Test Taking Strategies Effective Preparation and Successful Delivery
Test Taking Strategies
Effective Preparation and Successful Delivery
General Rules for Medical Students• Just because you’ve seen the material before doesn’t mean you don’t
need to re-learn it in order to have a deeper comprehension of the material.
• Your instructors will require deeper knowledge on exam questions that extends beyond familiarization with key terms.
• Preparation has to include active learning skills for true comprehension to occur.
• Recall is everything. Practice often, from memory, in many formats. Draw it. Speak it. Summarize it.
Tips to Remember• Make a study plan and DO IT.• Do NOT change your answers.• Do NOT read into the
questions.• Read the entire question and
all potential answers first before answering it.
• Make practice exams to test what you truly know and clarify what you don’t.
• Use your time effectively and efficiently
• Review verbally to yourself or someone else. Can you articulate the material?
• Quiz a study partner to pick up discrepancies.
• Rewrite in your own words. Highlight. Underline. Circle.
Test PrepAsk yourself three questions:
1. What do I need to know?2. What do I know?3. What don’t I know and how should I best learn it?
• Use simple math. Spend 80% of your time on what you don’t know and 20% on just overall review.
• Know the setup of the test: number of questions, type of questions, minutes allowed per question.
Preparation: Before Test Day• Break up the work so it doesn’t get boring and strenuous.
• Set up a schedule of alternating times and locations to work/study• Classify your exams in order of difficulty
• Decide what subject needs the majority of your focus and attention• Take breaks in between in between topics
• Give yourself adequate time to prepare. Cramming doesn’t work• Use common sense. Work on it while it’s fresh. Putting it off until the
weekend before the exam isn’t enough time for true comprehension to occur.
Which Test Taker Type Are You?If the shoes fits, Cinderella…
• The Rusher• The Turtle• The Personalizer• The Second-Guesser• The Philosopher• The Squisher
The Rusher: High risk for misreading, misinterpreting, and mistaking due to focus on getting it over with.
Characteristics SuggestionsHurries through test in a desperate rush to finish
the exam before facts are forgotten Practice relaxation techniques
Arrives early, very anxious Lessen cramming with an actual plan to allow appropriate time
Tightened body Pace each question using a definitive thought process
Known to have test anxiety or diagnosable anxiety
Strategically take a break and leave the room if needed to regroup and take a moment to gather
yourselfWhile most students are still in the initial portion
of exam, the rusher is 1/3 finished
The Turtle: suffers from lack of time and inability to complete tasks rather than lack of knowledge or poor preparation
Characteristics SuggestionsMoves through each question slowly, methodically,
and deliberately Take practices tests with time constraints
Last one to finish or does not finish Focus on increasing reading speed and comprehension
Scores better in the first part of the exam compared to the end of the exam Use a clock or timer during exams.
Unable to choose between answers that are similar Calculate the amount of time allotted for each question
Check pace at various points of the exam, then increase speed if needed
Determine questions that are answerable. Make a best guess and mark for later review if time remains.
The Personalizer: Gives answers based on info learned from observation and experience only
Characteristics SuggestionsUsually older, more mature students Focus on principles that support actions
Knowledge, insight gained through life or career experience
Avoid making mental connections between test scenarios and personal experience
Specialized Master’s degree or higher level education concentration Focus on generalities about the content
Formulate decisions in testing situations based on professional standards
Read answer choices first to create a parameter in which the answer must be found
Remind yourself what the faculty member said or what the learning material showed
The Second Guesser: realizes that he/she had the right answer and changed it
Characteristics SuggestionsPlays roles of both the examinee and
the examiner Only go back and check marked items
Changes answers because they seem wrong
Avoid changing responses unless you can state in multiple ways exactly why
an answer is wrongLack confidence in answers chosen Move through the test carefully
Proceeds through test as if correcting it Avoid using extra time to evaluate and change answers
The Philosopher: answers questions with own information or prior knowledge instead of the writer’s actual intent
Characteristics SuggestionsPlaces high value on understanding the complexities
of the situation Develop self confidence
Doesn’t believe he/she knows enough about the topic Focus on items as they are writtenPours over selected questions with great intensity Avoid over-reading test questionsOveranalyzes and reads into questions looking for
intent or a trick Use practice tests and questions
Has great difficulty reading items as they areTends to select responses that only provide his/her
own view of the truth
The Squisher: Emphasis in planning avoidance of the exam vs. preparing for the actual test
Characteristics Suggestions
Views exams as a hurdle to jump Determine a plan for progressive, discipline study
Preoccupied with grades, fears failure Break test prep into smaller more attainable steps
Avoids responsibility Devise time frames for completion of tasks and stick to it.
Has a plan for test prep but doesn’t follow through Move toward a consistent study plan
Resorts to cramming and doesn’t fully comprehend material
Build a reward system for following through
Grammatical Cues•One or more distracters don’t follow
grammatically from the stem
Logical Cues•A subset of the options is collectively
exhaustive
Absolute Terms•Terms such as “always” or “never” are
in some options
Long Correct Answer•Correct answer is longer, more
specific, or more complete than other options.
Word Repeats•A word or phrase is included in the
stem and in the correct answer
Convergence Strategy•The correct answer includes the most
elements in common with the other options
When taking a
MCT, look for:
Multiple Choice Tests
Word associations• To help evaluate, pay attention to the following:• Closed words (such as never, only, always, all none, and most)
are often (but not always) indicators of a false statement because the restrict possibilities.
• Open words (such as usually, frequently, mostly, may, and generally) are often (but not always) found in true statements.
• If any part of the question is incorrect, then the entire statement is incorrect.
Four steps to better exam-taking skills:1. Read the question closely2. Think3. Eliminate answers4. Pick the best remaining answers
Sounds simple, right?
Four steps to better exam-taking skills:
1. Read the question closely• Look for key words• Read critically• What is the concept
the question is truly asking
Four steps to better exam-taking skills:
2. Think• Don’t jump to answers
without truly understanding the question.
• Organize your thoughts about the topic.
• Have an idea about what you need to see in the answer.
Four steps to better exam-taking skills:
3. Eliminate answers• Throw out answers known to
be incorrect.• Look for key words that signify
an incorrect answer.• You want to narrow it down to
no worse than 50/50.• Compare and contrast the
answer choices you are drawn to. Where the answers differ is where you’ll find the answer.
Four steps to better exam-taking skills
4. Pick the best remaining answer• Reread the stem and paraphrase it. Read it with
the remaining answer choices.• Don’t dwell and overthink by reading too much
into the question.• Decide if the question is worth more time or if it
makes more sense to answer other questions with that time.
• When in doubt, go with your gut.