http://www2.goshen.edu/~marvinpb/grades.html

Honestly, though, take-home tests are often harder than in-class tests.  Because the professor knows you have the advantage of consulting reference materials and spending as much time on the test as you want, he often compensates by making the exam more difficult.  However, this doesn’t mean it has to be impossible. Here are a few suggestions to help you master the take-home exam and how to prepare for a test.

1) First, be sure you’re ready for the test.  Many people, when they know it’s going to be a take-home exam, don’t study as hard as they would for an in-class exam.  But if you want to do well on the exam, you still need to be studying up until the day that you receive the exam.

2) On the other hand, don’t over-prepare for the test.  After you’ve studied and studied, there comes a point where more studying will not do much good for you.  Instead, this over-preparing will just take time that you could spend on other classes.  At some point, you have to tell yourself “I’ve learned this material as well as possible. I’m now just going to take the test.”

3) Make sure you’re comfortable when you take the test.  This means sit in a chair where you can relax and create an environment that you feel lends itself to study.  For some people, that might mean having soft music playing.  Others might work better with complete silence.  The important point is that you are comfortable in the environment.

4) But don’t get too comfortable.  A chair that’s too cozy might tend to put you to sleep.  Same thing with a dim room.  It’s nice and relaxing, but a brightly lit room is better for taking a test.

5) Be smart about food and drink.  It’s cool to eat and drink as you’re taking your exam, but use common sense.  For starters, avoid things that will get your fingers sticky since it might mess up your test paper, or at minimum, you’ll waste valuable time constantly cleaning your hands.  Feel free to drink coffee or other caffeinated beverage, but it might not be smart to do this if the goal is to keep yourself up late taking the test.  Coffee or not, you’ll be at your best if you take the test during your normal awake hours.

A take home exam is a great opportunity to take a test on your own home turf according to your own terms.  However, as with any test, you must use proper study and test-taking strategies to make sure you get the best possible grade.

A study done by James E. Houston and Everett V. Smith hypothesized that those students possessing good communication and organizational skills would score higher on their oral exams.  “There was a statistically significant increase in oral examination measures for candidates with higher levels of communication/organization skills” (Smith & Everett, 2).  Alas, the hypothesis was correct.  This shows both the why and the how.  The key to successful oration can be found in organization and communication, two crucial aspects of being a successful professional.

Smith and Everett’s study determined that a well organized mind would present their oral responses clearly, making them easier for the judges to comprehend.  This, combined with a lucid presentation and a thoughtful choice of language would make the examinees appear favorably in judges’ eyes.

Organize your thoughts well and communicate them clearly; it seems simple.  As usual, it is easier said than done.

Seven factors, in addition to the pure competence of the examinee, have been noted as score influencers.  A judge’s response to a candidate, if visibly negative, can have an affect on the examinee’s ability to continue.  A judge’s personal feelings and biases will come into play as well.  The candidate’s personality and the way in which they interact with the judges will also play a role. The manner in which the questions are presented will affect the examinee’s ability to answer appropriately.  Articulateness of the examinee’s speech also plays a part.  The style in which responses are presented is also important as it may be considered too formal or informal.  And, of course, test anxiety.

So the answer to the long asked question: How does one take a successful oral exam? Be prepared.  If you do not have a strong working knowledge of the test material, nothing will save you.  Take your time and choose your words wisely.  Of the seven factors outlined above, five are at least partially within the control of the examinee.  Do not let yourself be shaken by the reaction of a judge.  Be yourself, but in a professional manner (you are not trying to make friends).  Be sure that you understand the question before responding.  Speak slowly and clearly.  Focus, and, at all costs, be confident.

But whether you like a multiple choice test or not, if you’re a student, you’ll face plenty of these kinds of tests.  So are there ways to improve your score on these tests? There are! We’ll share with you some of the best strategies for answering multiple choice.

1) Tip number one: Note how many questions there are to answer.  Then compare this to the amount of time you have for the entire test, and decide how long you can allot for each question.  In most cases, you should spend no more than 20 or 30 seconds on each multiple-choice question.  If you find yourself stuck on one for much more than that, skip it until later and move along.  If you still have time left after you finish the other questions, you can come back to it.

2) Resist the temptation to answer the question before you have read it all the way through. It is amazing how many people miss a multiple-choice question because they stopped reading too soon–and missed some important detail that changed the answer.

3) Likewise, read the question carefully. Pay particular attention to questions that are phrased in a tricky manner–and single words that change the question’s meaning.

4) Be sure you put your answers in the right spot. Many multiple-choice tests have those circles or ovals you have to color in. The disadvantage to you is that if you fill in the wrong oval for the wrong question, it could throw off every other question after that. So, check these closely, and keep an eraser handy.

5) Never change an answer unless you are positive your first answer was wrong. It is amazing how often your first hunch is the correct one.

