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Hi, my name is Thu Washington, Coordinator of Counseling Services at Wake Technical Community College.
We know tests are right around the corner, and we want to share with you some quick tips for test-taking to help you better prepare for your upcoming tests.
Before the Test- some Basic Strategies: First and most important strategy is to have good time management of your busy schedule.
Make sure you schedule time for studying, reviewing and practicing for your test to avoid last-minute cramming.
Always try to study early on so you can retain the information to use on the day of the test.
Determine what kind of test it is. Will it be an essay, or multiple choice test.
Knowing this information can help you be more effective when you are studying for your exam.
And of course try to get a good nights sleep before the day of the test and eat breakfast.
During the Test- Basic Strategies: Try not to rush in to the test right away.
Review the entire test FIRST to see how many questions are on the test, and what kind of questions. This will help you plan how much time you have for each question.
Do a quick "mind or memory dump" of information you don't want to forget.
Write down formulas, keywords, definitions on a scrap piece of paper,or the margin of the test to retrieve that information later for a question.
Strategies for test: For essay questions, before you try to answer the question, construct an outline first.
This will help get your thoughts together and save you time from revision.
For short-essay questions, answer only what is asked. Keep it short and to the point.
For multiple choice questions, read all the options first, then eliminate the most obvious answers.
Be aware of the tricky words such as "only", "always" or "never".
Responses that have these words in it are probably NOT the correct answer.
Answer all the questions.
Unless there is a penalty for wrong answers, try to answer every question; you may be able to get partial credit from your instructor.
Do not change your answers. Research has shown that it is best to go with your first instinct, unless you are very sure the answer you have chosen is wrong.
Don't worry about how fast other people finish their test. Just concentrate on your own test.
If you don't know a question, skip it for the time being and come back to it later, if you have time.
Use all your time. Use the extra time to proofread and review your answers.
After the test, try not to dwell on all the mistakes you may have made on the test, instead, LEARN from it. Perhaps next time you can study earlier or get help from an instructor.
Focus your energy and effort NOW to new assignments and tests.
I hope these tips are helpful to you, and good luck on your exams. If you have questions or if you need help, please give us a call, or come by and visit us. Thank you and take care!