How To Answer Examination Objective Question That You Don't Know It Answer.
1. Study! People who know their subject are able to
get much higher scores on tests than people
who are good at testtaking but who do not know
the subject. If you know your teacher's objectives for learning, study those things the
hardest. Study specific things. Try to memorize
knowledge.
2. Read precisely and get the exact meaning of
words. (This is the most important advice.)
a. Read slowly enough that you understand the
meaning of everything your present degree of
knowledge allows you to understand.
b. Read directions carefully so that you understand
them exactly. Do not skip the directions. Do not
skip the instructions. Follow the directions!
c. As you read the test items and the answer
options, think of their meanings. Talk to yourself.
Restate the meanings of the words. Compare the
answer options mentally.
d. DO NOT let your worry trick you into reading too
fast. Do not slip over confusing phrases. Do not
skim over questions hastily.
3. Read all the answer options before you choose
one. Why? Because you might choose the first
rightsounding answer and not read far enough to
see another one that is even more rightsounding.
4. How to handle a time limit.
a. Check the time and the number of questions.
Figure out how many questions you have to
answer each minute in order to finish. Try to
work at that rate.
b. Work on the questions that are fairly easy first.
c. Mark the ones you have not answered and do
them later.
d. If you have time left at the end, read over the
test again and check your work. If you want to
change an answer, you should do it. Scientific
research proves that people who feel an answer
is wrong and who believe they should change it
are more often right than wrong. First is not
always best.
e. If some questions are worth more points, you
might do them first.
5. How to handle questions that you don't know the
answer to.
a. Eliminate answer options that you are sure are
wrong. Choose one of the remaining ones.
b. If two answer options say the same thing in
different words, it means they both have to be
wrong. (Unless it is possible to choose two
correct answers.)
c. If two answer options directly contradict each
other, you know one has to be wrong. Possibly
both are wrong. Use that as a clue.
d. Use key words as clues. ALL, ALWAYS, EVERY,
NECESSARY, MUST, NEVER, NONE, ONLY,
EXCEPT, MAY, OFTEN, GENERALLY,
SOMETIMES, SELDOM, PERHAPS. When you see
words like all, always, never, etc., remember that
they are very strong words. There might be
exceptions. It is possible, though it is not
certain, that an answer option with a word like
that will be wrong. On the other hand, words like
generally and perhaps cover a lot of ground and
may be right. But be careful! Most teachers
know that students know about these words.
They might try to trick you.
6. Should you guess when you are not sure? Yes!
Why? Because if there are five possible answer
options, you have a oneinfive chance of getting it
right. If you do not guess, you have a zeroinfive
chance of getting it right. If the directions say
there is a penalty for guessing, you should
usually still guess. It will usually improve your
score. Why? Because all they do is subtract a
certain percentage of wrong answers, and you
might be right. The worst that usually happens is
that you will come out even. So guess.
7. How to remember an answer you have read once
but forgotten.
a. Suppose you read a test question. You know you
learned it once, but you cannot remember it now.
You may be able to recall it.
b. Say to yourself, "What is the answer to this
question?" (Then say the question to yourself.) "I
know it, and I'm coming back later to get it."
c. Blink your eyes three times and go on to the
next question.
d. When you later come back to the question, just
look to see if the answer comes up as you think
about it. It often does. Sometimes it will come
back while you are working on another test
question. If so, stop and return to the original
questions as soon as you can.
e. Why does this method work? Everything you ever
learned is in your mind somewhere. Your brain is
an obedient servant to you. If you ask it to
supply you with information, something happens
inside to cause a search for the information. And
if you wait and relax, your brain will often supply
it for you.
8. How to cope with tiredness, nervousness, pain,
and other stresses.
a. If people try hard, most people can do almost as
well on tests when they are under stress as
when they are relaxed and feeling fit. So don't
worry too much about your score being much
lower as long as you can make yourself
concentrate and think.
b. It takes great extremes of pain, fear, tiredness
and stress to cause much lowering of people's
performance.
c. If you can tell yourself to concentrate and to
think, you can succeed even if you happen to be
under stress. So try to concentrate and think!
9. Handle mechanical details carefully.
a. Mark answers carefully. Don't accidentally mark
the wrong answer.
b. If your teacher has you answer on an answer
sheet that will be scored by an automatic
scoring machine, make your cards heavy and
dark. Do not let them stray out of the space for
them. If you have to change an answer, follow
the directions on the answer sheet.
10. What to do if you think your teacher has made a
mistake.
a. If the teacher permits questions during the test,
you should ASK!
b. Suppose you think two answers are right or no
answer is right. Or suppose the wording of an
answer option is not clear. Then write a note to
the teacher if it is possible. (Do not write on a
machinescored answer sheet.) You should
explain your thinking. Explain why you chose the
answer you did, what it meant to you. Explain
why you rejected another answer that may be
obvious on the surface, but wrong deeper down.
If you do this, your teacher may give you part
credit even if you are partly wrong.
c. When the teacher returns the test and reports
the correct answers, it is all right to respectfully
ask why the teacher thinks an answer is correct.
Don't be hostile. An honest teacher can either
explain it or will admit a mistake. If you seriously
believe your teacher has penalized you unfairly
and will not change, then consult your school's
Student Bill of Rights and protest.
11. You can got more help on testtaking methods.
a. Go to the Communications Lab.
b. Read the book "Test Wiseness: TestTaking Skills
for Adults."
c. Ask about the DCLS 100 classes taught in the
Lab.
12. Summary: The most important thing is to read
the test carefully. Be sure to tell yourself to
understand the meanings of the words and
sentences you read. Ask yourself, "What does it
mean?" Then state the answer. Talk to yourself.
