University of Idaho: College Success Strategies

2. Test-taking strategies
Going into the exam
• Get a little feisty – not overconfident
• Show what you do know and what you can do
• Reframe your perspective
• Negative perspective: This exam stinks. I don’t get it.
• Positive perspective: I do know things and this is an opportunity
to show what I know

3. Test-taking strategies
Taking the exam
• Stick with what you know…at first
• Build momentum
• Read the questions and the directions
• Positive visualization
• Happy place?
• Recall the study session
• What room did you study in? What day did you study?

4. Test-taking strategies
Multiple choice
• Look for ways to eliminate choices
• Read all of the options and cross out wrong answers
• Check for grammatical fit
• Skip questions you don’t know
• Skim the exam for hints

5. Try to answer this question

6. Test-taking strategies
Multiple choice
Rachael Guenthner is an______who makes ______ at______.
A) Academic Coach…appointments…work
B) Dog biscuit…home…dog owners
C) baker…cakes…home
D) Both A and C
E) None of the above

7. Test-taking strategies
Multiple choice
Rachael Guenthner is an______who makes ______ at______.
A) Academic Coach…appointments…work
B) Dog biscuit…home…dog owners
C) baker…cakes…home
D) Both A and C
E) None of the above

8. Test-taking strategies
Multiple choice
Rachael Guenthner is an______who makes ______ at______.
A) Academic Coach…appointments…work
• The is answer is “A” because of the use of ‘an’ in the question
• ‘An’ is only used when prefacing a word that starts with a
vowel

9. Don’t worry about being a grammar expert
just think – “Does this make sense? Does
this sound right?”

10. Test-taking strategies
True/False – Decode the language
• Conditional language: (sometimes, often, generally, seldom, some)
• Usually true
• Unconditional language: (always, only, invariably, entirely)
• Usually false
• Pay attention to directions
• Some exams will have you explain why something is true or false

11. Test-taking strategies
True/False – Decode the language
• “All parts must be true for the statement to be true” (Weisman 225)
• Eliminate the negative – break the statement down
• Example:
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will rise in the east.

12. Test-taking strategies
True/False – Decode the language
• “All parts must be true for the statement to be true” (Weisman 225)
• Eliminate the negative – break the statement down
• Example:
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will rise in the east.

13. Test-taking strategies
True/False – Decode the language
• “All parts must be true for the statement to be true” (Weisman 225)
• Eliminate the negative – break the statement down
• Example:
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will rise in the east.

14. Test-taking strategies
True/False – Decode the language
• “All parts must be true for the statement to be true” (Weisman 225)
• Eliminate the negative – break the statement down
• Example:
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will never not rise in the east.
• The sun will rise in the east.

15. Test-taking strategies
Fill-in-the-blank
• What was the theme of this particular unit?
• Skim the rest of the exam
• Jog your memory with hidden hints
• Check grammatical fit
• Fill the blank space in with something

16. Try to answer this question

17. Test-taking strategies
Fill-in-the-blank
Rachael Guenthner teaches _________. In this course, they
provide___________ strategies to help students.

18. Test-taking strategies
Fill-in-the-blank
Rachael Guenthner teaches INTR 101. In this course, they provide
academic/college success strategies to help students.

19. Test-taking strategies
Matching
• Read the directions
• Matching sections are good starting points on exam
• The power of elimination
• Make the matches that you know first
• Connect all of the items

20. Test-taking strategies
Math and Science Exams
• Show all of your work
• Use your work as a tool
• Watch for sneaky errors
• Units of measure
• Negatives/positives
• Tackle hard problems last

21. Test-taking strategies
Writing the essay
• Answer the question that is being asked
• Underline key words – focus on the action
• Look for space where you can write initial thoughts
• Open with a strong thesis statement
• Write something
• Sometimes partial credit is given for bullet point lists

22. Test-taking strategies
Writing the essay
Compare and contrast three test-taking strategies. Is
there a strategy that works best for you? Why or
why not?

23. Test-taking strategies
Writing the essay
Compare and contrast three test-taking strategies. Is
there a strategy that works best for you? Why or
why not?
• Focus on the verb in the essay questions – that’s how you should
structure your answer

24. Examples of Essay Question Verbs
• Evaluate
• Review
• Assess
• Discuss
• Explore
• Elaborate
• Explain
• Identify
• Detail
• Clarify
• Examine

25. Test-taking strategies
Online exams
• Reserve a quiet and clean space
• Enable pop-ups
• Record your answers on a separate sheet of paper – in case the
software does not save your answers
• Be aware of timed exams
• If they are open note exams, make sure that you have all of your
information easily and readily available

26. Test-taking strategies
Key test-taking tips during the exam
• Build momentum
• Skim the exam to help find answers
• The power of positive visualization
• Use the exam to demonstrate what you know
• Find a phrase or image that helps you recall the material
• Breathe

27. Follow up
Reflect on your experience
• How do you feel after the exam?
• Find time post-exam to decompress
• One test will not seal your fate
• Learn from your mistakes
• Learning is a process
• Learning takes time

28. Follow up
Return to your preparations
• Contact your professor and TA
• Discuss resources and study strategies
• Evaluate successes and failures
• Meet with a tutor/SI-PASS leader
• Learn from their student perspective
• Reach out to other resources