| College students take tests: - Every time
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| | mileage out of the knowledge they do
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| class meets - Once a week - Once a month
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| | possess. Also, they take everything
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| - Once a semester - Twice a semester -
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| | they're given-and sometimes professors
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| All of the above - None of the above The
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| | give away quite a bit. Most professors
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| answer to the question is all of the
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| | have never taken Tests and Measurements,
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| above. Although a few professors give
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| | Educational Psychology, or other courses
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| only one big, all-or-nothing (talk about
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| | in teaching methods and techniques.
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| pressure!) test at the end of the
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| | Partly as a result, they often goof up on
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| semester, most give at least two. Thus,
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| | their own exams-unintentionally dropping
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| at the very minimum, you can probably
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| | hints for those students clever enough to
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| expect to take a midterm exam (usually
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| | take advantage of them. Hey, a break for
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| given in a regular class meeting) and a
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| | you! This question, for instance, might
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| final, which is scheduled during a
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| | show up on an American History exam: At
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| special exam period at the end of the
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| | the onset of World War II, the President
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| term. A final exam normally lasts two or
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| | of the United States was: A. Harry S
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| three hours; you may finish in less time,
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| | Truman B. Dwight D. Eisenhower C.
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| or you may still be scribbling as someone
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| | Franklin D. Roosevelt D. Herbert C.
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| pries your blue exam book out of your
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| | Hoover Okay. Assume you're stumped by
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| cramped hands. It's likely, however, that
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| | that one. Later in the same test,
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| more than two tests (and other factors,
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| | however, you find: During the early days
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| such as papers and discussion) will
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| | of World War II, President Roosevelt's
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| contribute to your final grade. In some
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| | Secretary of State was: A. Henry Wallace
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| classes, especially science-oriented ones
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| | B. Cordell Hull C. George C. Marshall
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| in which you're continually being
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| | D. Douglas MacArthur Well, you may not
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| bombarded with new terms and concepts,
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| | know who the Secretary of State was (Mr.
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| you may be tested once a week or more.
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| | Hull), but you would have to be pretty
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| Which really isn't such a bad thing. In a
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| | unobservant not to have noticed that the
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| way, getting lots of tests is better than
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| | second question provides a big clue-the
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| having only one or two. For one thing,
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| | answer, in fact-to the first. "I've left
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| these tests tend to be "little": Each one
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| | myself open to just this kind of thing
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| doesn't count for a major chunk of your
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| | many times," admits one professor, "and
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| grade, so if you bomb one, it won't kill
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| | I'm amazed at how few students have
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| your overall average in the class. The
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| | grabbed the freebies that have been
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| sum total of these tests, however, may
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| | available to them." The take-home message
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| count for a lot-a third of your entire
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| | here: Grab the freebies. If you really
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| grade, perhaps. So if you do well on
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| | study the test, you can pick up clues
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| these little tests-and have a healthy
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| | that add points to your score. It may not
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| grade going into the final or midterm-you
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| | be much, but every little bit helps. Here
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| might be in pretty good shape and feel
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| | are some other tips: - Don't leave
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| much less pressured as you prepare for
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| | anything blank. You have a shot at points
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| the big ones. Also, being tested
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| | if you make a stab at an answer. You get
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| regularly forces you to study and keep up
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| | diddley squat if you leave it blank. On
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| with the material, which also is good;
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| | true-or-false questions, you have a
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| this way, you aren't trying to re-learn
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| | fifty-fifty chance of getting it right;
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| in December what you digested (and
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| | on a multiple-choice question, your odds
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| promptly forgot) way back in September.
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| | are usually no worse than one in four. On
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| Types of Tests In huge lecture courses,
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| | short-answer questions, a professor may
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| you'll probably get "objective" tests,
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| | give you a mercy point or two for at
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| which deal with hard information more
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| | least making the effort-any effort-even
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| than ideas. In smaller discussion
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| | if your answer is almost entirely wrong.
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| classes, you're much more likely to get
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| | (Warning: Some professors penalize their
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| essay exams, in which you'll be expected
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| | students for guessing. Be sure to find
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| to organize concepts and write thoughtful
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| | out what your instructor's policy is
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| responses to questions. Objective tests
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| | before you take the test!) - Be ruthless
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| typically deal with true-or-false
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| | with your time. Suppose you're asked to
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| questions, matching, multiple choice,
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| | identify the term "rationalism." Each
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| identifications, and completions. As
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| | identification is worth, say, five points
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| you've probably figured out, these tests
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| | and should be answered briefly. But wait!
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| are more convenient to grade and are
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| | It just so happens that you studied the
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| often handled by machines or teaching
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| | heck out of rationalism; therefore,
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| assistants. For some students, however,
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| | you're tempted to write three full pages
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| these can be worse than essay tests.
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| | on the subject to show off your
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| Particularly nightmarish are questions
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| | hard-earned knowledge. Don't. It's not
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| without an obvious answer but rather a
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| | worth it. Let it go. You're only going to
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| confusing array of answer options, such
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| | get five points, tops, no matter how much
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| as: A B C D A, B, and D B and C A and C
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| | you write. So answer the question swiftly
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| All of the above None of the above A, B,
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| | and move on. Don't tell everything you
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| and D? What kind of mind, you may wonder,
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| | know on this question; nobody cares. The
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| dreams up such a test? We don't know. But
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| | shrewdest test-takers respect the Point
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| we do know that this kind of test-which
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| | of Diminishing Returns and are ruthless
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| might cause you to have acid flashbacks
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| | in allocating their time. They demolish
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| to the SATs, Advanced Placement, or any
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| | the easy stuff quickly and efficiently,
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| other "achievement" tests you may have
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| | saving up those precious extra minutes
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| endured on your journey to college-throws
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| | for the really tough questions that carry
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| a lot of people. No test is a perfect
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| | big point values. The essay exam, some
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| instrument for measuring a student's
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| | professors assert, calls for a higher
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| progress; each semester, some of the most
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| | order of mental processes. Instead of
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| capable students-people who think
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| | merely recognizing material, as in
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| clearly, write and talk well, and work
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| | objective tests, you must also be
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| hard-fail to come through exams with the
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| | prepared to organize it, evaluate it,
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| good grades they genuinely deserve. Maybe
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| | argue with it, generalize and
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| they suffer from what educational
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| | particularize from it, and relate it to
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| psychologists call "test
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| | other situations. If an objective test
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| anxiety"-believed to affect about 25
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| | calls for knowledge, then an essay exam
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| percent of all students, some much more
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| | calls for knowledge, judgment, and skill.
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| than others. The numbers are thought to
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| | Your judgment will be demonstrated by how
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| be even higher for minority students. For
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| | well you organize your thoughts (what you
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| whatever reason, some good students just
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| | use and what you leave out), and your
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| don't "test well." Others, however, seem
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| | skill by how well you present what you
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| to outdo themselves, to perform above
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| | know.
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| their capabilities during exams. These
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| | Gene Grzywacz is also author of: Going
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| students may not be brilliant, but
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| | From a RN to BSN, Standardized Tests and
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| they're shrewd enough to squeeze the full
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| | other tips for college.
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