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General Recommendations
- Objective tests are given:
- To measure knowledge of facts.
- To organize material.
- To recognize similarities and differences.
- To assess ability to reason logically from the evidence given.
- To make fine distinctions.
- To apply general concepts to specific problems.
- Forms of objective questions:
- Questions of fact
- Sentence completion
- True-false
- Analogy
- Multiple choice (e.g., matching)
- Objective
tests usually cover more material than essay exams and contain more
questions. But keep in mind, each objective question has only one
correct answer.
Preparing for an Objective Exam
- Find out what material the exam will cover (objective tests usually cover most of the concepts developed in the course)
- Find
out what type of objective question is favored by the instructor (does
it require memorizing dates, formulae, etc., or simply recognizing the
correct answer? This is an issue of recall versus recognition)
- Find out if there is a penalty for guessing.
- Given knowledge of the above, develop a systematic method of review that works for you.
- Study for an objective test as you would for an essay exam.
The basic learning process still applies: Develop a framework and
master the details to support it.
- Review the course syllabus to see the instructor's plan, main emphasis, and concepts.
- Review your class notes. Look for ideas/concepts that were emphasized in lecture.
- Review your text(s). Look at chapter headings and summaries.
- Ask yourself questions as you review the material. See if you can grasp the main points with sufficient supporting detail.
- Once you have systematically reviewed, begin to memorize data.
Be sure you understand and can use the basic terminology in the course.
Methods of memorization include:
- Flash cards - Learn to make associations between key words and related data.
- Diagrams - Prepare a visual drawing or diagram, label it, and remember how it looks.
- Mnemonic
devices - Make up words whereby each letter corresponds to a word in a
series of facts (e.g., "ROY G BIV" is a mnemonic for the sequence of
colors in the rainbow, red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet).
Taking the Objective Exam
- Listen carefully to any oral directions.
- Survey the entire test to get a feel for its order and
contents (if there are several pages, make sure that it was collated
correctly and that all question numbers are in order.)
- Note the point values for the various sections and allocate your time appropriately.
- Read the directions carefully. Note key words and specific instructions. (e.g., "Mark T for true; leave false answers blank.")
- If a separate answer sheet is provided, be certain to match
the question number with the answer sheet number, especially when you
skip questions on the test.
- Work your way through the exam, answering questions that you
know first. Check or circle those that you skip so that you can come
back them later (note: The only times you will not skip around are:
when the directions specify that you work in a given order, or when the
test is sequential and one question leads into the next).
- Do not panic! Most objective tests contain some questions that
every student will miss. These are designed to test the upper limits of
student performance. Do the best you can with the knowledge you have.
- If you are not certain of an answer, guess... but do so methodically.
A. Eliminate the choices you know are incorrect.
B. Once you have narrowed your options, make an informed guess. - Once
you have completed the exam, make sure you have answered all questions
(if the answer sheet is separate, be sure the numbers correspond
properly).
- Think the answer is wrong? Maybe you should change it? Studies
indicate that if you were fairly certain you were correct the first
time, leave the answer as it is.
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