Doing well on exams is not magic.
It involves a combination of good preparation and good test-taking skills. Some people are born with better testing skills than others but these are skills and can be developed and refined by anybody. Like any other skill, learning how to do this may not be easy and it may require practice. But doing well on exams is something everyone can do.
* Different test-taking strategies will work better for different people. If you know what works for you, great – keep doing it. If not, try some different things and to figure out what works best.
Looking forward to exams
While you may never look forward to exams per se, you can look forward to exam days if you reward yourself after the exam is over.
* Choose a reward ahead of time (going out for a meal, spending time with a friend, doing an activity you enjoy, reading a fun book, watching a show that you've recorded, going to a movie, etc.), and follow through with it no matter what. If you feel the exam went well, reward yourself. If you feel the exam went poorly, reward yourself.
This helps remind you that there are other things in the world besides this exam and this class, and it gives you something to look forward to when the exam is over.
Adrenaline vs. Relaxation
* Some students prefer to go into an exam fired up, with a little adrenaline pumping, ready for action. Listen to a favorite song a few times and when you feel totally pumped, you’re ready to go.
* Other students prefer to begin an exam feeling relaxed. Try talking to a friend before the test about something other than biology. Listen to some (relaxing) music or just in a quiet place for a few minutes and take some deep breaths.
* For most students, the last hour or so before an exam is not a productive time to study. Cramming material, especially in the last few minutes before an exam, does not usually improve a students’ score. What cramming does, however, is create feelings of panic, anxiety and agitation. All of these make it difficult to focus on the exam material. When you are feeling anxious and panicked, the knowledge you do have will seem inaccessible. Facts you definitely knew two hours ago will seem to have disappeared from your brain.
Whether you prefer to be pumped-up or relaxed, the key is to remain focused and ready to concentrate rather than agitated and anxious.
A method to the madness
You do not have to start on page one and continue to the end of the exam. Feel free to skip around but make sure that you have a system of keeping track of which questions you have answered and which you haven’t.
* If you are filling out a scantron, be careful to fill in answers in the appropriate numbered spot. If you choose to skip a question, try circling the number on the scantron. You can erase the circle later when you answer the question. This acts as a sort of “place-holder” and ensures that you keep your answers with the appropriate number. Some test-takers prefer to mark all their answers on the exam itself. When they have completed the exam, they can then fill in the answers on the scantron.
* If there are short essay questions, or any other type of question that is worth extra points, consider starting with those. If you are pressed for time at the end of the exam, it’s better to rush through low-point multiple choice questions than high-point essay questions.
* Many students find it helpful start by skimming through the exam. Skimming through the exam prior to starting lets you know what to expect as you work through the exam. Start by answering questions that you feel very confident about. This gives you an important psychological boost plus it allows you to concentrate on material that you are less comfortable with.
Staying focused
During an exam, it’s easy to let your mind wander. If the exam is going poorly, you may find your mind wandering into panic!
* Focus on one exam question at a time. When you have answered question #1, move on to question #2. While you are answering question #2, do not think about whether or not you chose the correct answer for #1. If you are too busy thinking about #1, you won’t be able to focus on choosing the correct answer to #2. If you really think you chose the wrong answer for #1, finish #2, then go back to #1.
* While you are answering question #2, don’t worry about what will show up in questions #3, #4, #5, etc. You have to be very Zen and focus on the task at hand (question #2, in this case.) If you are too busy worrying about what will show up later on the exam, you won’t be able to focus on choosing the correct answer to #2.
* Don’t spend time and energy on an exam worrying about the impact this particular exam is going to have on your life as a whole. It’s easy to get caught in a downward spiral of thinking, “If I answer this question wrong, I’m going to fail this exam! If I fail this exam, I’m going to fail this class! If I fail this class, I’m never going to get into [insert academic program of choice]! If I don’t get in, my whole life will be ruined!”
First of all, remind yourself that your life will not be ruined. That said, however, the concerns expressed in this type of thinking may have some validity. Yes, exams are important, grades are important, etc. but this should not be your focus during an exam. If you place the weight of your entire life on one question, it’s going to be very difficult to focus on the correct answer.
Validate your feelings. Tell yourself, yes, this class is important. Yes, you are concerned about doing well. Then move on. Give yourself a reprieve from worrying about the rest of your life. Focus on the exam one question at a time. Read each question carefully. Select the best answer choice you can. Move on to the next question.
Types of Exam Questions
Multiple Choice Questions
* The most important thing when taking a multiple choice test (or any test!) is to know the material. You must know the material well, because a good multiple choice test may ask you to differentiate between small details. However, there are several techniques (or “tricks”) which can help you succeed on multiple choice tests. Below are a few sample, multiple choice-type questions with suggestions about how to answer them.
* Notice that different types of questions are best answered using different strategies. Practice these techniques until they become second nature. That way, when you are taking an exam, you can focus on the material, not on the how to answer the question.
* No matter what type of question you are presented with, read the question carefully. Be sure that you know what is being asked before you choose the answer. DO NOT “SKIM” through a question, looking for key words. This can be misleading and cause you to answer a question that has not been asked.
1. Which of the following statements about prokaryotes are true?
Read all the answer choices and write a little T by the statements that are true and a little F by the statements that are false. Choose the true statement and re-read the question and answer to make sure that the answer you have chosen makes sense with the question.
2. All of the following statements about prokaryotes are true, EXCEPT:
This type of question can be a little confusing so start by focusing on the answer choices. Again, read all the answer choices and write little Ts by the true statements and Fs by the false statements. Don’t worry about finding the right answer at this point, just decide which statements are true and which are false. Once you have done that, then go back to the question. This question is asking for the statement that is NOT TRUE, so pick the statement that is false.
3. ATP is produced during which step(s) of cellular respiration?
In this case, it’s best to focus on the question first. The answer choices can sometimes prove distracting or cause you to second-guess your conclusions, so try to predict the correct answer without looking at the answer choices. Once you have formulated a prediction, scan through the answer choices to look for the choice that most closely matches your prediction.
4. Transmission of respiratory viruses can be prevented by ________.
Two important things about this type of question: First, it should be answered in a similar manner to question #3. Predict an answer first, then choose the answer choice which matches your prediction.
Second, this question is not directly asking you to restate something you learned in class. You must use your knowledge of how respiratory virsuses are transmitted to determine a method of prevention. Good critical thinking questions will ask you to use knowledge you have learned in class to draw conclusions about a question or a situation that was not presented in the classroom.