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Test anxiety
• Many people get nervous just thinking about taking an essay exam.
• However, essay exams are a part of college life!
• Let’s look at how to be successful.
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Chapter overview
• Preparing for essay exams
• Analyzing the format and questions on the exam
• Planning an answer
• Writing the essay exam
• How to prepare for an exam
• Different kinds of essay test formats
• Using the rule of three, outlines and maps
• Typical types of exam questions
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How are essay tests different?
• Most tests focus on whether you have learned specific facts, terms, or formulas.
• Essay tests require you to demonstrate your understanding of applying concepts by writing anywhere from several sentences to a page or more.
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Objective vs. subjective
• Test question formats such as true/false, multiple choice, and matching are examples of objective questions. There is a correct answer.
• Essay test questions often include both an objective and subjective aspect, if you are asked your opinion.
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Preparing for essay exams
• Ask about format and scope (how many chapters will be covered).
• Read over your notes, and review chapter summaries in your text.
• Write sample questions and plan answers.
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Overall approach for preparation
• Don’t try to memorize big chunks of information.
• Focus instead on the big picture; “the main ideas, terminology, controversies, explanations, and conceptual frameworks”.
• Consider working with a study group.
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Types of essay test formats
What are the three different types of essay tests?
• Identification items
• Short answer
• Long answer
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Identification items
• Short statements used to define a term or identify a researcher
• Typical for introductory courses
• Write one to two sentences, as needed.
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Short-answer questions
• Instructions may say to answer in a few sentences to several paragraphs.
• It’s safest to develop a short thesis statement and write an organized mini-essay of several paragraphs.
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Long-answer essay questions
• Use more complex questions that require a more complex answer
• Explore bigger concepts
• A clue may be a question at the top of the page, and then rest of the page is blank!
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Use time wisely
• Identification items should be given the least amount of time.
• Short-answer questions should be given a few more minutes, but probably no more than 10 minutes.
• Essay questions, or long answer questions, may take from 20 minutes to an hour to complete.
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Planning is essential
• Take a few moments to think about the question; note key words.
• Jot down a scratch outline of ideas to discover a three-part thesis statement.
• Use a simple outline to organize ideas.
• Add details, examples.
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Example of an informal outline
• Introduction (simple thesis with three points)
• Body: first point and examples
• Body: second point and examples
• Body: third point and examples
• Conclusion
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The thesis
• The main idea of your essay
• Gives your reader a sense of organization
• Builds in a mini-outline to essay
• Three works well: for example, three reasons, three ways, three arguments, three views.
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Drafting your answer
• Realize you can only write a good rough draft; there is no time to do a major revision.
• First impressions count.
• Use the ideas in the question itself to frame the opening statement.
• Provide supporting evidence, and tie in ideas from the course.
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Drafting your answer, cont.
• Write an ending, even if short on time.
• Write legibly, and proofread.
• Watch the clock.
• If you feel you cannot finish, at least list the ideas from your outline to show where you are going.
• See the student samples, pages 663-666.