Tips For Taking College Tests

Have you ever sat down to a test and found yourself stricken with panic? What causes that panic attack? Is it really the fact that you don’t know the information, or do you fear doing poorly on your test will lower your overall grade?

When taking tests, the first thing you need to do is relax. Don’t think of the test as the last ditch effort to bring your grade up, or the reason your grade will drop. Instead, think of your test as just another homework assignment.

Once you sit down to take your test, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and tell yourself that you know the answers, then begin.

1. Multiple choice questions can be the trickiest of all because several answers can sound alike. The key to taking a multiple choice test is to read the question, then try to answer it without looking at the answer choices. Once you know the answer, read the answer choices and pick the one closest to your “thought” answer. If you don’t know the answer, read all the answer choices, then cross out the ones that you know for a fact are incorrect. What you have left should give you a 50/50 chance of coming up with the correct answer.



2. True or false questions only give you one chance to be right or wrong. When reviewing the questions, you must read the entire question before selecting an answer. Sometimes, half the question will be true, while the second half will be false. Only reading half the question could cause you to choose the wrong answer.



3. Essay questions are the most difficult to answer because it requires “knowing” your stuff. You can’t narrow down your choices by eliminating the wrong choices, you must write out your answers. When answering essay questions, always answer the easiest questions first. That way, you have more time to ponder the tougher questions—and sometimes, answering the easier questions will help jog your memory for the tougher questions or give clues to help you answer them.

In the end, your test scores will only be as good as your study habits.

Come back on Monday as we discuss all things related to the life of a medical student.