Do anything that will help you focus on all the
details you need to.
get much higher scores on tests than people
who are good at testtaking but who do not know
the subject. If you know your teacher's objectives for learning, study those things the
hardest. Study specific things. Try to memorize
knowledge.
2. Read precisely and get the exact meaning of
words. (This is the most important advice.)
a. Read slowly enough that you understand the
meaning of everything your present degree of
knowledge allows you to understand.
b. Read directions carefully so that you understand
them exactly. Do not skip the directions. Do not
skip the instructions. Follow the directions!
c. As you read the test items and the answer
options, think of their meanings. Talk to yourself.
Restate the meanings of the words. Compare the
answer options mentally.
d. DO NOT let your worry trick you into reading too
fast. Do not slip over confusing phrases. Do not
skim over questions hastily.
3. Read all the answer options before you choose
one. Why? Because you might choose the first
rightsounding answer and not read far enough to
see another one that is even more rightsounding.
4. How to handle a time limit.
a. Check the time and the number of questions.
Figure out how many questions you have to
answer each minute in order to finish. Try to
work at that rate.
b. Work on the questions that are fairly easy first.
c. Mark the ones you have not answered and do
them later.
d. If you have time left at the end, read over the
test again and check your work. If you want to
change an answer, you should do it. Scientific
research proves that people who feel an answer
is wrong and who believe they should change it
are more often right than wrong. First is not
always best.
e. If some questions are worth more points, you
might do them first.
5. How to handle questions that you don't know the
answer to.
a. Eliminate answer options that you are sure are
wrong. Choose one of the remaining ones.
b. If two answer options say the same thing in
different words, it means they both have to be
wrong. (Unless it is possible to choose two
correct answers.)
c. If two answer options directly contradict each
other, you know one has to be wrong. Possibly
both are wrong. Use that as a clue.
d. Use key words as clues. ALL, ALWAYS, EVERY,
NECESSARY, MUST, NEVER, NONE, ONLY,
EXCEPT, MAY, OFTEN, GENERALLY,
SOMETIMES, SELDOM, PERHAPS. When you see
words like all, always, never, etc., remember that
they are very strong words. There might be
exceptions. It is possible, though it is not
certain, that an answer option with a word like
that will be wrong. On the other hand, words like
generally and perhaps cover a lot of ground and
may be right. But be careful! Most teachers
know that students know about these words.
They might try to trick you.
6. Should you guess when you are not sure? Yes!
Why? Because if there are five possible answer
options, you have a oneinfive chance of getting it
right. If you do not guess, you have a zeroinfive
chance of getting it right. If the directions say
there is a penalty for guessing, you should
usually still guess. It will usually improve your
score. Why? Because all they do is subtract a
certain percentage of wrong answers, and you
might be right. The worst that usually happens is
that you will come out even. So guess.
7. How to remember an answer you have read once
but forgotten.
a. Suppose you read a test question. You know you
learned it once, but you cannot remember it now.
You may be able to recall it.
b. Say to yourself, "What is the answer to this
question?" (Then say the question to yourself.) "I
know it, and I'm coming back later to get it."
c. Blink your eyes three times and go on to the
next question.
d. When you later come back to the question, just
look to see if the answer comes up as you think
about it. It often does. Sometimes it will come
back while you are working on another test
question. If so, stop and return to the original
questions as soon as you can.
e. Why does this method work? Everything you ever
learned is in your mind somewhere. Your brain is
an obedient servant to you. If you ask it to
supply you with information, something happens
inside to cause a search for the information. And
if you wait and relax, your brain will often supply
it for you.
8. How to cope with tiredness, nervousness, pain,
and other stresses.
a. If people try hard, most people can do almost as
well on tests when they are under stress as
when they are relaxed and feeling fit. So don't
worry too much about your score being much
lower as long as you can make yourself
concentrate and think.
b. It takes great extremes of pain, fear, tiredness
and stress to cause much lowering of people's
performance.
c. If you can tell yourself to concentrate and to
think, you can succeed even if you happen to be
under stress. So try to concentrate and think!
9. Handle mechanical details carefully.
a. Mark answers carefully. Don't accidentally mark
the wrong answer.
b. If your teacher has you answer on an answer
sheet that will be scored by an automatic
scoring machine, make your cards heavy and
dark. Do not let them stray out of the space for
them. If you have to change an answer, follow
the directions on the answer sheet.
10. What to do if you think your teacher has made a
mistake.
a. If the teacher permits questions during the test,
you should ASK!
b. Suppose you think two answers are right or no
answer is right. Or suppose the wording of an
answer option is not clear. Then write a note to
the teacher if it is possible. (Do not write on a
machinescored answer sheet.) You should
explain your thinking. Explain why you chose the
answer you did, what it meant to you. Explain
why you rejected another answer that may be
obvious on the surface, but wrong deeper down.
If you do this, your teacher may give you part
credit even if you are partly wrong.
c. When the teacher returns the test and reports
the correct answers, it is all right to respectfully
ask why the teacher thinks an answer is correct.
Don't be hostile. An honest teacher can either
explain it or will admit a mistake. If you seriously
believe your teacher has penalized you unfairly
and will not change, then consult your school's
Student Bill of Rights and protest.
11. You can got more help on testtaking methods.
a. Go to the Communications Lab.
b. Read the book "Test Wiseness: TestTaking Skills
for Adults."
c. Ask about the DCLS 100 classes taught in the
Lab.
12. Summary: The most important thing is to read
the test carefully. Be sure to tell yourself to
understand the meanings of the words and
sentences you read. Ask yourself, "What does it
mean?" Then state the answer. Talk to yourself.
Do anything that will help you focus on all the
details you need to.
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