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PREPARING FOR EXAMS 241I will now review a six-step procedure for how you can develop a
study plan for each of your scheduled exams:Step 1: Determine the Content Coverage and Question Format of the Exam
Exam questions come from many different sources. Omitting any
of the following sources can result in incomplete information for exam
preparation:Course Syllabus. The course syllabus is a good place to start to deter-
mine the specific course content covered during the term. It is normally
distributed at the first or second class session and includes all (or most
of) the assignments (e.g., textbook chapters, exercises, and papers), as
well as exam dates. Some instructors provide more information than
others in a syllabus. This is why syllabi can range from about 2 pages
to 10 pages. A review of the course syllabus will help you determine
the exact content covered on the exam. If there are questions about
the information in the syllabus, they can be raised in class. This review
will prevent you from realizing midway through an exam that you
failed to study some of the content covered on the exam.Textbook Chapters. After checking the textbook chapters covered on an
exam, make sure the instructor did not announce any changes during
the term. If the instructor failed to emphasize certain chapters or
paperback books, do not assume they will not be covered on the
exam. If you have questions, ask the instructor whether he or she will
emphasize certain material in the course. Finally, assess how well you
understand the material in each chapter and determine which chap-
ters need more extensive study.Lecture Notes. Review your notes to determine whether you have all
the lecture notes. When notes are dated, it is easy to determine
whether any notes are missing. If notes are missing or incomplete,
borrow them from another student. Finally, ask your instructor or
classmates questions about confusing aspects of your notes.Previous Exams and Quizzes. Some instructors hand out copies of past
exams, place them on reserve in the library, or allow students to review
them in his or her office. If no mention is made of such exams, ask your
instructor if it is possible to review an exam. The purpose of reviewing
past exams is to identify possible topics or issues that are likely to appear
on future exams. Although reviewing past exams can be helpful, do not
assume that the exam coverage will be the same. Instructors often change
textbooks or course content, and their exams reflect these changes.
The following are some questions you might want to consider when
reviewing past exams: Does the instructor tend to ask questions from