How to Prepare for an Exam

whiteman

As there are many ways to test people on knowledge, there are
equally as many ways to prepare for an exam. People are different
and thrive in different preparatory methods. We've designed
several different ways for you to ace your exams.

  1. Essay Exams

    Essays can be some people's favorite or least favorite type
    of exam. The good part of the essay exam is that you can
    truly explain your knowledge of the subject matter in many
    ways. If you forgot a single word, then it will not cause you
    severe loss of points (as it would in a multiple choice test).
    Usually, essay exams are difficult to grade because they can
    be subjective. Therefore, people with better writing skills tend
    to favor these types of exams, as they know how to
    structure an essay. If you need help on writing essays, please
    read our section on How to Write an Essay. The tips below
    will help you prepare for an essay exam.

  2. Multiple Choice

    Multiple-choice exams are easy for some and death for
    others. Some people can sail through on them without
    studying at all. Others think too hard on each question and
    miss the obvious answer sitting before them. The beauty of a
    multiple-choice test is that all the information you will need is
    given to you. The drawback of a multiple-choice test is that
    the additional information given to you is designed to confuse
    you. It takes a specific mindset to excel in this type of
    testing. See below for tips on how to prepare for a multiple-
    choice exam. These exams are like sports; they take a lot of
   practice, but you can master them. True or False questions
   may also fall into this category, where you will be given a fact
   and have to choose one or the other.

3. Matching

   Matching exams are rather student friendly exams. They are
   generally given in high school, infrequently in college, and
   almost never afterwards. They come in two formats: equal
   questions and answers, and trick question and answers.
   When there are equal sets of facts to match up, then you will
   more than likely excel. However, many tests are designed to
   truly test your knowledge and will place a few extra
   categories on one side of the matching plane. When this
   occurs, you must rely on your factual knowledge and not
   simply your ability to filter out bad answers.

4. Fill in the Blanks

   Fill in the Blank exams are also more prevalent in high school
   and earlier. Occasionally you will find this type of exam in
   college and beyond. If so, you are lucky, for you will
   increasingly wish you may have this type of exam. In this
   case, you must know the factual information in order to fit it
   into the sentence. However, in these tests, you can rely on
   your context clues of the sentence to see what works. If you
   have a general enough basis of knowledge on a subject
   matter, you will more than likely fill in the correct blank. True
   or False questions may also fall into this category, where you
   will be given a fact and have to choose one or the other.
  5. Oral Exams

    Oral Exams are generally held for graduate school. In law
    school, students are questioned aloud in class often, and in
    order to complete a PhD, doctoral students must pass their
    \"Orals.\" These oral exams, also given in college and high
    school, are stressful examinations. You are sitting in front of
    professors who will ask you questions on the spot. You
    cannot formulate ideas in your head, test them out on paper,
    and erase. You must come up with ideas and speak fluidly
    and succinctly. You will have little ways out of answering
    questions you don't know, aside from honesty.

Of these six basic testing procedures, we will outline different ways
to prepare, depending on your time schedule, your patience, and
of course your type.

  1. Essay Exams
        Ask your teacher/professor for a few practice questions
        Time yourself and write a sample essay or two a couple
        days ahead of time
        Look over old essay questions (if available)
  2. Multiple Choice
        Practice practice practice
        Go over several old exams to get used to the format
        Memorize facts using flashcards or group questionnaires
        Do not cram (for you will inevitably forget information)
  3. Matching
        Memorize facts using flashcards
        Group question-answer studying
        Try your own matching tests, test yourself
  4. Fill in the Blanks
        Test yourself with self-made tests
        Ask your teacher for old tests and practice on those
        Study with flashcards of facts
        Test friends in a study group
  5. Oral Exams
        First outline all you plan to say on paper
        Practice it aloud to yourself
        Practice in front of a mirror (to see body language, hand
        gestures)
        Practice aloud to an audience (of family or friends)

It is important to remember that not all people test alike. You may
prefer one type of test to another solely based on your ability to
study for it. Regardless of your favorite preparatory habits, you will
inevitably be tested in all five of these formats at some point in
your life. It is highly advisable to learn how to prepare for them all.