LHS High School Study Skills
Related Links

Motivation
Get Motivated
Stay Motivated

Monitoring Input
Listening
Note Taking
Reading
Class Participation

Managing Process
Self Management
Time Management
Concentration
Managing Your Learning
Managing Your Memory
Test Preparation

Mastering Output
Test Taking
Dealing with Test Anxiety
Learning from Tests
Preparing Written Reports
Preparing Oral Reports
Class Participation

 
 


Test Preparation

Most students focus too heavily on test preparation instead of engaging in daily review.  Many study only for tests, and thus are constantly in the process of catching up.  In addition, many students study only through cramming, a very ineffective approach.  Test preparation should be integrated into periodic review, as an integral part of an overall approach to learning.

Cramming vs. Daily Review

You should never attempt to learn new material in the 24 hour period before a test.  It takes time for your brain to structure information into categories.  When you cram the day before a test, you disrupt and disorganize the structures your brain had been creating over time.  In contrast, when you allow your brain enough time to review, synthesize, and organize the material, learning becomes easier.

So what should you be doing in the 24 hours prior to a test?  You should be reviewing all the material the test will cover--using your class notes, reading notes, study cards, graphic material, text, or any other information related to the test.  As you review, try to structure the information by considering questions such as the following:

  • How is the material similar to other information I have learned?

  • What are appropriate categories for this information?

  • Does this information fit into any of my existing categories of knowledge?

  • Is this detail information or abstract ideas?

  • What is the best way to learn this information?

  • What type of schedule should I develop?

Details vs. The Big Picture

Two types of information are needed to perform well on tests: the specific details and the big picture (the organization of the material, the way the material is structured, the overall meaning of the content).

To learn specific details, use your study cards to memorize the vocabulary and terminology.  Use your class notes to commit the general ideas to your memory.

In trying to understand the big picture, it helps to read all your notes at once.  Other methods of gaining a broader understanding are:

  1. Teach someone else the material.  When you are trying to understand ideas well enough to teach someone about them, you get to know them quite well.

  2. Organize the information into a structure that you can see, such as a picture or a diagram.

  3. Develop a brief outline of the material.

Practice Tests

Constructing and taking practice tests is one of the most effective methods of test preparation.  Often, your teachers will use the same general format for an exam; once you have taken a couple of tests, you will be familiar with their testing style.  You should attempt to get as much information about the test as you can.

  1. Find out how many questions will be included and what kind of questions they will be (multiple choice, short answer, essay, true/false, etc.).

  2. Find out what general topics will be covered and how much time you will be given.

  3. Good sources of content for your practice test include class notes, notes from your textbook reading, handouts, and quizzes.

  4. If you have been practicing daily review, then you should have some questions that you have already formed while summarizing the material.

  5. Ask a study partner to prepare a practice test; take each other's tests.

 



Tips on test preparation from CalPoly's Academic Skills Center

 


Anticipating test content

 

Test Prep tips from
College of St. Benedict's/St.John's University