Philip Robert

A close friend of mine has final exams in a couple of weeks and she’s really stressing out over the test. The material is very difficult. She’s been diligent about her studies, but is still stressing over the exam. She tells me that the practice tests have answers that pretty much jump out. Her worry is over the time limit when she takes the real exam.

Here is a strategy that a grizzled old Senior Chief Petty Officer taught me when I was going through basic electronics and electricity in the Navy.

1. Be prepared for the test. Really the point isn’t to score high on the test, the point is to know the material in your bones. But… we want to score high on the test as well.
2. The night before the test try not to cram. You’ll fill your mind up with all kinds of new information which takes time to asimilate. Give your brain a break. When you study the material on a regular basis your brain will absorb it better and be able to recall it later for the test.

Test Time

3. As the test begins start at the 1st question.
4. Do you know the answer? Can you figure out the answer within one minute? Then answer the question!
5. You do not know the answer, and you know that it will take you more than a minute to figure out. Write down the number of the question on a sheet of scratch paper and move on to the next answer.
6. By repeating these steps for each question you will quickly answer all the questions which you know or which will only take you less than a minute to answer.

If you have prepared well for the exam you will find that you have completed 75-85% of the questions within 20-30% of the time allotted for the exam. Now you have 30-40% of the time remaining to go back and work out the questions which you can either figure out in a few minutes or don’t know. Be sure to apply the same principles to the remaining questions so that you don’t end up spending all of your time on one very difficult question.

So remember, learn the material, manage your test time, and prepare for much testing happiness!