Exam Strategies: Code Cracking Study Strategies

Code Cracking Study Strategies

Taking a multiple choice test is only half the battle. Preparation is also key. You dont have to study for days on end to perform well on a multiple choice exam. In fact, we dont recommend that you do. Sometimes you can store up so much information in your head that you forget the tough stuff.

It is sometimes best to just review the material that you learned in class prior to an exam. Here are some proven strategies for excelling on a standardized exam.

Review the Course Syllabus

Take some time to review your course syllabus. The odds are high that material for your exam will be pulled from this. Want to know how your teacher will select the main topics for your exam? Look at the syllabus. 

Pay Attention to Lectures

Often during lectures, your professor will tell you what information will be included on exams. Listen closely when a professor says, "This will be on the exam." As soon as you hear this, highlight the information. This makes test-taking easy. 

Review Past Tests

Sometimes, past tests are available for a course. Try your local library or conduct an online search. You may even be able to find out from your professor if this information is available as study material. Use this information to become familiar with your instructors test writing style. You can find out whether your professor has a tendency to use all of the above questions or one-word questions. This will help you gain an edge over your competition. 

Study Concepts

Memorizing facts is one way to learn, but trying to take in too much information can quickly bog you down. When the time comes to take a test, this information can become a jumble of dates, times, names, and numbers. Instead, take time to study concepts. Learn how the information you are learning in class is related. Study the subject matter and understand why the information is important. This will help you make critical decisions when test-taking time comes. Make sure you understand ideas and principles, so you can synthesize and analyze information on your exam. 

Practice Questions

Take the time to answer the practice questions or exercises in your textbook, if this is an option. Doing so helps simulate the test taking experience. You will learn to make decisions about information and to select the best answer just as if you were sitting for the actual exam. 

If there are multiple choice questions, answer them using the tips you learned previously. 

Keep Course Quizzes

If you take quizzes throughout the year, keep them and review them. These will be life-savers during test-taking time, particularly for finals or exams that rehash concepts from a longer period of time. 

Create Your Own Flash Cards

These can be a handy way to study small amounts of information in manageable chunks of time. Practice creating your own tests and quiz yourself on the content youve created. 

Get Plenty of Rest

Nothing will destroy your test-taking ability faster than a poor night of sleep. Be sure that you get plenty of rest the night before your exam. While you may think it is a wonderful idea to stay up late studying for your exam, the chances are high this will severely affect your ability to perform well on any test. 

It is much better for you to get a good night of sleep than to stay up late studying. A well-rested student will do much better than an exhausted student. This is true of any test, regardless of how much knowledge you have of test material. 

Can it really be that easy? Yes, it can. You dont have to study for hours on end to facilitate a smooth test-taking experience. Just adopt a few simple techniques and incorporate them into your test-taking practice. It really is that simple and easy.