6) Keep in mind that if two answers some very similar to each other, while one or two or three others do not sound similar to those two, the answer is almost always one of the two answers which are similar to each other.

7) Don’t give up too soon on a question just because you think you do not know it. Usually there will be one or two answers that you can rule out immediately as being absurd.  Once you have ruled out a couple of answers, you have just improved your chances of getting the answer correct.

Finally, never leave a question blank unless you are informed that points are taken off for a missed question. A one in four chance of getting a question right is better than a zero in four chance–and those are the odds for the questions you leave blank.

More Tips on How to Prepare for a Test

Most people learn English in classes or by watching movies but sometimes it is difficult because there are so many slang words and because often people speak so fast that it is difficult to keep up with them.  The TOEFL is just one English Language Test.  Others are TOEIC, IELTS and the ESOL.  If you try reading books there are often words you don’t understand too and it takes a lot of time to constantly look up a word that you don’t know.

If you are a student that is studying English and are planning to go to school in the United States or other English speaking countries like Australia, Great Britain, Canada or New Zealand you will be required to take a Test of English as a Foreign Language – also called the TOEFL test. This means that you must improve your vocabulary to be eligible to apply to a college or university in these countries as it is imperative that you be able to read, write and speak English well.

There are actually over 6000 higher education universities in over 130 countries that accept this test which makes it very important for those that want to study in a different country than their own. This test will be used to determine how well an ESL student is able to effectively communicate with the test scores used as part of the admissions process for universities and colleges all over the world.

The TOEFL is recognized as one of the most accepted language skills tests in the world so it is imperative that if you are considering college that you be prepared when taking this exam.

New York State Teacher Certification for teaching can be obtained for a classroom teacher, an administrator or a pupil personnel service which includes a social worker, psychologist or school counselor. There are also certificates available for technical teacher and career teachers and others. Each certification will describe the subject and the grade level that you are authorized to teach.

An Internship Certificate is given to those who have passed the LAST and CST certification tests and have completed a minimum of 50% of the graduate program for an Initial Certificate for teaching. These interns will need a letter from their college or university validating their eligibility and this certificate is valid for two years.

An Initial Certificate is issued for entry level teachers and it signifies that you have completed the required coursework. This certification is non-renewable and is valid for five years. A Professional Certificate is for classroom teachers who have a Masters Degree with three years of teaching experience and have continuing professional development. It is considered an advanced level certificate.

Other certificates include Transitional “A” Certificates that are provided to those who have the required occupational experience in specific technical or career education titles but have not met the requirements for an Initial Certificate. This certificate is valid for three years. A Transitional “B” Certificate is given to those who are enrolled in an alternative certification program and they cannot apply directly to the State for this certification. An example is a New York City Teaching Fellows program. Those with a valid Provisional or Permanent NY State Certification are also acceptable.

While open book tests are not inherently easier simply because you have access to the material, with proper work ahead of time, they certainly can be. The key to succeeding at open book tests is lies in the test preparation.

Before the Test

• Thoroughly read all of the material. Make notes in the margins and highlight key terms.

• Become familiar with the layout of the book. Learn where important ideas and concepts are located so you do not have to waste time searching for them at the time of the test.

• Review any other relevant materials such as class notes.

• If it’s allowed, write down any formulas and/or other notes on a separate sheet of paper

During the Test

• Begin by carefully reading the instructions.

• Answer any questions that you automatically know. Once you have done that, go back to the questions that you are unsure of and consult your book and/or notes.

• When answering questions it is acceptable to quote the book, but be sure not to plagiarize by copying long sentences or paragraphs. Put the author’s thoughts into your own words.

• Once finished, go back and check your work before handing it in. Proofread your answers and correct any grammatical or spelling errors.

One last thing. Don’t allow the test to intimidate or overwhelm you. The irony is that sometimes a person can feel overwhelmed due to the vastness of the material available to them to refer to for the test. As with any test, try to rela before starting.

Above all else, remember that an open book test is still a test! As long as you approach it with the same level of seriousness that you would with any other exam, you should pass with flying colors.

Study–for an essay exam? Is it even possible? If so, just how does one study for these much-hated tests? The answer to the first question: Yes, it’s both possible and essential that you study for an essay test as well as prepare test taking strategies. The answer the second question: There are several strategies to improve your study time.

1) First, understand what not to do. Your instructor does not expect you to memorize your textbook. Instead, he will expect you to demonstrate the application of the theory of he subject that you’ve been studying. Therefore, you must read through all of your textbooks and notes. Read through them once and as you do, highlight anything that illustrates the main concept. Then study that concept until you understand it. If necessary, ask your instructor (and fellow students) to provide examples of that concept.

