Improving Test-Taking Skills: Techniques and Tips

[DrWillVKN]

So after tons of hours of doing hard problems, trying understanding concepts, and learning formulas, I sat down for 3 midterms last week and found them rather simple.

There were no hard questions from the textbook. They were relatively straightforward. I felt like I studied too much. And yet, when we reviewed the questions, I flunked a ton of answers... and did horrible...

All of them were from misreading the problem. For some reason I seemingly misread a bunch of variables and put them in the wrong places, over complicating the problem and solving it (correctly, if those were where the variables were supposed to be) but the problem was supposed to be so much simpler!

This has plagued me (and many people) for my entire life. I feel like I'm trapped; no matter how much I study, when it comes to taking the test, i am destroyed. I'm not nervous (well, I do have a little anxiety, but that's not the main problem). I double checked the what seemed like the hard problems. My eyes just glanced over my errors. It's just that I screw up reading everything, and when I 'solve problems' I feel like I just move my hand mechanically and restate what I did when studying, mainly because I'm pressed against time.

How can I learn how to comprehend things better? Could it possibly be due to a lack of nutrition (I am never hungry and throw up when I eat a good amount of food, and I don't know what to do about this), making me tired all the time? My mind always seems to be zoning out, so I think the best way to improve is to just force myself to 'live' in this world and be so focused. Quick question: is it possible to train your mind to be more alert by forcing yourself into concentration more often, like how someone trains at a skill or a sport?

 

[Ryker]

Yeah, that happens to me in almost every test, as well, I always get something wrong I should've gotten right. Sometimes it's a minor mistake, not really worth losing sleep over, sometimes it's a bit bigger. But that's just life and how you perform in a stressful situation. I think you have two options, either try and reduce stress (ie. relax), or try to improve your performance under it. I'm not an expert on these matters, so I'm not sure whether the latter option is even possible, perhaps you really can't improve your performance under a particular amount of stress, however you'd define it. So I guess your best bet would be the first option, and I think there's a lot of topics on that here, so maybe do a search and I'm sure you'll find something.

 

[thegreenlaser]

You don't study right before a test, do you? A lot of people spend those last couple hours before a test cramming, but it's really not a good idea unless you're completely unprepared for the test (which you shouldn't be). Try spending that last hour or two just sitting in the comfiest place you can find listening to your favorite music, reading a book, or even doing some exercise like swimming or jogging: whatever relaxes you. It's not so much to calm down your nerves (which you said isn't a problem), but just to give your mind a break. You'll feel refreshed going in and you'll find you're a lot sharper. I find it's a lot more beneficial than the little bit of studying you would get done during that time so long as you're moderately prepared at that point.

 

[AlephZero]

Could it possibly be due to a lack of nutrition (I am never hungry and throw up when I eat a good amount of food, and I don't know what to do about this), making me tired all the time?

That could be caused by a physical disorder or by a psychological problem, but either way, get some professional medical help, especially if your height and/or weight are outside the "normal" range for your age.

 

[nsimmons]

Nerves are everything, you must force yourself to remain calm and clear headed.

I wrote my physics EM test last Tuesday. I was sick with the flu, in the process of moving, having financial problems. I found out the Sunday two days before the test a close family member has stage 4 osteosarcoma with not much time. I spent an awkward Monday evening with my extended family half of them in denile, half in anger.

I went to the test Tuesday with zero motivation and goal of 50%, I just didnt care and wanted to get it over with. I don't remember anything since I was still rather ill, just sitting calmly and not caring and doing what ever i could.

I ended up with 85%. Class average was 49%. Not caring to the point of being perfectly calm let me reason clearly and despite the lack of studying.

Im 31 and spent the last decade dealing with life, its provided perspective. It really is just a test. Yes do your best, but rank it accordingly with what's important. This has helped me remain calm and perform.

 

[Choppy]

It sounds to me like you would benefit from spending some time working on your test-taking skills.

Based on your post, it sounds like you're understanding the material and doing the work to practice getting familiar with it. Mastering that is the biggest hill to climb for most poeople. But when you have, and the work is no longer challenging, it becomes easy to glance at a problem and start writing down what you think is the solution before you really digest what's being asked.

Some techniques for improving this include:
- Going over previous exams and making sure you understand the style of the questions. (Which are sometimes quite different than those in the textbook.)

- Reading over the entire exam first. Don't answer anything, just read, to give your mind time to digest each question before trying to solve it. Then once you've seen the whole thing, figure out a rough time budget and then start answering the questions.

- Develop a systematic method for answering problems. Rather than just trying to 'solve' each problem outright, be methodical about your approach. Identify the specific things that are required for a complete answer. Identify the key concepts. Write out all given information and draw diagrams as necessary.

- When checking your own work, rather than simply chugging through the algebra again (although sometimes this is a good idea), try to approach each problem from a different direction. Do your answers make sense? Are the units correct? Is the magnitude of your answer reasonable?

Also, if you're vomiting for no particular reason, it would be a good idea to consult a physician.