Tests terrify some students.  Seeing the word EXAM is enough to make their hearts race. However, tests are like any other stressful task—with adequate preparation and the right mind set, they can become tolerable. 

Studying for tests is like moving. Pack a few boxes each day for two months and moving weekend won’t be as hectic. With both packing and studying the trick is to know how to use your time productively so you are ready when the big day comes. This chapter provides suggestions about how to do that.

Test Taking Basics

Many students spend a fair amount of time, energy and even money to learn test-taking “tips” that will make them successful.  Many students think there is a magic strategy they can use to select correct answers or structure an essay exam. The reality is the best way to prepare for tests is to use consistent, effective study techniques starting on the first day of class.

Even though chapters two, three and four did not mention test preparation, much of what this book has already covered will go a long way to getting you prepared for exams. Here is a re-cap of some of the skills that will help you prepare for tests:

1. Manage your time so you can complete all assignments and prepare for tests. As you learned in Chapter two, you need to devote adequate time to studying if you want to be successful.  Part of time management is setting goals for study sessions and carefully choosing study activities that will allow you to practice doing whatever it is you will have to do on your test.
2. Read well enough to pick out main ideas and remember what is important. Your brain is designed to learn 4 or 7 concepts or ideas at a time.  Reading well means breaking up your assignments into small enough chunks that you can remember concepts.  Truly understanding your reading goes a long way toward success on exams.  Cramming a night or two before an exam, because it requires your brain to learn tons of information at once, is usually ineffective.
3. Understand course goals and how the course components (textbook, lecture, other readings, labs, etc.) relate to course goals. If you understand why your instructors have assigned particular readings, given lectures the way they did and assigned particular homework, you will have valuable insight about the exam.  Exams typically reflect course goals.
4. Express what you have learned (in papers, exams, presentations, etc.) in such a way that the instructor recognizes what you have learned. This chapter will help you express the knowledge you have gained in such a way that your professor will conclude you know what you are talking about.

Misconceptions about College Tests

Many students do not realize that proper test preparation begins on the first day of class.  Instead, they have beliefs about exams that prevent them from doing well.  Here are a few of the most common misconceptions:

Studying for Tests is a Last-Minute Activity

Many students perceive studying for tests as an activity to be done two to four days before the exam date instead of right away in the semester. However, it is unrealistic for you, or any other student, to make up for a weeks’ worth of ineffective reading and studying with several days of intense studying.

You may not have thought of it this way before, but everything you do for your classes is technically studying for an exam.  If you weren’t being tested, would you read that textbook?  Take notes on lectures?  Worry about whether you are prepared for a discussion session?  When students talk about studying for a test, they usually mean setting aside time a day or two before the test. But studying for exams begins on the first day of class. In an ideal world, students would study so effectively throughout the semester that they wouldn’t need to take special time out to study for exams.

The More the Better

Many students think the more hours they study for a test the better they will do, but this isn’t necessarily true.  In a study completed at the University of Minnesota, Morris, first year students in an introductory psychology course were interviewed about the number of hours they studied for an exam.  The students who earned A’s on the exam studied for an average of six hours.  The students who earned F’s also studied for an average of six hours.  Success on tests isn’t necessarily a result of how much you study, but how smart you study.  When the F students were asked what they thought they needed to do to earn higher grades, they all answered, “Study more.”  If their study methods are inefficient and ineffective, studying more won’t solve the problem.  Studying differently is the solution.

Studying Should Start after All the Course Material Is Covered

Many students believe that they shouldn’t begin the process of preparing for tests until the professor has covered all material that will be on the test.  Professors very often lecture over brand-new material even a day or two before a test.  Don’t wait to begin studying.

It Is Best to Wait Until the Instructor Makes a Study Guide

Many students make the mistake of waiting to study until the professor hands out a study guide.  They feel that without the study guide they won’t know what to study.  Before you make this mistake, it is important to understand that, in college, many faculty members do not even prepare a study guide.  Even if they do, it is important for you to understand what faculty have in mind when they write study guides.

