Preparing for an Exam
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe the importance of a review period prior to an exam.
- Create a Five-Day Study plan for an upcoming exam.
Pre-Test Strategies
Q: When should you start preparing for the first test?
- The night before.
- The week prior.
- The first day of classes.
If you answered “3. The first day of classes,” you are correct. If you circled all three, you are also correct. Preparing to pass tests is something that begins when learning begins and continues all the way through to the final exam.
Many students, however, don’t start thinking about test taking, whether weekly exams, mid-terms, or finals, until the day before the test, when they engage in an all-nighter or cramming. This is not ideal. The brain can only process an average of 5-7 new pieces of information at a time. Additionally, unless memory techniques are used to help move new information into long-term memory, chances are slim that students who cram will effectively learn and remember the information.
A lot of students are unaware of the many strategies available to help with the test-taking experience before, during, and after. Complete the Pre-Test-Taking Strategies exercise below to take a look at what has helped you remember new information so far.
Activity: Pre-Test-Taking Strategies
UNIT 6, EXERCISE 1.1
PART A:
Put a checkmark next to the pre-test strategies you already use.
____ Organize your notebook and other class materials during the first week of classes.
____ Maintain your organized materials throughout the term.
____ Take notes on key points from lectures and other materials (examples of note-taking formats).
____ Make sure you understand the information as you go along.
____ Access your instructor’s help and the help of a study group, as needed.
____ Organize a study group, if desired (review of organizing study groups).
____ Create study tools such as flashcards, graphic organizers, etc., as study aids.
____ Complete all homework assignments on time.
____ Review likely test items several times beforehand.
____ Ask your instructor what items are likely to be covered on the test.
____ Ask your instructor if she or he can provide a study guide or practice test.
____ Ask your instructor if he/she gives partial credit for test items such as essays.
____ Maintain an active learner attitude.
____ Schedule extra study time in the days just prior to the test.
____ Gather all notes, handouts, and other materials needed before studying.
____ Review all notes, handouts, and other materials.
____ Organize your study area for maximum concentration and efficiency.
____ Create and use mnemonic devices to aid memory.
____ Put key terms, formulas, etc., on a single study sheet that can be quickly reviewed.
____ Schedule study times short enough (1-2 hours) so you do not get burned out.
____ Get plenty of sleep the night before.
____ Set a backup alarm in case the first alarm doesn’t sound, or you sleep through it.
____ Have a good breakfast with complex carbs and protein to see you through.
____ Show up 5-10 minutes early to get completely settled before the test begins.
____ Use the restroom beforehand to minimize distractions.
PART B
By reviewing the pre-test strategies above, you have likely discovered new ideas to add to what you already use. Make a list of them.
Activity: Design Your Own Plan
Read How to Create a Study Schedule to Prepare for Final Exams, which lists 10 steps, 4 tips, 2 warnings, and a list of things you will need. Based on this advice, design a plan you know will work well for you when it comes to studying for any big test–final, mid-term, State Boards, etc.–incorporating at least 10 of the suggestions.
Planning a review period prior to an exam
Many students don’t start thinking about test taking, whether weekly exams, mid-terms, or finals, until the day before, when they engage in an all-nighter or cramming. Students wanting to be successful have to have the self-discipline to schedule time to study well in advance of the exam. They have to actually do the work: the preparation needed in order to have the best opportunity for success on the exam. Then, they have to be able to apply their preparation accordingly and perform well on the exam.
It is beneficial to spread your preparation and practice out over time and prepare periodically instead of waiting until the last minute and binge studying or cramming. Reviewing during a five-day period prior to the exam, and employing healthy eating and sleep habits cannot be overemphasized. Without a plan, preparation would not be the same, and this may affect your test score. Binge studying and cramming are also not healthy. A careful review of the material prior to each exam is required for optimal performance, and student reports tell us that the habit of “cramming” the night before the exam is not going to lead to positive, long-term results. Staying up late puts stress on our brain and body, and not getting adequate sleep places our bodies at risk of getting sick.
Students need to develop a mindset that they are preparing for the next exam every time they attend class or complete a reading assignment, because so much of their grade rides on those exams. In college, it is not uncommon for your entire course grade to be based on two or three exams with no options for a retake or extra credit. Instead of an exam being over one or two chapters, exams are more likely to cover 5+ chapters of material and, in the case of a comprehensive exam, an entire semester’s worth of material. Intentionally working through the process of preparing for, taking, and learning from the testing process will facilitate successful outcomes.
Often, students jump right into taking an exam feeling stressed and rushed with a need to regurgitate information immediately. However, approaching a test in a careful and methodical way can help ensure the best results. You can best use your exam time by taking a few minutes to survey the exam instructions and point values, and planning how to approach sections of the test. Strategy is particularly important for tests with mixed types of questions (i.e., multiple choice and essay) or tests with multiple essay questions. For example, if you were to spend too much time on the multiple choice questions and not allocate enough time to complete an essay question, you may have answered the majority of the total number of questions but still do poorly on the exam if the essay question was worth a larger portion of the exam’s total points. Plan your time carefully and manage your stress.
Activity: Creating a Study Plan
Identify when your next substantial exam will be given in a class. Create a five-day study plan using the formula described in “Create a Five-Day Study Plan for Exams” (below). Once you have created this plan, incorporate the schedule into your time management calendar for implementation.
Create a Five-Day Study Plan for Exams
Making a plan that will allow for the careful review of all of the assigned and presented material leads to less stress the day of an exam and the best conditions for recall and performance. Here is a simple method for creating a study plan:
- Break the material for the exam into four manageable “chunks.” If material can be logically divided by chapters, use that method. If not, make up your own chunks based on the content of the material. Note: It is not a good idea to break up information by the method of delivery (i.e., one chunk equals notes, one chunk equals readings, etc.). You want to include all information on specific topics together in one chunk (e.g., information about the topic of osmosis from the lecture notes and the textbook in a chunk).
- Plan to spend about two hours studying on each of the five days.
- You should work with the material on the exam in two ways, by preparing that material for review and by reviewing that material. Preparation of material incorporates study techniques discussed earlier in this chapter such as combining and clarifying lecture and textbook notes and creating visual organizers for topics.
Example of the Schedule for a Five-Day Study Plan
| Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare 1st Chunk – 2 hours | Prepare 2nd Chunk – 2 hours | Prepare 3rd Chunk – 1.5 hours | Prepare 4th Chunk – 1 hour | Review 4th Chunk – 1 hour |
| – | Review 1st Chunk – 30 minutes | Review 2nd Chunk – 30 minutes | Review 3rd Chunk – 30 minutes | Review 3rd Chunk – 30 minutes |
| – | – | Review 1st Chunk – 15 minutes | Review 2nd Chunk – 15 minutes | Review 2nd Chunk – 30 minutes |
| – | – | – | Review 1st Chunk – 10 minutes | Review 1st Chunk – 30 minutes |
Taking some time to plan out what material will go into each chunk will ensure that you do not miss anything.
This method typically works very well for courses that offer two or three tests throughout the semester; however, a similar method could be modified by the number of days or the amount of time spent each day if a course offers more exams with less material on each exam.
Key Takeaways
Type your key takeaways here.
- Studying should begin on day one of class.
- Creating as Five-day study plan for exams and breaking the material into chunks will lead to better recall and test performance.
- Creating a study plan will help you prepare for multiple tests/exams in the same week.
Chapter Attributions
This chapter was adapted by Michelle Holbrook and Cheryl Colan from “3.4 Success After Class: Reviewing Material” by Leslie Jennings, licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license; and from “How to Learn Like a Pro!” by Phyllis Nissila is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license.