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Test Preparation Techniques

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Test Preparation Techniques

Learning Center Workshop Series


Trisha Travis

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Start with Good
Daily Study
Habits
Successful students use these 10 good study habits
all the time, not just at test time.

• Pace yourself • Do the hard stuff


• Plan to study first
• Know your best • Review notes
time before beginning
• Establish study • Get help when you
goals need it
• “Just do it!” • Use weekends to
• Tell friends not to review
call

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SLEEP SCHOOL
8 8
•Don’t cut •Attending classes
•Need for health •Doing homework

• Job
PERSONAL •

Family
Friends

8 • Activities

Use the 8-8-8 formula for planning


how to allocate your time.

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Get Organized:
Plan your Schedule!
 Fixed vs.
variable
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su commitments
Bio Test Math quiz Eng essay Spanish Research at Use To Do  List tests,
team project library Lists to chart
assignments
study time
 Break down
Eng Bio Bio field
research outline trip large projects
topic due into smaller
parts with ‘due
Eng outline Spanish test Bio Math quiz Don’t forget
– see inst. Paper personal time! dates’
Eng test
 Post where
Eng essay Spanish you see it daily
team project
 Mark your
progress
Bio Test Math project Eng first Math mid-
draft term
 Color code

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A Word
about……
• Why do we do it?

• How do you know


if you’re doing it
too much?

• What can you do


about it?
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The
secret of getting started is breaking your complex,
overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, then
starting on the first one. (Mark Twain)

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What’s your
carrot
(motivation)?

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Concentrate!
Concentration: The ability to direct your thinking
The art of concentration, whether studying biology or playing pool, is to
focus on the task at hand and eliminate distraction. We all have the
ability to concentrate --- sometimes. Think of the times when you were
“lost” in something you enjoy…a sport, playing music, a good game, a
movie. Total concentration.

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL


Where
When
Internal thoughts
Breaks
Incentives/Rewards
Study Activities/Variety

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Know How Your
Memory Works

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The 12 Principles of
Memory

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SELECTIVITY pick & CONCENTRATION focus FEEDBACK self-quiz
choose RECITATION explain out loud
INTENTION know your goal
ORGANIZATION logical
ASSOCIATION link ideas structure
BIG/LITTLE PICTURE main ideas
VISUALIZATION see in vs. details TIME ON TASK
your mind’s eye minutes/hours
ELABORATION work ONGOING REVIEW
with the information repeated practice

Use the self-assessment to find out what area you need to work on

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Use Mnemonics
Mix & Match
FACTS CRAZY SENTENCES
LISTS WORDS
RULES POEMS/SONGS
VOCABULARY CRAZY LINKS
NUMBERS FIND MEANING
FORMULAS CLEVER CLUES
DIRECTIONS CHUNKING
PATTERNS

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Flash Cards
Flashcards are a powerful tool that can help you remember
information such as foreign language vocabulary,
definitions of discipline-specific terms, mathematical
formulas, history facts, and the correct spelling of words.
•Use both sides
•Color Code
•Illustrate
•Short & sweet
•Carry them with you
•Shuffle often
•Do you Quizlet?

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Mind Mapping

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Start with a Study Plan
Try some of these techniques
1. Say the information (recitation)
2. Write it down (elaboration, feedback)
3. Read it more than once (repetition)
4. Put it into a different form (elaboration,
ongoing review)
5. Draw diagram, picture, graph of it
(visualization)
6. Relate it to what you already know & to big
picture (association, big & little picture)
7. Imagine experiencing what you are learning
(visualization)
8. Imagine test questions and answer them
(feedback)
9. Teach info to someone else without your
notes (feedback, recitation)
What should I study?
Multiple Choice & Essay tests
True/False tests
•Facts •Mastery of themes and overall
•Vocabulary & definitions ideas (Big Picture)
•Comparisons •Organization of these ideas
•Require broad range of knowledge (relationships)
and focus on details •Smaller ideas that relate to
• Concepts and principles these themes
• Fact vs. opinion •Chains of events
• Charts and graphs •Cause & effect
• How to solve problems •Relevant terms that fit within
that theme

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Multiple Choice/True-
False Tests
• Begin studying early
These tests focus on details, and you can’t retain many details effectively
in short-term memory. Build a more reliable long-term memory.
• Identify and understand everything emphasized in class
Pay attention to terms and concepts that describe important events or
features, or that tie related ideas and observations together.
• Make lists and tables.
Concentrate on understanding multi-step processes, ideas, events,
sequences & groupings. Look for similarities and differences.
• Textbook highlights new vocabulary or key definitions
Don’t just memorize the book's definitions; most instructors will rephrase
things in their own words on the test
• Brainstorm possible questions
• Practice on sample questions

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7 Steps to Studying for an
1.
Essay Test
Assemble materials. textbook, notes, homework assignments, lab reports, etc.
2. Review these materials, looking for themes and overall ideas. For each
theme/idea, make an index card with the name of that theme/idea.
3. For each card, review materials collected in Step 1. Add significant details about
the theme or overall idea to the card.
4. Review your cards several times. Establish a working familiarity with the
information that is most likely to be the basis of questions on the test.
5. Predict test questions. Write each question on its own card. (use direction words
for composing questions, or use questions from your textbook)
6. For each question card, write a response. Use the cards developed in Step 3 to
help you answer each question. When you’re finished, you will have a set of
study cards, each containing a possible test question and a written response to
that question.
7. Carry these study cards with you so that you can review them frequently. Be
sure to review these cards the evening before the test.

Which SAVE-CRIB-FOTO Memory Principles are used with this technique?

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Emergency Test
Preparation

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“Structured”
Cramming
CRAMMING: The practice of working intensively to absorb large
volumes of material in a short time.

• Preview to start thinking about the subject


• Be selective skim chapters for main points
• Concentrate on those
1. Identify 5 main concepts/topics you know will be on the test; write
each one at the top of a piece of paper
2. Use your own words to write an explanation, definition, summary, etc.
of several lines for each concept (reinforces what you already know)
3. Compare what you’ve written with course source info (text, class
notes, etc.), adding key details and supporting info you omitted
4. Order the pages from most important to least important
5. Add 2 more papers and repeat steps 1-3
6. If there are still important major concepts that you haven’t included
yet, add 2 more papers & repeat 1-3. Add topics only as necessary
and try not to exceed 9 concepts. Focus on the most important.
7. Repeat 4-9 with all your papers.

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Use these sheets to review immediately before the test.
Lots of these tips
are available in
the Power
Learning
Resources area
of the Learning
Center….check
out the rack!

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