Exam Preparation for Students and Agricultural Professionals
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Collapse ▲Many NC State students are finishing up final exams this week, while many high school and community college students are prepping for exam season. Exam prep is an important topic for high school and college students alike. It is also important for agricultural professionals who must pass certification exams, such as certified crop advisor and pesticide licensing. The following guidance summarizes major research on exam preparation and offers some tidbits on how to make the process a little easier!
Rest, Reward, and Routine
- Rest is one of the best, yet often overlooked, ways to prepare for an exam!
- Have a small reward (enjoy sports, TV, movie, walk, etc.) after you finish studying for each chapter or section.
- Attention and concentration is paramount. Have a place where you study with as few distractions as possible. If you grow bored, change locations.
- Teach a friend one of the chapters or sections and vice versa. Some evidence suggests that teaching improves comprehension and long-term memory.
Multiple-Choice Strategies
The following instructions assume that the exam instructions state that there is only one correct or best answer.
- Multiple-choice questions require you to know more about a broader range of topics and depend on details from long-term memory. Preparation has to occur over time to be prepared for a multiple-choice exam.
- Eliminate as many incorrect answers as possible.
- Treat each choice as a “true/false” question and select the answer that sounds mostly true to you.
- You will often select “all of the above” if you know that 2/4 answers are correct.
- Sometimes you will see two answers that mean the same thing which often is a clue that both are wrong.
- If 2/4 multiple-choice answers are direct opposites, chances are one is correct.
- If two answers immediately look correct to you, read the question again.
- If the instructions ask for the “best” answer, look for the “best” answer! The “best” answer may not be correct in all cases.
Day of the Exam
- Have breakfast! Food is fuel!
- Read the instructions on the exam.
- Some evidence shows that answering a few easy questions first reduces your
uneasiness about the exam. - Pace yourself. Be aware of time constraints.
- Take a snack with you, especially if you have multiple exams in one day.
Exam Anxiety
Research has shown that exam anxiety is NOT the major reason students do poorly on exams. A little anxiety can actually improve focus… However, if you are anxious about an exam, consider the following:
- An exam is just one measure of performance.
- Have realistic expectations, and take care not to over-emphasize exams.
- Put exam dates on a calendar, and don’t schedule appointments, such as a dental appointment, for exam days. This gives you time to approach the exam in a relaxed manner.
Writing and drawing are great ways to visualize and help remember course concepts.
Some final thoughts:
Most importantly, recognize that most exams do not measure creativity, motivation, personal skills, social skills, educational quality, and overall student performance.
“But the person who scored well on an SAT will not necessarily be the best doctor or the best lawyer…These tests do not measure character, leadership, creativity, perseverance.” -William Julius Johnson
“I went to a public school through 6th grade; being good at tests wasn’t cool.” -Bill Gates
This article has been modified and was originally written by Dr. Joseph L. Donaldson, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences. The full article and reference list can be accessed here: Exam Prep Article.