This OLC selection is the first of three that pertain to test taking. They are excerpted from Peak Performance by Sharon Ferrett. Although they are about test taking, they are different from the selection in Appendix 2 in the text. This selection focuses on strategies for before, during, and after the test, as well as tips for last-minute studying (which, we hope, you will never need!).

All successful athletes and performers know how important it is to monitor and measure their techniques and vary their training programs to improve results. Taking tests is part of school; performance reviews are part of a job; and tryouts and performing are part of the life of an athlete, dancer, or actor. In fact, there are few jobs in life that don't require you to assess skills, attitude, and behavior.

Test-Taking Factors

The general factors involved in taking tests and performing well on them are:

• Preparing yourself both mentally and physically.
• Determining what information is important.
• Processing information.
• Linking new material with known information.
• Creating associations.
• Creating a willingness to remember.
• Staying focused.
• Reasoning logically.
• Overcoming fear.
• Evaluating.

Now let's look at what do to before, during, and after a test.

PREPARING FOR THE TEST

The following tips will help you as you prepare for taking a test.

1. Prepare early. The best way to do well on tests is to begin by preparing on the first day of class. Prepare by attending all classes, arriving on time, and staying until the end of class. Set up a review schedule on the first day. Observe your instructors during class to see what they consider important and what points and keywords are stressed. As you listen to lectures or read your textbook, ask yourself what questions could be on the examination.
2. Know expectations. The first day of class is important because most instructors outline the course and clarify the syllabus and expectations concerning grading, test dates, and the types of tests. During class or office hours, ask your instructors about test formats. Ask for sample questions, a study guide, or additional material that may be helpful for studying. You are in a partnership with your instructors, and it is important in any relationship to understand expectations. A large part of fear and anxiety comes from the unknown. The more you know about what is expected concerning evaluations and exams, the more at ease you will be.
3. Keep up. Manage your time and keep up with daily reading, homework, and assignments. Consolidate your class notes with your reading notes. Avoid waiting until the night before to prepare for an exam.
4. Ask questions.Ask questions in class. As you read, take notes and review chapter material. Chapter summaries, key concepts, reviews, and end-of-chapter questions and exercises all provide examples of possible test questions. Save all quizzes, course materials, exercise sheets, and lab work. Ask if old tests or sample tests are available at the library.
5. Review early. Start the review process by previewing chapters before classes. Take a few minutes to review your class notes immediately after class. When information is fresh, you can fill in missing pieces, make connections, and raise questions to ask later. Set up a schedule so that you have time to review daily notes from all your classes each day. Review time can be short; five or ten minutes for every class is often sufficient. Daily review should also include scanning reading notes and items that need memorization. This kind of review should continue until the final exam.
6. Review weekly. Spend about an hour or so or each subject to investigate and review not only the week's assignments, but also what has been included thus far in the course. These review sessions can include class notes, reading notes, chapter questions, note cards, mind maps, flash cards, a checklist of items to study, and summaries written in your own words. One of the best ways to test yourself is to close your book after reading and write a summary; then go back and fill in missing material.
7. Final review. A week or so before a test, commit yourself to a major review. This review should include class and book notes, note cards, and summaries. You can practice test questions, compare concepts, integrate major points, and review and recite with your study team. Long-term memory depends on organizing the information. Fragmented information is difficult to remember or recall. Understanding the main ideas and connecting and relating information transfers the material into long-term memory.
8. Rehearse. One of the best tips for doing well on tests is to pretest yourself by predicting questions and creating and taking sample tests.
9. Summarize. Pretend the instructor said that you could bring one note card to the test. Choose the most important concepts, formulas, keywords, and points, and condense them onto one note card. This exercise really highlights important material. You will do better on a test even if you cannot use the note card during the test.
10. Use your study team.You may be tempted to skip studying one night, but you can avoid temptation if you know other people are waiting for you and depending on your contribution. Have each member of the study team provide five to ten questions. Share these questions and discuss possible answers. Word the questions in different formats--multiple-choice, true/false, matching, and essay. Then simulate the test-taking experience by taking, giving, and correcting each other's timed sample tests.

DURING THE TEST

The following general test-taking strategies will help you as you take a test.

