Author: Eileen OReggio Added: June 13, 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Eileen OReggio How To Make Test Taking Strategies Work For You Part 1 If you are reading this article you have probably failed your exam, or you are at risk for failing and you are looking for ways to help you with upcoming examinations. This article is going to tell you how to practice the different types of testing and choose the one suitable for you. Follow only the advice that is best for you. In this tool there are two ways of taking in information; learning through the use of the five senses and learning through the use of an intuiting process. The sensing learner likes, or prefers to take in information through seeing, hearing, touch taste, or smell. This is more hands-on approach and builds knowledge from learning facts and more facts until concepts or principles are formed. The intuitive learner likes to learn a principle or generally first and then seeks facts to support the generality or principle. Facts are not particularly meaningful or easily remembered unless they can be related to some previously learned ideas. Both methods of learning have distinct advantages. Everyone uses both methods of learning, but has a preference for one over the other. Sensing learners approach tests differently than intuitive learners. Sensing learners approach test questions systematically, analyzing each word or phrase. No detail is missed. In fact these learners may find gaps in the information provided and automatically mentally add information. Sometimes the additional leads them to select an incorrect response. Sensing test takers usually take the entire time allowed for the test because they carefully analyze each word in the questions. Sensing learners need to learn to "mentally step back" from the question and see the overall concept being tested in the question. Intuitive learns approach test questions more globally, reading for the general ides and quickly selecting the first response that occurs to them. Intuitive test takers often finish a test quickly, using only part of the time. Unfortunately, these test-takers often miss a fact or clue that would cause them to change their answers. Intuitive learner need to learn to slow down and read each question in its entirety to be sure a key fact has not been missed. Test-Taking Problems Difficulty taking tests generally falls into one or more of the three categories: anxiety, test-taking skills or preparation. Anxiety Some anxiety can heighten mental acuity. A moderate level of anxiety has been found to be helpful in test taking by making you more mentally alert and in a state of readiness for the testing situation. More extreme levels of anxiety can be paralyzing. Knowing the source of your anxiety may help you conquer it. Poor Test-Taking Skills As noted earlier, students can be divided into two groups of learners. Each style of learning leads to different mistakes in interpreting test questions. Students who have sensing preference, like to learn in a step-by-step manner. They do a good job of learning the facts from the textbook and classroom presentations. Multiple choice test items that test for application, analysis, or synthesis are asking the students to translate these facts into a slightly different cognitive situation. The sensing student often "knows" the information required to answer the question, but "reads additional information into" the questions or misinterprets the information that is there. The remaining students have a preference for intuitive learning or learning that starts with a general principle and then attaches supporting information or facts to the principle. The facts are remembered because they relate to the principle. These students often miss test questions because they failed to learn all the facts related to the principles or overlooked a fact in a test item. The intuitive learner is more likely to miss important facts or piece of information in the question that would change the answer. The techniques that you find helpful may depend on your style. Everyone is capable of using sensing and intuition and do so on a daily basis. We may have a preference for one over the other and therefore have developed the use of the style that we prefer. For that reason students make a combination of mistakes in the test taking. As you read the suggestions given in part 2 choose to use only those that apply to you.
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