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242 CHAPTER 10all the major areas in the course, or does he or she tend to focus on
specific areas? Do the questions reflect both the lecture and text, or
is one source of information favored over the other? What type of
questions are asked? Do they tend to be factual, or do they ask you
to engage in higher level thinking such as solving problems, giving
opinions, or analyzing information?Instructor’s Handouts. Do not limit your review to lecture notes and text-
book reading. Many instructors pass out summaries, outlines, lists of
terms, sample problems, maps, or charts that provide information for
exams. Any information that your instructor gives you is likely to be
important. Date and label handouts as you receive them. The labeling
should identify the lecture topic to which the material corresponds. It is
important to place these handouts in your notes so you do not lose them.Information From Other Students. Did you miss any lectures during the
term? Is there information you do not understand? Do not hesitate to
ask students in your class questions about the course content. In addi-
tion, consider whether you could benefit from participating in group
study sessions.Information From the Last Class Before the Exam. Review the content cov-
ered for the exam before class so you will be better prepared to ask
questions in class and understand the instructor’s reply to other stu-
dents’ questions. Although students can learn important information
about a course from each lecture, the last lecture before an examina-
tion is especially important for several reasons. First, instructors may
give a brief overview of the exam by discussing both content and for-
mat (i.e., number of essay and objective test questions). Second,
instructors may provide last-minute suggestions, such as “Pay partic-
ular attention to... ” or “Be sure to look over... ” Third, instruc-
tors may provide important information by the manner in which they
reply to students’ questions.
Information about the format of the exam can be helpful in deter-
mining the study strategies selected. Is the exam a combination of
essay and objective questions (e.g., multiple-choice or true–false), or
will the exam include only one type of question? The instructor can
cover a broad field of knowledge by using objective questions, because
they can be answered quickly. However, essay questions usually cover
a limited field of knowledge, because they take longer to answer. The
selection of study strategies for an exam depends both on the format
and nature of the course content. For example, focusing on the sum-
mary questions after each lecture may be more important in prepar-
ing for an essay exam; whereas focusing on factual information may
be more important when studying for certain objective exams.