1. Arrive early. You don't want to be late for a test and feel frantic. Arrive a few minutes early. Deep breathing and affirmations along with visualization may help you relax and complete the test successfully. While waiting for other students to arrive, the instructor will sometimes answer questions or explain material to those students who are in class ahead of schedule. Use anxiety-reducing strategies to stay focused and positive. Look over your note cards calmly. Avoid conversations if they might make you feel anxious, i.e., if someone mentions the length of time they have studied.
2. Organize yourself.As soon as you start the test, write words, facts, formulas, dates, principles, or statistics in pencil on the back of your paper or in the margins. If you wait until you are reading each question, you may forget important material while under pressure.
3. Read and listen to all instructions.Scan the entire test briefly. Preview the questions to see which you can answer quickly and which will take more time. Some questions may help you answer others. Dates, keywords, or related facts may stimulate the memory of information needed in another question.
4. Write clearly. Your instructor must read many exams in the process of grading tests. If your writing is difficult to read, your grade may be affected because what you write is either illegible or messy.
5. Focus and get to the point. When you are answering questions that require a short response, avoid using extra words or filler sentences. Remember that these types of answers shouldn't become long essays. Most instructors will appreciate concise and accurate responses that don't require a lot of reading time.
6. Pace yourself.Keep moving through the test according to your plan. Make your time count. Look at points for each question and determine the importance that should be given to each section. For example, you will want to spend more time on an essay worth 25 points than on a multiple choice worth five. Don't panic if you don't know an answer right away. Leave it and answer all the questions you do know. Build on success and don't block your thinking. Rephrase questions that you find difficult. It may help you if you change the wording of a sentence. Use memory strategies if you are blocked: Draw a picture or a diagram, use a different equation, or make a mind map and write the topic and subtopics. Use association to remember items that are related.
7. Review.Once you have finished, reread the test and check for mistakes or spelling errors. Stay the entire time, answer extra-credit question and fill in details, if time permits.

AFTER THE TEST

1. Reward yourself.Reward yourself with a treat such as a hot bath, a walk, an evening with friends, or a special dinner. Always reward yourself with a good night's sleep.
2. Analyze and assess.When you receive the graded test, analyze and assess it. Be a detached, curious, receptive observer and view the results as feedback. Feedback is essential for improvement. If you don't receive a grade you're pleased with, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I prepare enough?
• What should I have studied more?
• Did I anticipate the style, format, and questions?
• What didn't I expect?
• What did I do right?
• How was my recall?
• Did I test myself with the right questions?
• Did I handle test anxiety well?
• Would it have helped if I had studied with others?

If you honestly don't know why you received the grade you did, see the instructor. Approach the meeting with a positive attitude, not a defensive one. Remember, a test is information and feedback on how you are doing, not an evaluation of you as a person. You cannot change unless you can understand your mistakes.

Learn from your mistakes and move forward. Assess what you did wrong and what you will do differently the next time.

TIPS FOR LAST-MINUTE STUDYING

Cramming is not effective if you haven't studied or attended classes. You might ask yourself, however, "What is the best use of my time the night before the test?" or "What can I do right now in just a few minutes to prepare for a test?"

• Focus on a few points. Decide what is important. Focus on a few of the most important points or formulas instead of trying to cram everything into a short study time. Preview the chapter quickly.
• Intend to be positive. Don't panic or waste precious time being negative. State your intention of being receptive and open, gaining an overview of the material, and learning a few supporting points.
• Use critical thinking. What are the keywords and points? Think logically.
• Get a tutor or study partner.Focus on main points and summarize. Do practice problems and tests. Several hours of intense study with a tutor can be far more effective than several late nights studying by yourself.
• Focus on keywords. Write on note cards formulas, keywords, dates, definitions, and important points.
• Review your note cards. In just a few minutes you car; review important points. Keep it simple, review quickly, and review often. Use flash cards or mind maps and review again in short segments. Carry your note cards with you.
• Affirm your memory. The mind is capable of learning and memorizing material in just a short time if you focus, concentrate, and apply it. Look for connections.

Source: Adapted from Sharon Ferrett, Peak Performance: Success in College and Beyond, 4th ed., pp. 7-2 though 7-7, 7-13, 7-14. Copyright © 2005, McGraw-Hill/Glencoe. Reprinted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies.