Study Skills - How to Take an Exam

Just as you need a plan for studying, you also need a plan to prepare for your exams. The following outline helps you plan when and what to study.

Complete this planner seven to ten days before your exam.

When to study:

• List the material over which you will be tested (textbook chapters, lectures, etc.).
• What type of exam is it (problems, multiple choice, essay, etc.)?
• What is the weighting of this exam? (List your exam grades in this course. What is your goal grade on this exam)?
• List the days and hours you will study for this exam. These times should not overlap normal study times.
• List the dates and times of your final review. These should be on the day before and the day of the exam.

What to study:

List at least 2 successful study strategies (Index cards, old exams, etc.). Explain why they were successful.

Explain two new strategies (summary sheets, study guides, etc.) you will add to your process. Explain why you think they will be helpful.

What types of errors do you usually make (need more time on task, need more detail from text or from lecture, etc.)?

REMEMBER: Research reveals that the odds of changing a right answer to a wrong answer are greater than the odds of changing a wrong answer to a right one.

Plan your work.
Work your plan.

Test Taking Skills Links:

1. UT Learning Center Study Tips
   Provides thorough information on general, objective, essay, and problem solving test taking tips.
   
   
2. Academic Advancement Program: General Study Skills
   Test anxiety and 10 Commandments for Finals highlight this site.
   
   
3. Study Skills Library
   The most popular essay terms are defined in the essay test section.