Test-Taking Strategies

Setting the Stage

• As you prepare for your exam, take stock of your own strengths in taking tests, and where you can grow as a test-taker. For instance:
  • Do you tend to move through your exams quickly, not allowing yourself sufficient time to get situated and reflect? If so, you may want to take some timed practice tests and focus on slowing down, especially with difficult questions.
  • Are you good at viewing information from a variety of perspectives when you encounter exam questions? If so, think about how you can make this a habit and utilize it to your advantage, whether in analyzing multiple-choice questions or in crafting essay-question responses.
• Review your notes, readings, and lecture materials actively. For example:
  • Ask yourself questions, quiz yourself, and write your own definitions or explanations without looking at the answers first.
  • Take notes on key concepts discussed in lectures and in readings, make a short list of those concepts, and write out their definitions/explanations in your own words. Then create flashcards for relevant terms or concepts, and study those.

• Set clear, concrete study goals, and make specific plans for how you will reach them. Be sure that your goals promote learning, and not solely time spent on task.
  
  Some examples:

• “This weekend I will spend two hours reading chapters 5 and 6 of my chemistry textbook, outlining the key points and noting anything I am confused about in order to ask questions during office hours.”

• “By the end of the day, I will have created an outline of the main takeaways from this reading.”

• “I will review the first quarter of the lectures in the morning tomorrow, the second in the evening, and then repeat the process for the back half of the lectures the day after that. I will rewrite key ideas in my own words and note any areas of confusion to follow up on.”

• Work in an environment that gives you the space and focus to study effectively.
  • Consider: Does this involve studying alone or with peers? What level of background noise do you need to optimally study? How much light are you getting in your study environment? How comfortable is the furniture in this space?
• Attend office hours to ask for clarification on areas of confusion.
• Study with peers when possible so that you can quiz each other and fill in knowledge gaps.
• If your instructor has provided different methods for approaching a question or solving a problem, try to use all of them so that you can practice engaging with the material through different avenues.
• Work through practice problems, and attempt to create your own problems to solve (particularly for STEM courses).

Using these kinds of active study practices is even more important than the sheer amount of time you spend studying.

• If your instructor has provided practice tests, take them. Be sure to practice with different types of questions and problems, so that you will learn to apply concepts in different contexts and feel more nimble in the actual exam. You can time yourself on practice tests to simulate the exam environment, although working through them untimed is also useful. If you have a practice test with an answer key, score yourself after you complete the test, and figure out where and why you made any errors.
• Create mnemonics (memory devices) for easier access to key ideas when you’re taking the exam. Don’t rely exclusively on memory devices, however; they are best used in conjunction with deeper learning strategies like practicing explaining concepts, mapping ideas, self-testing, etc.
• Create and connect examples to yourself and to the broader world to make them more tangible. For example, how might a theory or principle you’re learning help you make sense of events in your own life or environment?
• Give yourself an incentive for meeting your goals on the test (e.g., “if I get an 80% on this exam, I’ll buy myself ice cream” or “if I do well on this exam, I’ll binge the new season of that Netflix show that I’ve been putting off”).

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Putting yourself in the right frame of mind

• Get enough sleep. The research on sleep and learning tells us that sleep is critical to both learning and academic performance. In fact, staying up late to cram for a test can do more harm than good if it compromises your sleep. Short daytime naps can also be beneficial.
• Consider using mindfulness and other techniques to reduce stress before an exam – or even better, on a regular basis.
• Consider exercising before the exam and/or bringing a stress reduction tool like a stress ball.
• Focus on your exam goals before the exam, especially just before it begins. Try to state them concretely (e.g., “I want to get an 80% on this exam” or “I want to not miss any points on the multiple-choice section of the exam”). Keep your goals achievable.
• Before the exam, write down your thoughts and feelings about it. Research shows that writing about how one is feeling before an exam can help reduce test anxiety and improve test performance.
• While it may sound corny, try giving yourself affirmations to help keep the exam in context. Some possible self-reminders include “This exam does not define me,” or “I studied and prepared for this exam. This is an opportunity for me to demonstrate my efforts.” Repeating these affirmations before the exam may help to boost your confidence and reduce test anxiety.
• Come to the exam on time. Avoid showing up too early. Give yourself a few minutes to relax and breathe. Meditate if that is helpful for you.
• Wear comfortable clothes.

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In the moment:

• When you get the exam, briefly read through it to get an idea of how long different sections might take, as well as any potential areas you might find especially difficult. Unless you have been told to take the questions in order, it’s OK to start with questions where you feel more comfortable.
• If there are formulas or definitions you will need for the test, write them down when you arrive as reference points for questions. You can also jot down key concepts next to particular questions, to help jog your memory when you get to those questions.
• For multiple-choice exams:
  • For each question, figure out what’s being asked of you. If the question is complex, see if you can summarize more succinctly what it is asking.
  • Give yourself a moment with each question to carefully review the question wording. Note any specification or qualification (such as only, all, none, etc.), and try to discern the differences among all the answer choices.
  • Likewise, carefully read all of the answer choices, even if one immediately seems obvious to you.  
  • Consider what assumptions are built into each answer choice, and how these may or may not align with the information you are given in the problem or question.
  • If you are unsure about which answer is correct, do your best to use a process of elimination, and make your best guess.
  • If you have time to spare at the end, look back through your answers to check your logic and look for mistakes you might have made.

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Relax and Review

• No matter how you feel the test went,acknowledge that you’ve made it through a difficult milestone.

• Give yourself some time to unwind, even if only briefly. 
• When you get your results, do a self-analysis. Think about where you did well, what mistakes you might have made, and where you might want to focus going forward. You might do this with a classmate to strategize together and benefit from each other’s learning. If there are questions that you still feel confused about after the test, going to office hours to ask for help understanding your mistakes can be a great way to learn.
• Take care of yourself. A moderate level of test-related anxiety can be helpful, providing motivation and energy to work toward goals. But if you experience anxiety that is getting in the way of your own well-being, know that help is available. Take a look at the resources and services offered by CAPS to learn about the options available to you.

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