How to Do Your Best on College Exams
Tips and Techniques
By the time you graduate from high school, you'll probably be a pro at taking tests — from standardized multiple-choice exams, to short-answer tests, to more intense essay questions. This experience will serve you well in college. Many of the test formats that you are used to are ones you'll see again and again.
The difference is that college-level tests cover more material — and deal with more complicated subjects. Use the rest of your time in high school to try out some test-taking techniques, below, that can help you in college.
Multiple Choice
- Read instructions carefully to see if there can be more than one answer.
- Cover the choices with your hand and answer the question in your head first; then check to see if your answer is one of the choices.
- Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
- Read all the choices before choosing your final answer.
- Stick with your initial answer; generally, your first instinct is right (unless you've misread the question).
- If you can't answer a question right away, come back to it later.
- If there is no penalty for wrong answers, make educated guesses.
- Use clues from questions you can answer to help you with questions you can't answer.
True or False
- Remember that if any part of the statement is false, the answer is “false.”
- Recognize that words such as “never,” “always” and “every” mean that the statement must be true all of the time. Statements with these kinds of words are often false.
- Recognize that words such as “usually,” “sometimes” and “generally” mean that the statement can be true or false depending on the situation. Statements with these types of words are often true.
Essay
- Read questions carefully to be sure you know exactly what they are asking. For example, if a question asks you to summarize, don't include every last detail.
- Create an outline before you start writing and use it to organize your thoughts. If you don't have time to finish writing, you may get partial credit for the ideas that you have outlined.
- If the question asks for facts, don't give your opinion.
- Keep your introductions and conclusions brief. An effective method is to repeat part of the question in the topic sentence to show that you are answering exactly what is asked.
- Write clearly and concisely. Provide just one main idea per paragraph and include details to support that idea.
- Budget your time. If you have one hour to write two essays, don't spend more than 30 minutes on each.
- Write neatly (or type accurately), so professors can read your answers.
- Proofread your work.
Short Answer
- Prepare for short-answer tests by using flash cards with definitions of key terms and phrases.
- If you don't know an answer, make an educated guess. A partially correct answer can gain you more test points than leaving the question blank.
- Respond with simple, concise sentences, not long flowery ones. Try to pack each sentence with important information.
Open Book
With open-book tests, it's all about preparation, especially organizing your resources.
- Put tabs on important pages in the books you'll be using so you can find critical information quickly and easily during the test.
- Know the layout and structure of your textbooks.
- Number your class notes and create a coordinating table of contents for easy access on test day.
- Create and bring a separate sheet containing formulas and other data you'll need.