Professors generally assume that their students have been preparing for the test already, that they have compiled their own list of possible test questions and have already decided what concepts and terms are significant enough to know. (All activities you are encouraged to do in chapters 2-5!)  Faculty tend to perceive study guides as a sort of reassurance to students that they are on the right track with studying.  They often don’t pass them out until two or three days before an exam, and no student should ever wait that long to begin preparing for an exam.

What the professor often wants you to be able to do is look through the terms, concepts and questions on the study guide and be able to speak (or write) comfortably about most of them without even having to look through your book or notes.  If you are at all confused about how your professor wants you to use the study guide, make sure to ask.

Past Success Means Future Success

Just because you were a successful test taker in high school, don’t assume you will ace your college exams. High school exams tend to rely a great deal on memorization and recitation, while college exams rely on application.  In other words, you need to take the information you have learned and apply it to new situations.

How to Study for Exams

Even though the best way to prepare for tests is to keep up with your reading and homework, it is still important to prepare in a special way for tests.  Think of it this way—if you are a good housekeeper, you will dust and vacuum on a regular basis.  But when you expect guests, you make special preparations such as dusting the top of the refrigerator or the ceiling fan blades.  You might put out guest towels, buy gourmet pizza sauce and order a bouquet of flowers.  Preparing for tests is similar—you need to keep up with the good habits that will allow you to be successful in the class, but close to test time, you want to make special preparations.

Step 1: Set aside time. The first step in test preparation is setting aside time to study.  Once again, the number of days you devote to studying for an exam will vary, but, typically, 10 days is adequate.  If your exam is November 16, plan on beginning to actively study for it starting on the 6th.

Step 2: Decide how to prepare.  On the next pages is the 10 Day Study Plan—it is a customizable approach to preparing for exams. You can ask your instructor or tutors to help you decide the best way to use this plan. If you like to study with friends, you can use the 10 Day Study Plan as a guide to running an effective study group.

Step 3: Work your plan. Some students get caught up in making a plan, but they don’t follow it. Don’t let this be you! Ask friends and family to support you, adjust your work hours, try not to plan personal things, etc. It is a good idea to make a calendar in the week or 10 days before an exam that includes work, personal and school stuff altogether so you make sure you don’t get caught by surprise when you suddenly remember you have a dentist appointment, or you promised your sister weeks ago that you’d take her to the airport.

The 10 Day Study Plan

The 10 Day Study plan works best for short answer or multiple-choice tests, but it isn’t a “one-size-fits all approach. The goal of the plan is to give you a series of tasks to do to prepare for an exam– but every class is different. Some activities will be helpful for some classes but not others. As you read each section of the 10 Day study plan, you can have one of three reactions to the suggestions you read:

1. Based on what I know about this exam, this is this a suggestion I should follow.
2. Based on what I know about this class, this would be a helpful suggestion if I changed it in the following ways:
   1. ____________
   2. ____________
   3. ____________
3. Based on what I know about this exam, this isn’t a helpful suggestion.

Ten Day Study Plan: Days 1 and 2

Days 1 and 2: Gather Information about the Exam

There is information about your exam you should know before you begin studying. Most instructors are happy to share information about their exams because they want students to be successful. Many post something on their D2L site or discuss the test in class. At least 10 days before the exam, find answers to the questions below:

FORMAT AND VALUE

What kind of questions will be on the exam? (i.e. will it be multiple choice? Short answer? Longer essays? A combination of question types?)

How many questions will be on it?     How many of each type? (i.e. 25 multiple choice questions and 3 short answer/ essay questions.)

How many points is it worth and/or what percentage of your grade is it?

SETTING AND CIRCUMSTANCES

Is your test timed? If yes, how long do you have to take it?

What day/time is it due?  When can you start it? Is it in person or take home?

If it is over Zoom or another electronic platform, do you need to have your camera on to prove you are not cheating?

Can you use a study aid (cheat sheet, book, etc.) during the test? If yes, what are the details? (For example, are you allowed to bring a 3 X 5 Notecard? Notes only? The book only?

CONTENT

Which chapters will you be responsible for knowing on the exam?

Is there anything else you need to read to be ready for the exam? (Articles you were assigned, other books, etc.?) List them below.

Are there videos, movies, taped lectures, etc. you need to watch to be ready for the exam? List them below.

What role will lectures play in the exam? For example, does your instructor lecture right out of the book or do they introduce new concepts to you in class? Will you be tested over what is said in lecture, or does lecture mostly reinforce what you are reading in the book?

What role will class activities play in the exam? (If you did class activities designed to help you understand an important concept, you are likely to be tested on that concept!)

NOTE: if you can’t find the answers to these questions on the D2L site or from classmates, make sure to ask your instructor.

BARRIERS

People are more successful when they name their concerns and plan to address them. What concerns you about studying for or taking this exam? Here are some common ones:

• Lack of time to study
• Having multiple tests the same week
• Test anxiety
• Fears you haven’t read the chapters carefully enough
• Concepts you still find confusing
• Poor performance on quizzes so far
• Other

What can you do to reduce or eliminate your barriers? Would making a calendar for the days prior to the exam help you keep track of everything you have to do? Would asking a friend or family member to listen to you discuss important concepts in the class help? Would reviewing prior exams help?

Days 3-7: Figure Out What You Know

As you go through your materials, flip to the ends of the textbook chapters, find out where the authors have listed important concepts, chapter outcomes etc. Figure out which concepts, people, processes, etc. you remember and which ones you will need to review.

To keep yourself organized, try completing a concept chart. The concept chart is a four-column chart. Below is a description of what to put in each column:

1. Chapter #_____ : Write down which chapter these concepts are coming from so you can keep yourself organized.
2. Column 1: Section of the Chapter: Most chapters are broken down into multiple sections which have headings and subheadings. In Column 1, write down headings so you know which part of the chapter these concepts came from. Write down page numbers so you can easily find information.
3. Come up with three to seven concepts per chapter—but you can do more if you wish. When you complete the “Concept” part, don‘t just list terms. Instead read the college-level statements below. Notice that each statement asks you to do something with the terms and concepts in the chapter, and many of them ask you to think about how two or more terms or concepts relate.

• • • Summarize how _____ happens
    • Explain how ____________ works
    • Explain the steps in ________ process
    • Name and explain the parts of _____________
    • Define _______ and list the reasons why ________________ is true/ false/ important
    • List the reasons why __________ happens.
    • Explain how _______ causes _________
    • How are X and Y similar or different?

After reading the list of college level statements, decide which one or ones “fit” most closely with the information in the textbook. For example, if your chapter section in Biology is describing how the process of photosynthesis happens, then select the “Explain the steps in _______ process” and write something like, “Explain the steps in the process of photosynthesis” in the concept area of the chart.

Change the college level statements to better fit your material if you need to. The important thing to avoid is writing a bunch of “What is _______?” questions since those emphasize memorizing vocabulary and definitions and you are not likely to have to do that on a college exam.

4. Rate your understanding. The “rating” column helps you decide which concepts need your attention the most. Notice that all the college-level statements require you to do something: explain something, list reasons, compare or contrast something with something else, etc. Read each statement you put in the “concept” column and rate it based on your ability to DO what it is asking. For example, if you have to list and describe the steps in the process of photosynthesis, can you? If you need to explain how one president’s foreign policy differs from another one, can you? Below is an explanation of each of the numbers:

• • • 0= I don’t remember these concepts. I cannot do what this statement is asking me to do.
    • 1= I barely remember these concepts. I could do what the statement is asking me to do, but not well.
    • 2= I remember these concepts pretty well. I could do what the statement is asking me to do, but I might miss a couple important ideas.
    • 3= I remember these concepts very well. If I were given the exam right now, I could do what the statement is asking me to do

When you review, start with the zeroes and use your notes, book and whatever tools are available to you to learn it. If necessary, check in with your instructor, or talk to a study buddy. After studying, reevaluate. Can you upgrade your ability to do what the college-level statement is asking you to do to a two or a three? Repeat this process until the majority of your numbers are 2 or 3. You can go chapter by chapter, or you can do this for each chapter and then review all at once.

NOTE: Don’t just read your statement and say, “Oh, yeah, I can explain how one president’s foreign policy is different from this other one.” ACTUALLY EXPLAIN IT! It is easy enough to THINK you can do what your college-level statement says. It is another to be able to DO IT. Think of it like this: Can you sing our National Anthem? You probably think you can. After all, you’ve likely heard it multiple times. But if you try it, you might find you don’t remember it as well as you thought.

Here is a review technique: pretend someone comes up to you at a party and makes a college level statement to you. (i.e. They ask you how the atmosphere on Earth is similar to or different from the atmospheres of Mars, Venus and Mercury.) If you can’t respond to the college level statement without looking at your books or notes or asking a friend, you likely don’t know it well enough to take an exam over it.

Avoid googling people, concepts etc. since google definitions are often not detailed enough for your class, and/ or the terms you need to know might have other meanings.

Sample Completed Concept Chart

Below is a sample concept chart from a psychology class.

Days 7-10: Brainstorm Study Questions

To get ready for your test, do your best to practice at home what you will have to do on the exam. To do this, go back to the college-level statements you made for Days 2-7.

Below is that list of college level statements in case it is helpful to have it again.

• Summarize how _____ happens
• Explain how ____________ works
• Explain the steps in ________ process
• Name and explain the parts of _____________
• Define _______ and list the reasons why ________________ is true/ false/ important
• List the reasons why __________ happens.
• Explain how _______ causes _________
• How are X and Y similar or different?

Your exam can’t cover EVERY concept—particularly if you are taking a comprehensive test. Now, you need to narrow down the college-level statements to those you think are most likely to be on the test. Here are tips about how to do that:

Focus your energies on concepts, people and processes that:

• Your instructor told you are important
• That are both in your lecture notes AND in the book
• That you were tested on in previous exams
• Were emphasized in assignments or discussions

Note: Some of this work may have been done for you already by your textbook. Does it have review questions? Chapter objective questions? Look them over for college-level test questions.

How many questions should you come up with? There is no rule about this. One simple guide might be: think up about 1/3 of number of questions that will be on the exam. In other words, if your test is going to be a 50-question multiple choice test, come up with between 16 and 18 questions to answer. Why one-third? Because the college level questions are broad. If you come up with the question “Describe the steps in the process of communication and explain why each step is important,” and there are five steps, you have basically prepared yourself for up to five questions if you thoroughly answer that one question.

Below is an example of a chart you can make in your notebook or in an electronic format. If you like to study in groups, this is a good activity to work on.

Reminder: Avoid writing test questions that begin with “What is . . .” Those questions lead you to memorize vocabulary works and definitions, which is not usually what you are tested on. Try to stick to the college level statements.

Now what? Go through your college-level statements and actually DO what they ask. Even if you already did this in days 2-7, do it again to make sure you still can. Remember, by DOING we mean this: If the question you came up with is “Describe the steps in the process of communication and explain why they are important,” don’t just say, “Yep, I can do that.” There is a big difference between thinking you can do something and actually doing it. Here are techniques to make sure you really know the material:

1. Rehearse it the way you would a song for a concert: You aren’t ready to sing your solo until you can sing your solo from start to finish without looking at the music, forgetting your part or messing up the words. Can you explain all the parts of the communication process comfortably? Without saying “ummm” every other second? Without forgetting major ideas?
2. Pretend you are presenting this information to people who are easily bored. Look up at the ceiling so you can’t “cheat” by using your notes for help. Pretend you have to give a presentation to a bunch of high school kids who aren’t all that interested in what you have to say. Can you come up with a way to make it easy to understand? Clear? Thorough?

Remember– if you can’t sing your solo by the end of rehearsal the Thursday before the concert, then you can’t do it on Friday at the concert. When you study for exams, do your best to make sure you can do BEFORE the test what you need to be able to do DURING the test. Once nerves and pressure kick in, you have to rely on the strength of your preparation.

Types of Multiple-Choice Questions

Many students like to hear their tests will be multiple choice since they think multiple choice will be easier than essay tests or papers. They often expect that multiple choice questions will be straightforward– what year did something happen? Who discovered what? What is the definition of this or that? Now you know about college-level questions. But another important thing to know is that there are four levels of multiple-choice questions and it is good for you to think about what sort of questions you are likely to be asked. Thinking about the levels of questions will help you study. Sometimes, going through the question types is more helpful AFTER an exam—hindsight is 20/20—as you look back, can you figure out what percentage of questions fall into each category? If so, you can make better decisions about how to study for the next test.

Type 1: Explicit Questions

Explicit questions require you to remember facts and dates. This is the type of question you likely got used to in high school.  You either know the answers to these questions or could make a good guess based on recognizing information you learned in the class.

Example explicit question:

The first person (or people) to determine that the planets orbit around the sun was:

a) The ancient Greeks

b) Galileo

c) Copernicus

d) Tycho Brahe

If you recognize the name that goes with the definition, you would do well on this type of test. Student who are good memorizers excel on these questions. The problem is that college exams have very few questions that you can answer simply by memorizing.

Type 2:  Application Questions

Application questions ask you to apply what you learned in your class to a new situation that you haven’t encountered before.

Example application question:

Let’s say you learn in your Emergency Medical Technician class that people who suffer from hypoglycemia tend to sweat, become nauseous, grow faint and become incoherent when they haven’t eaten properly.  On your test, you might have a question like the one below:

You are hiking with your friend Amanda. She begins to complain that she feels faint and nauseous.  She asks if she can stop and eat her trail mix.  Amanda may be suffering from:

a) Low-blood pressure

b) Hypothermia

c) Anxiety

d) Hypoglycemia

The textbook never mentions Amanda specifically, but it does talk about the symptoms of hypoglycemia, which you are expected to know well enough that you can recognize that the fictional Amanda suffers from it. Often, application questions are in the form of scenarios– really short stories that require you to imagine what action you should take. Sometimes, students say, “I must have studied the wrong stuff” or “Nothing I studied was on the test.”  Students might feel that way if they expect test questions to come right out of the textbook, almost word for word.

Type 3: Summary Questions:

These questions are common on college exams. They require you to take information from two or more parts of a chapter, (or maybe even two or more course components) draw conclusions about how that information relates or boil material down to its most significant points.

Sample Question 1:

Let’s say you are in a Communications class learning about communication misconceptions. You get the following test question:

Pablo earns a poor grade on his history project, so he goes to speak to his professor about it because he wants a higher grade. After Pablo explains why he thinks he deserves a higher score, his professor explains why she won’t raise the grade. Pable begins his explanation all over again. The professor becomes angry and still refuses to raise the grade. Which communication misconception does Pable display here?

To answer this question here are the steps you need to follow:

1. You must understand what “Communication Misperceptions” are– not the be confused with “Communication Principles” and “Communication Competence” which are other concepts in the same chapter.
2. You must understand the four common communication misperceptions
3. You need to figure out which one Pablo seems to have

To answer this one question, you need to have mastered about two pages of the textbook.

Sample Question 2:

Some summary questions will seem to have only correct answers listed among the choices. Sometimes, to some degree or other, all the answers are correct, and your job is to select the best or most appropriate one. An example is as follows:

A head coach’s main job is to

a) Make executive decisions regarding the team and manage a staff of assistant coaches.

b) Counsel players when they are having personal difficulties.

c) Help each player improve his or her physical health and achieve on and off the field

d) Manage the team’s budget and set yearly goals.

Coaches do all these things, but the best answer is A.  All the other answers fit under A somehow.  In order to come up with the correct answer to these kinds of questions, you must be familiar enough with the material that you can compare and contrast these answers with each other and decide which is the correct one.

Type 4: Compare Contrast Questions

These questions can be the most complex ones on a college exam. They require you to understand multiple ideas, people, events or processes and then compare and contrast them.

Sample Question:

Let’s say you are taking a history class in which you learn about different early societies from around the world. On an exam, you have the following question:

The Aztecs and Spartans are successful city-states whose accomplishments rested on similar ideals.  Chose the ideal these city-states have in common.

a) Democracy

b) Militarism

c) Aristocracy

d) Liberalism

In order to answer this question, you not only need to know about the Aztecs and the Spartans, but you need to have noticed that they were similar, and be able to talk about those similarities. If you were unable to do those things, you may not be able to answer questions such as this.

Writing Short Answers, Essays and Discussion Posts

You might have short answer questions as part of an exam, or you might have virtual discussion posts to write. Students often find short answer questions challenging and, if they earn a lower grade than they were expecting, they don’t always know why. Below are reasons why students earn lower scores and what to do about it.

Common Reasons for Earning Low Scores on Short-Answer Questions

Reason 1: Students don’t do what they are asked to do.  Here is a common example: You are taking a business class and you have just read a book called The Seven Secret Strategies of Success in Business. You also read a chapter in your textbook entitled “Making Effective Business Decisions.”  Your instructor gives you the following prompt:

“Select one strategy from the book, summarize it and explain how it relates to the information you learned in the chapter.”

Students will often miss the word “one” and write about all seven.

Another common mistake students make is they write about their personal feelings as opposed to answering the instructor’s questions. For example, take the question up above—rather than selecting one strategy from the book and connecting it to information from the chapter, they explain which one strategy they personally find most helpful.

Unless a prompt clearly asks for your personal feelings or reactions, don’t include them. In high school, a great deal of your writing focused on personal feelings—what you thought of a character in a novel you read, etc. In college, there are plenty of times you will be asked about your personal feelings, but you need to carefully read the question to make sure that is what your instructor wants.

Reason 2: Students don’t do everything they are supposed to do. For example, an instructor asks, “Summarize Theory A and Theory B and explain which theory can be used to explain Y.”  Often, student will explain Theory A and B and leave it at that.

Or a student will be asked to compare and contrast two things, people, theories, etc. but they don’t actually do it. For example, let’s say you are asked to compare and contrast the religious beliefs of two ancient societies. Students might write “Society A believes this and this and that and Society B believes that and that and this.” That is a start, but listing the qualities of something isn’t comparing or contrasting– it is listing. Instead, your instructor wants you to draw a significant conclusion about the facts you just jotted down. You might say something like, “Society A’s religious beliefs caused them to do this, which resulted in that, while Society B’s beliefs led them to do this other thing which resulted in something else altogether.”

Reason 3: Students’ answers are too general. Let’s go back to our example about comparing the religious beliefs of two ancient societies. Your instructor wants you to write about religious beliefs, but some students will spend one or two sentences on those beliefs and add in a bunch of other stuff that might be accurate but doesn’t answer the question. For example, it might be true that Society A lived near a body of water and therefore relied heavily on fishing as a food source, but that fact doesn’t relate to the question about religion. However, if an ancient society had religious practices connected to water, that matters to include.

Another way students are too general is they include statements about humanity or the world as a whole. For example, let’s say a student started an essay on the two ancient societies with a statement like, “Peoples all over the world have religious beliefs that are important to them and that affect their culture. It is important to see how different groups of people have different religious beliefs.” All of that is nice, but it is fluff. Just jump into answering the question.

Writing Better Answers

If you want to avoid the pitfalls above, there are things you can do to better prepare yourself. You can analyze the question and prepare a response.

Step 1: Analyze the Question

It’s really important to know what your instructor wants from before you answer a question. To do that, you have to know how most essay questions “work.” Below is a list of common parts of essay questions.

1. Set-up info. Instructors often begin their prompts by reminding you of things you’ve already read, or letting you know where you can find the answers to the question they are asking you. It is nice to notice set-up info so you can underline or highlight it to “separate” it from the action part of the question.
2. Action words– Carefully read the prompt and look for words that tell you what you are supposed to do. Here is a list of Action words “Compare,” “Contrast,” Similar,” “Different,” “Cause,” “Effect,” “Describe,” “Explain” or “Summarize.” Find action words and mark them.
3. Numbers– Pay attention to phrases like “Select one,” “Provide three examples,” or “Give two reasons why.” If there any numbers that tell you how much to write, note those.
4. Steps/Parts– Short answers often have several steps or parts and you should number them so you know what is expected of you. For example, a question might ask you to describe something, then explain why it is important. Describing something and explaining why it is important are two different things—and your answer should make that clear.

Sample of an Analyzed Prompt:

Let’s say you get the following question in one of your classes:

In class, we have been reading about superheroes and watching superhero movies. In the article “What makes a superhero?” You learned that superheroes need to have at least four of seven qualities in order to be considered a superhero. Choose either Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk. Write an essay in which you explain which of the seven characteristics your chosen hero has and which ones he does not. Use evidence from the film to back up your claims.

Below are suggestions about how you might mark up a question so you don’t miss important things.

Set up info: Blue

Action Words: Red

Numbers: Underlined

Steps: (Bold numbers in parentheses)

In class, we have been reading about superheroes and watching superhero movies. In the article “What makes a superhero?” You learned that all superheroes need to have at least four of seven qualities in order to be considered a superhero. (1) Choose either Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk. (2) Write an essay in which you (3a) explain which of the seven characteristics your chosen hero has and (3b) which ones he does not. (4) Use evidence from the film to back up your claims.

If your instructor gave you the short answer questions a few days before the exam, mark them up so you know exactly what you need to do. If you don’t know what you will get asked ahead of time, spend a minute analyzing the question before you begin writing. You might think, “No. I don’t have time for that. I need to get writing!” You may have heard the saying “Measure twice. Cut once.” The same idea applies here. If you don’t have a really good sense of what you are supposed to answer and how to answer it, then you might waste a bunch of time writing an essay that isn’t what your instructor had in mind.

Step 2: Think Through a Response

Sometimes, getting started or figuring out how to phrase things is the hardest part of writing an essay. But think of an essay like a recipe for chili– there are hundreds of recipes for chili– some call for celery, some call for pumpkin. Some even call for unsweetened chocolate. But all chili recipes follow the same basic format–  the list of ingredients appears first, in the order you add them. Amounts are listed first followed by the ingredient.  Instructions follow. Certain words show up in most recipes– “add,” “mix,” “brown,” “sauté.”

It isn’t up to the recipe writer to come up with something completely original– they fit their recipe into the “pattern” of a recipe. Writing an essay is sort of like that. While the ideas are yours, the structure to follow is already established. Below are “sentence stems.” Once you have analyzed the prompt and know what it is the instructor wants, look through the “sentence stems” for ideas to help you write a quality response:

If you are supposed to compare & contrast, use these stems:

“X is different from Y because . . .”

“Although X has A & B, Y has C & D.”

“In contrast to Y, X is __________ which is important because . . .”

If you are explaining how something caused something else (cause/effect), use these stems:

“The formation of X began the process of Y.”

“As X changed, this affected Y by causing . . .”

“Y was affected by X, which can be seen  . . . .”

“As A happened to X, B happened to Y.”

If you are describing the pros and cons of something, try these stems:

“X is beneficial to ________ because__________, but it has a negative effect when  . . . . .”

“There are some pros to A, such as X. However, there are important cons, such as . . . . . .”

If you need to describe a process, or how something works, try these stems:

“The first step in process X is _________, which leads to ____________.”

“If X happens in process X, then this happens next, but if Z happens then the next step is . . . .”

“Once step Y is completed, step Z begins . . . .”

If your prompt requires you to use statistics or data to make your point, try these stems:

“Research shows . . . .”

“According to X, Y is the best method of . . .”

“Study XYZ concludes that . . . .”

If you need to describe a problem and a solution, try this stem:

“Some problems with X are A, B, and C. Y is a great potential solution to these problems because . . .”

Studying for Essay or Short Answer Tests

Sometimes instructors will give you three or four essay questions and say, “On the test, you will have to answer two of these.” You have to wait until the exam in order to find out which one will be on the test, but at least you know ahead of time what they are. Other times, you will have no information of any kind about what you will be asked. Of course, these are more difficult tests to study for.

