Since you have to anticipate that there will be no easy questions,
no matter how well you know that material, you need to do some
preparation before you deal with this type of test.
■ Mark important pages by turning down corners, using paper
clips, or any other method that will help you quickly flip to
important charts, tables, summaries, or illustrations.
■ Write an index of the pages you’ve turned down so you know
where to look immediately for a specific chart, graph, table,
and so forth.
■ Summarize all important facts, formulas, etc., on a separate
sheet.
■ If you are also allowed to bring your notes or it’s a take-home
test, write a brief index to your notes (general topics only)
so you know where to find pertinent information.First answer the questions for which you don’t need your text. Then
work on those questions on which you must rely fully on the book.
Be careful about quoting too freely from your text. Better to make
up a similar example than use the same one in your book. Better to
paraphrase your text than quote it directly, even if you use quotation
marks.
While a take-home test is, by definition, an open-book test, it is the
hardest of all. An open-book test in class simply can’t last longer than
the time allotted for the class. But you may be given a night or two,
or even a week or longer, to complete a take-home exam.
Chapter 8 ■ How to Study for Tests 201