Thursday, 30 May 2013

How To Study Effectively And Accurately Predict What Is On Your Next Test

By Lachlan Haynes


How much easier would life be if we already knew what was going to be on the next test or exam? No more time spent stressing and worrying, no more cramming a year's worth of work into one day of super study and no more sleepless nights.

One way to ace your next test or exam is to use the strategies that "test psychics" use to accurately predict the exact questions on their next test or exam. The good news is that anyone can do it and there's no reason you shouldn't be doing it already!

Part 1 - Focus On What Is Important

First of all, you need to actually focus in on what you believe will be the most important information to know for the test. There will be several sources of information that will be used to create test questions (obviously the questions won't be made up from thin air - or so you'll be hoping!).

Your mission is to identify which sources will be more likely than others to be on the test. Here are some very likely sources:

1. Any chapters or areas of the text that have been looked at extensively during class time will no doubt be on the test. Conversely, anything you covered very quickly during class should be ignored.

2. Any handouts/worksheets/homework assignments that your teacher provides to you that does not form part of the textbook.

3. If you spend a lot of time in class going over particular areas you can rest assured they will be on the next test or exam. Teachers never waste class time with topics that aren't going to be covered in an assignment, test or exam in some way.

Part 2 - Talk To The Teacher

Try to develop some sort of working relationship with the teacher if you can - they are here to help you remember?

1. Clearly, one of the easiest ways to find out what may be on your next test or exam is to simply ask your teacher. You can guide the direction of the conversation by telling them which chapters or areas you are going to focus your study on and see what reaction you get. Teachers will often give you little hints and pointers so be very aware of what they say to you.

2. Find out which style the questions will be in. Is it going to be long answer, short answer, multiple choice or true/false? Will it be a combination of all of these styles? If so, which questions will make up the most marks? Clearly, the type of questions will impact on how you prepare. For example, if the questions are going to be long answer you will need to be ready to write half essays using several bits of information. If they are going to multiple choice you will need to know lots of details and facts.

3. Ask the teacher for previous test or exam papers or source these for yourselves. If you can get hold of previous tests that your actual teacher has given to previous classes before, it may give you many clues as to the probable structure and difficulty of the upcoming tests you will be receiving.

Part 3 - Plan Ahead

1. Have a section in your workbook that is used specifically for probable test and exam questions. So when you come across something you are pretty almost fairly 100% certain will be on a test or exam, you write it out as a question and as an answer. Later on, you can review these much more easily.

2. Highlight or underline (in pencil if needs be) information in your textbooks that you are pretty almost fairly 100% certain will be tested later. That way, when you skim through your textbook at a later time the most important information has already been identified. This should be done in addition to a mind mapping strategy.

3. Grab a group of the brainiest kids you can find and form a study group. Note: I did not say get together with your friends and gossip for half the day! This is serious! Or is it? Yes, it is. By gathering some smart cookies together you will be able to bounce ideas around and share thoughts. Often other people think of things we never even consider. This means that they are opening our minds and hopefully they are making our notes better than ever! Sharing ideas, notes and study techniques with each other is a super way to become a test psychic.

Predicting what will be on your next test will be incredibly easy if you put these practices into place. Becoming a test psychic is easy once you know what to do. So hop to it!




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