Academic Support Center Phyllis Zahnd, Ph.D. Bishara Al-Akeel, MSEE Judy Marano, MST Predicting Test Questions Tests give you the opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned. When you take a test, you demonstrate your mastery of the key concepts and the details of course lectures and readings. How do you prepare for this? How Do You Prepare for Taking a Test? Is some material repeated? What is written on the board? Does the instructor make gestures, pause, and look at the class when some material is presented? Is anything read aloud during class? Are there handouts? Listen and Watch for Clues during Class Have you written these questions down? Can you answer these questions? How did the instructor react to the student’s reply? Note the Questions that the Instructor Asks the Class Take good class notes. Put a date on your notes every day. Include a subject heading for each class. This is the topic for the day. It may be on the board. Listen for it as well. After class go over your notes as soon as possible. Correct any errors and fill in missing information. It can be difficult to read your hand writing or remember what was said if you let too much time go by. Note taking: Create test questions after each class. You are most likely to make up clear and relevant questions when the information is fresh in your mind. A Good Idea! Before the day of the test, ask the instructor about the type of test. Will the test be multiple choice, short answer, essay or a combination? Ask how long the test will be. Ask if previously tested information will be on the upcoming test. Look over previous quizzes, papers and other graded material. Can you answer all the questions now? If you got something wrong, do you know the answer now? Use previous tests to help you predict what the upcoming test will be. Try to think like your instructor. What would you consider important for the course? What would you ask if you were the instructor? Before the Test: Focus on finding the topics and main ideas. This will help you to understand the topic as a whole. This will also help you to organize the material. When you begin to study Using the topics and main ideas, make outlines, flow charts, time lines, or mind maps. An appropriate outline will depend upon the material you are trying to learn. An appropriate outline will also depend upon your own personal preferences. Summarize or paraphrase these ideas. If you can say it in your own words, you will remember it! Create an Appropriate Outline Fill in your outline with the major and important minor supporting details. Add examples only if they are critical. Most teachers won’t test you on picky details. Identify Major and Minor Supporting Details Create short-answer questions. These questions will have answers that are clearly stated in your class notes or text. Create essay questions. The answers will be in more than one place. You will have to find and pull information together from different places. Create lots of questions. Create Questions Confusing questions lead to confusing answers. You can improve the clarity of your questions by choosing your words carefully. For example, "What are the five major causes of the Civil War?" has more clarity (and leads to better answers) than, "What are the reasons the Civil War started?” Practice making up clear, well-constructed questions. Well-Constructed Questions Trace Questions Your notes will show steps in a process or how something developed. Flow charts and time lines are helpful in learning the answers to trace questions. Key words in trace questions include: Describe the steps in … Outline the history of … Trace the events leading up to … Trace the development of … Predict Questions From Your Notes: COMPARE AND CONTRAST QUESTIONS Your notes describe two or more things that have some features which are similar and others which are different. Key words found in these questions include: Compare and contrast … Show the similarities and differences ... Tell how two things are alike and different ... Weigh the advantages and disadvantages … Predict Questions From Your Notes: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Your notes describe the effects one thing has on another, or the significance that a particular event has on other events. Key words found in discussion questions include: Discuss the significance of ... Discuss the role of ... Discuss the effect of … Discuss the relationship between ... Predict Questions From Your Notes: Don’t just create questions and answers in your head: Write the question. Write the answer. Write Thank you for listening to this video cast on “Predicting the Test.” Please listen to our video casts on other study skills. Please attend the Study Skills Workshops offered by the Academic Support Center where this information is covered in greater detail. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and listen to the questions that other students ask. Good luck

. oh and Welcome to Predicting Test Questions Video . Predicting Test Questions was the recently presented Thank you know are know as a workshop in the Study Skills series offered by the Academic Support Center at Westchester Community College . My name is Phyllis turned . I prepared you will be leading you through the video cast mission of Predicting Test Questions . they share a Al Akeel provided technical expertise in animation for this baby up . how Do You Prepare for Taking it . the opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned . when you take a test you demonstrate your mastery of the key concepts and the details of course lectures can be . how do you prepare to do . listen and Watch for Clues during class . if some material repeated . what is written on the board . does the instructor make gestures pause and look at the class when some material is presented . is anything read aloud during class . are there handouts . note the Questions that the Instructor Asks the Class . you written these questions down . can you answer these questions . how did the instructor react to the student's reply . these are additional clues telling you what the instructor thinks is important . note taking Take good class notes . I did a ton your notes every day . include a subject heading for each class . this is the topic for today . it may be on the boy . listen for it as well . after class go opium notes the soonest possible . correct any areas and fill in missing information . he can be difficult to read your hand writing or remember what was said if you let too much time go by . is it that ATM . create test questions after each class . you are most likely to make up clear can relevant questions when the information is fresh in your mind . before the day at the test ask the instructor about the type of ten . well the test be multiple killing short answer essay or a combination . how long the test will be . and if previously tested with serial will be on the upcoming test . look over previous quizzes papers and other graded material . can you answer all the questions now . if you got something wrong do you know the answer now . use previous tests to help you predict but the upcoming test will be . try think like the instructor . what would you consider important that the test . what would you ask if you were the instructor . when you begin to study focus on finding the topics and the ninety . this will help you to understand the topic as a whole . this will help you to organize the material . create an Appropriate Alpine . Using the topics in the ninetieth make outlines flow charts time lines or mind . an appropriate outline that depends upon the material you are trying to learn . an appropriate outline will also depend upon your own personal preferences . Summarize or paraphrase the safety . you can say it in your own words you will remember it . Identifying need to and Minor supporting details . fill in your outline that that need to . and important Minor supporting details . examples only if they are critical . most teachers won't test you on picky details . create question . create short answer question . the questions will have a chance is that are Clearly stated in your class notes or text . create essay question . these and this will be in more than one place . you will have to find all information together from different place . create lots of questions . create well Constructed Questions Confusing questions lead to Confusing answers . you can IMPROVE the clarity of your questions but choosing your words carefully . for example what are the five major causes of the Civil War . has more clarity and lead to better answers . then what are the reasons the Civil War started . practice making up clear well Constructed questions . predict Questions From Your Notes . trace questions . then notes will show steps in a process . what have something happen . flow charts and time lines are helpful in learning the answers to trace questions . key words in trace questions include describe the steps in . outline the history of . trace the events leading up to . trace the development of . . predict Questions From Your Notes Compare AND contrast QUESTIONS Your notes describe two or more things that have some features which are similar . and others which are different . he where it stands in these questions include Compare and contrast . show the similarities and differences . well packed and things are alike and different . Weigh the advantages and disagreement . predict Questions From Your Notes DISCUSSION Pike question . Your notes describe the effects one thing has on another what the significance that a particular event has on other events . he word parent in DISCUSSION questions include Discuss the significance of . Discuss the role of . Discuss the effect of . Discuss the relationship between . don't just create questions and can sit in your head Write the question and then write the answer . good luck to you . Thank you for listening to this video cast on Predicting the Test . please listen to our video casts on other study skills . please attend the Study Skills Workshops offered by the Academic Support Center where this information is covered in predict the team . you will have the opportunity to ask questions and listen to the questions that other students .