You are not expected to memorize the textbooks. You are expected to demonstrate the application of the theory. You have to read through your notes and textbooks. Read through once. Highlight the concept. Understand the concept. Ask your lecturers and friends to give you examples to help you understand it.

Let’s say, for instance, that your unit is on the scientific method. You must read your material and speak with your instructor until you know what’s involved in the scientific method, and why each stage is there.

2) Once you feel like you understand the concept, you need to try to explain it as if you’re talking to a six year old child. One of the best ways of making sure you have learned something is to see if you can explain it in very elementary terms. Until you’ve reached that point, you haven’t really learned it. And so, in our example, what words, what language could you use to explain the scientific method to a child. Once you’ve learned to do that, you’re a step closer to being able to write about it in an essay test.

3) As you’re studying for the essay exam, think of as many “how” and “why” questions as you can about the subject. Don’t waste time on “who, when, where” questions. Essay tests almost never ask these sorts of questions. The “why” and “how” are the important parts of an essay exam.

4) Think of examples you will use in your essay exam to support your arguments. Write out key points of these examples. You won’t have lots of time when you’re taking the test to think of examples, so it’s helpful to have those examples already in your mind.

5) And of course, as with any other test, make sure you get enough rest before the day of the exam. Nothing will make your brain freeze just as the test begins like a lack of sleep will. But if you prepare adequately, come equipped with good examples, and have enough sleep, you stand a good chance of getting a good grade on the test.

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• First and probably most important to memorization is the principle of repetition. You remember what’s important to you, and when you repeat something over and over, it causes your brain to perceive the material you’re studying as important. If you keep reviewing it consistently and constantly, you’ll start recognizing the facts that you need to remember. Put simply, repetition just assails your brain with facts, words, speeches, etc., so much that it can’t help but to remember them.

• Writing things down is another greay aid to memorization. In fact, that’s one of the best reasons to take notes when you’re in class. Any time you write down information, you’ll automatically remember it a lot more than if you just read it. That’s because now, you’re getting your body involved in the learning process. The wording becomes etched, not just on your paper, but on your mind also. When you combine writing with repetition, your brain picks up the fact that this is important material you’re dealing with and it keeps it in that section it allocates for easy recall. And by the way, typing does not count here. That’s because typing does not connect your brain and your hands in the same way as handwriting. When you handwrite information, your brain has to do more thinking about what you’re writing than it does when you’re typing.

• A third suggestion for improving your memorization is to say the material out loud. When you talk out the information that you’re studying, your ears are able to hear the sound of the material. This involves your brain in yet another way, increasing the likelihood that you’ll remember the facts when you need them.

• In your brain, think of some bizarre connection between the material you’re trying to memorize and something familiar to you. By creating a strange association, your brain will see this out of the ordinary…and the brain remembers things that are out of the ordinary more than it does the commonplace. So the more bizarre you make this combination, the better your chance of recalling the information.

Keep in mind that one of these suggestions in and of itself is not the ultimate key to memorization. Instead, try to incorporate two or three or all of them. The more you use these strategies the more likely your brain is to agree with you that the material you’re studying is worth remembering

Let’s face it: for most people, studying is not fun. And most of us tend to put off things that aren’t fun—especially studying. Honestly, this comes largely because of your high school days. Back then, you could procrastinate a little—sometimes a lot—and still get decent grades. But then you get to college and BAM! Your procrastination habit comes back to haunt you, because sloppy studying at this level won’t get the job done.

Are you used to studying for that exam the night before, because that’s how you did it in 12th grade? It’s time to change those old habits.

There are five reasons why you must not wait till the night before a test to start studying. First, is the exhaustion factor. If you spend an all-nighter cramming for the exam, you’re putting your body at its worst at the time when it needs to be at its best. There will be a period during the night when you will become too tired to study and probably not finish going over all the information. And then when you crawl into the classroom, your brain will be arguing about whether it wants to take the test or go to sleep.

A better alternative: Break down the material you need to study into several smaller bites. Then study one or two small parts each day. Studying in this way will make the job a whole lot easier, and help you out on the exam. Added bonus: You can feel all superior the night before the exam when all your friends are miserable studying for the exam and you’re chilling in front of the TV.

In most cases there’s just enough time you to cover all the material in one night. Here’s a formula to remember: If you have more than three chapters to cover, you will not be able to complete it in one night. Two or three chapters is what you can realistically expect to master in one evening. So if there are, for instance, six chapters on the exam, allow yourself three or four nights to study.

Another problem with procrastinating: What if an unexpected crisis happens? Your computer breaks down and you can’t get on the Web to do research or you get sick and just don’t feel like studying one night. These and other crises are less of an issue if you have more time to deal with them instead of just one night.

There’s no test that you can afford to fail. You have to be on your best performance in every class in every unit. Part of making this happen is to successfully defeat the procrastination monster.