Below are tips:

If you know what you will be asked: Spend study time answering the questions. You may not need to write out each essay word for word, but it would be valuable for you to write an outline, and list what evidence you will use to make your argument.

If you have no idea what you will be asked: Brainstorm a list of possible questions. A good place to get started is by looking through any Learning Objectives that might be at the beginning of your chapters or in the review area. Could any of those be closely related to essay questions your instructor might ask? Did your instructor emphasize a particular theme or idea in class? Can you develop a question based on that? You have already learned that essay questions often focus on explaining, comparing, contrasting, etc. Go back through “Step 2: Think though a Response” see which question type seems likely. For example, what people, ideas, etc. are important enough to be compared and/or contrasted? What processes are important to understand? What people, events, etc. caused something important to happen?

Develop a handful of possible questions. (This is a great activity to do with a classmate!) and practice answering them.

Coming up with essay questions, and/or writing out answers to questions might sound like a lot of work.  You might find yourself asking, “What if I spend all this time writing answers to questions I don’t wind up being asked?”  No one likes to do unnecessary work, but it is unlikely that any effort you spend will be wasted. If you knew you were going to have a job interview, you might spend hours imagining witty and intelligent responses to possible questions your prospective employer might ask. If your prospective employer asked you some unexpected questions, it is highly likely that they would relate to the answers you had rehearsed.  So it is with practicing for essay exams. It is unlikely you will be wasting your time since the effort you do put in is likely to be related to the questions you will be asked.

Tips for Taking Exams

You’ve done all your studying and you think you are ready. The big day has come and you are walking into the test. Now what? Below are tips to help you write the best essay possible.

Multiple Choice Tests

Cover up your options. Stop just after you read the question, pretend it is a short answer question and see if you can answer it on your own. If you can, check to see if the answer you thought up is there. If so, it likely is the answer. Read the remaining options and see if any other options make sense before selecting your answer.

Write notes. Sometimes you are allowed to have blank paper to write, or if your test if given on paper, you can write on the exam. First, ask if you are able to write notes during the exam. If you are, you can jot down formulas, steps in processes etc. Those little notes, even though they are from your memory, can jog your memory and even reduce nerves.

Pay attention to terms and words. Don’t confuse words like “hypoglycemia” and “hypothermia.” When you are nervous and pressed for time, you might read so fast you misread words and make assumptions.

Short Answer or Essay Tests

Don’t try to come up with witty introductions to your essays (In other words, forget the attention getter.) Your instructor knows you are pressed for time and won’t mind if you simply plunge in with what you have to say.

Use the “I” voice. You might want to ask ahead of time if you can write in the first person. (i.e. “I think . . . ” or “When I read  . . . .” or “I will compare X and Y.”) But, again, your instructor isn’t expecting polished prose and likely will not mind if you write less formally than you would otherwise.

Forget grammar and spelling (to a point). You want your answers to be legible, and you don’t want to make so many errors your instructor won’t be able to understand your point, but don’t waste time worrying about grammar and spelling. (If your essay test is on a computer, auto-correct will likely help you out anyway.)

Add information if you need to. If your test is taken on a computer, it is easy to go back and add something you forgot. But if your test is taken the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, and you are just wrapping up your second paragraph when you realize you want to add something to your first one, do this: go back to the place in your essay where you want to add something. Draw an arrow out to the margins of your paper and carefully print what you forgot to add.

Write your answers as though someone who has some knowledge about the topic is going to read them. (Unless you are told otherwise. For example, if you are writing an essay about how impressionism relates to other styles in your Art History class, you probably don’t need to define impressionism.

Conclusion

Tests may never be fun. You might always have sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach when you walk through the door to take a test. However, you can likely make test-taking survivable if you adopt practices to help you prepare for them. Remember, tests are like any other sort of performance– nerves can get in the way and cause your brain to work more slowly than you’d like. The best way to combat this is over-preparation– the same advice you’d get from your choir director or coach. The more you prepare the easier it is for your body to battle through nerves and be able to perform.