" and guess when you must.
- Before you begin a multiple-choice test, read the directions carefully. Some directions may say, "Mark the one best answer." Others may say, "Mark all correct answers."
- Apply the true-false technique. Make a complete statement with the stem and each option. An option that results in a false statement is eliminated as a distractor. One that results in a true statement is probably the correct answer.
- Watch out for negatives and extreme words: not, except, and 100 percent words such as never, no, none, best, worst, always, all and every.
- Foolish options are usually incorrect. Test writers sometimes include a silly statement as an option. Eliminate these immediately.
- The option "All of the above" is usually correct.
- Numbers in the middle range are usually correct.
- In multiple-choice questions, the correct option is often longer or more inclusive of qualities or ideas than the distractors. This is because the test writer must quality of expand a simple statement.
- In the essay question: do not write an introduction, answer the question directly and forcefully in the first sentence, and expand on the first sentence. It may be helpful to make notes on the back of the exam sheet to be certain to cover all important points. Proofread when you are finished for spelling and grammar errors.
