In addition to having a handle on your regular, day-to-day study skills, you also need to know how to prepare effectively for exams. The following points are essential parts of effective test preparation.

• Go to class regularly so you don't get behind and so you get the most out of lectures and in-class activities. If you do have to miss a day of class, be sure to ask your professor about what went on in class that day.
• Keep up with day-to-day assignments in order to simplify reviewing later for exams.
• Review your class notes and reading assignments regularly to improve your understanding of the material and to remember it better. You may want to use notecards to help you do this. Put an important word, phrase, or theory on one side of a note card and an explanation or description on the back in your own words. Review these notecards frequently.
• Plan ahead and begin your final reviewing several days to several weeks before the exam.
• Identify what to study by reviewing your class notes and handouts to see which topics the instructor has emphasized most. Look for other clues in your textbooks and in earlier exams. If you are confused about what to study, ask your instructor for advice.
• Focus on the topics you have identified as most likely to be on the exam, and answer questions about them in your own words. If you can't put the information in your own words, you probably don't know it well enough to answer test questions about that topic.
• Keep test anxiety at a manageable level by preparing yourself thoroughly, practicing exam-taking skills (see next section), and avoiding last-minute cramming.
• Review returned exams to learn from any mistakes you may have made. Try to imagine how you could have studied to get the right answers to any questions that you missed.

General tips for taking exams

In addition to preparing effectively for an exam, there are a number of things you can do as you take an exam that will help you achieve good results.

• Try not to be too nervous when the time for an exam approaches. Arrive early, and make sure you have brought all needed supplies and materials.
• Skim through the test, and get a sense for the type of questions that are being asked.
• Estimate the time each section of the test will take to complete. Then organize your time for the entire exam accordingly so that you do not run out of time on any section.
• Read both the instructions for each section of the test and each question carefullybefore giving your answer.
• Answer the easier questions first to build your confidence. Be sure to answer those questions that will earn you the most points.
• Allow a few minutes at the end of the exam to check, edit, and proofread your answer.

Different Types of Exams

Multiple choice:

• Underline key words in each question to clarify what is being asked.
• Look for words like "always," "never," and "only" in your choices. Answers with these absolute terms are usually incorrect.
• Immediately eliminate choices that you know are wrong. This increases your odds of choosing the correct answer.
• If you struggle with answering a question, try to rephrase it in your own words. Then try to answer it again with the given choices.
• If you don't know the correct answer to a question, put a mark by it and go on with the rest of the test. Come back to the question later, instead of spending valuable time on it when you could be going on to other questions that you do know the answers to.

True/false exams:

• For a statement to be true, all of its parts must be true. If that is not the case, the statement is false.
• Statements containing words like "always," "never," and "only" are usually false.
• Statements containing words like "often" and "frequently" are usually true.

Matching:

• Before you do any matching, carefully look at all of the terms and descriptions.
• Match the terms and descriptions you know first, and make sure you cross out those you have already matched. This will make it easier to match the remaining choices.

Essay Exams

Students sometimes become nervous when asked to write essay exams. Keep in mind these tips when taking essay exams to help you stay organized and focused. 

      Before writing:

• Read the instructions carefully. Note time limits and determine if any questions can be omitted. Underline key words to clarify what you need to do.
• Start by answering the easiest questions and progress to the most difficult.
• Before you start writing, make a mini-outline to organize your ideas.
• If you feel anxious about what to include in your response, turn your test over and brainstorm all the ideas you could cover. Then organize these ideas briefly and begin to write.
• Know exact definitions of common essay terms: explain, define, compare/contrast, etc.

      Writing the essay:

• Avoid long introductions. Get right to the point of your answer.
• Be specific - avoid vague generalizations.
• Allow a clear pattern of organization if possible.
• If time permits, summarize your work with a sentence or two at the end of your answer.

      Miscellaneous tips:

• Stick to a time plan so that you don't have to rush through any answers and so you don't run out of time before you are finished. Remember to save a minute or two at the end for a quick proofread.
• Number all answers and leave space between them.
• Be neat. Use ink if possible.
• Write on only one side of your paper.

     Key Words In Essay questions:

Compare	Examine qualities, or characteristics, in order to determine resemblances.
Contrast	Stress dissimilarities, differences, or unlikeness of associated things.
Criticize	Express your judgment with respect to the correctness or merit of the factors under consideration.
Define	Write concise, clear, authoritative meanings, keeping in mind the class to which the items belong, and whatever differentiated it from all other classes.
Discuss	Examine, analyze carefully, and present considerations pro and con regarding the problems or items.
Enumerate	A list or outline form of reply. Recount one by one, in concise form, the points required.
Evaluate	Present a careful appraisal, stressing both advantages and limitations.
Explain	Clarify, elucidate, and interpret the material you present.
Illustrate	Present a figure, diagram, or concrete example.
Interpret	Translate, exemplify, solve or comment upon the subject, and, usually, give your judgment or reaction.
Justify	Prove your thesis or show grounds for your decision.
List	Present an itemized list or a tabulation.
Outline	Give main points and essential supplementary materials in a systematic manner.
Prove	Establish something with certainty by citing evidence or by logical reasoning.
Relate	Emphasize connections and associations.
Review	Analyze and comment briefly, in organized sequence, upon the major points.
State	Express the high points in brief, clear form.
Summarize	Give in condensed form the main points or facts.
Trace	Give a description of progress, sequence, or development from the point of origin.