1. Reading Strategies Workshop –
Spring 2014

2. HOW DO
YOU
PREPARE

3. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzghjYg6r0Q

4. “Whether you believe you can do a
thing or not…you are right.”
Henry Ford
“Courage is being afraid and
saddling up anyway.”
John Wayne

5. Directions: Read all steps before you begin.
1. Write your name on the index card you were
given when you walked in.
2. In the bottom right hand corner, write the name of
this seminar.
3. In the bottom left-hand corner, write today’s date.
4. Put a box around the seminar name.
5. Put a circle around the date.
6. Write the name of the college on the back of the
card.
7. You have now completed the exercise, so let the
class know you are finished by calling out “Done.”
8. Return to the beginning and do only number one.

6. • Directions
•Test questions
•Trigger/di-rection
words
• Assisted
response

7.  Get enough sleep, food, etc.
 Arrive early
 Avoid sitting near
distractions
 Survey the test
 Budget your time
 Do the easy stuff first
 ALWAYS read the questions
first
 Jail the detail, Stash the
Trash, Plug it in, Unpack it.
 Pay attention to the format
for future tests

13. True/False
Matching
Multiple Choice

14. • Highlight and mark your notes and text.
• Use mnemonic devices to aid memory.
• Develop and use flash cards.
• Test yourself! Simulate testing situations.

15. True/false tests provide excellent odds for
guessing.
There are many ways to make a statement
“false” so they can be tricky.

16. • Make Your Best Guess
• Absolute statements which contain words such as “always, all,
never, or none” tend to be false.
• Statements containing qualifying words such as “usually,
sometimes, many, few, may, can or frequently” are usually
true.

17. • Sitting in the front of the room will assure you of getting a
good grade.
• You should always make diagrams when studying for a
test.
• Everyone loves to play Monopoly.
• The best game for young children is Jacks.

18. • Chess is usually played by adults.
• Trivial Pursuit may be played by groups of people.
• Some students use recall columns when they take
lecture notes.
• Some students who fail exams may suffer from high
levels of test anxiety.

19. •When all else fails, it is better to guess
true than false.

20. • Read Two-Part Statements Carefully
• The World Health Organization has been successful in its
campaign to eliminate smallpox and malaria.
• Hint: Malaria is still a world health problem.

21. • Look for Negative and Double-Negative Statements
• Hint: Look for words such as no, none, never, not, cannot,
and prefixes such as in-, dis-, un-, il-, and ir-.
• It is not unreasonable to expect Vietnam veterans to continue
to be angry about their exposure to Agent Orange.

22. • If a statement contains a double negative, cross off
the negative word and/or the negative prefix.
It is not illegal to smoke in the dorm becomes
It is legal to smoke in the dorm.

23. Matching tests require you to recognize the
correct answer from a list of alternatives.
All you have to do is memorize.

24. • Glance through both lists first to get an overview.
• Work from one side only—usually the one with the
most words.
• Answer the items you are sure of first.
• Go through the list more than once, eliminating
alternatives.

25. • Mark through the letter not the word so you can review
later.
• Don’t choose the first answer you see that seems
correct; items later in the list may be better choices.

26. • Don’t be afraid to draw on information from other
courses and your own experience to help you figure out
the answers.

27. Multiple choice exams are very often not based simply on
recognition of basic ideas.
They very often require you to reason through a problem using
the course material.

28. • You can’t be just familiar with the
material
• You must be able to
• understand it thoroughly.
• define it.
• analyze it.
• apply it.
• think critically about it.

29. • Strategy #1
• Preview the exam.
• Take note of questions that look easier.
• Jot down notes or formulas in the margins.
• Calculate how much time per question you
have.

30. • Strategy #2
• Answer questions in a strategic order
• Start with the easy questions first.
• Raises your confidence with a fast start, settles
you down, and ensures you get credit for what
you know.
• Get the most points in the least amount of
time.

31. • Strategy #3
• Set goals for time
• Allocate time in proportion to the relative value
of questions
• Save more time for questions that are worth
more points
• Pace yourself accordingly

32. • Strategy #4
• Read the questions carefully, twice if necessary.
• On the first read, ask, “What topic is this question
about?”
• On the next read, ask, “What, specifically, is the
question asking about that topic?”

33. • Strategy #5
• Work to eliminate incorrect alternatives rather than
looking for the right answers.
• Use logic and common sense.

34. • Strategy #6
• Circle or underline key words in questions.
• Be wary of answers with absolute words like: all,
always, never
• More moderate words such as few, often, usually, and
some are often better choices

35. • Strategy #7
• Use the “cover up strategy”
• Try to recall a concept from memory or think
out the answer before looking at the options
• Helps minimize confusion and may speed your
decision making

36. • Strategy #8
• Use the “true-false label” strategy
• Connect the stem to each alternative making
them a series of True-False statements.
• Usually the item that breaks the pattern is the
answer

37. • Strategy #9
• Temporarily ignore “all of the above”, “none of the
above”, and other combination answers
• Use the “true-false label” strategy on the alternatives
that have actual content before considering
combinations

38. • Strategy #10
• When given “all of the above” OR “none of the
above” alternatives
• realize that one wrong answer cancels out
either alternative

39. • Strategy #11
• Translate double negative statements into positive
phrases to reduce confusion
• “not lacking” becomes “having”
• “not any” becomes “some”

40. • Strategy #12
• Be alert to terminology that links the alternatives or
questions to key areas of the course, lecturers, or
chapters of course readings
• Doing so may help you discard incorrect
alternatives

41. • Strategy #13
• Read all choices before selecting the correct choice.
• Look for similar alternatives
• Examine each alternative closely for the one or two
words that distinguish it from other answers
• Assess the meanings of these words before
selecting an answer

42. • Strategy #14
• When looking at similar alternatives, look for the
alternative that
• correctly uses course terminology
• offers more detail
• contains no errors

43. • Strategy #15
• If you absolutely have no idea about the answer
to a question, go ahead and guess (providing
you won’t be penalized for a wrong answer).
• In general, it’s best not to leave any questions
blank.

44. • Strategy #16
• Change your answers only if you know a good
reason to do so (e.g., you realize you misread the
question).
• Changing an answer because you are unsure is
often a bad idea.

46. • Essay and short answer exams
emphasize critical and analytical
thinking about the course themes.
• They focus on
• particular theories, concepts,
ideas, readings, lectures and
• how they inter-relate and apply to
issues in the field of study.

47. • Review the goals of your course as
stated in the course description.
• Seek clarification for any confusing
theoretical or conceptual content of
your course before the midterm
and/or final exam.

48. • Select probable topics
• Study the topics selected
• Predict test questions
• Try to write answers to them
• Create a key-word outline
• Write a rough-draft

49. • In addition to preparing well, it is
essential to have a strategy or
“game plan” for the actual writing of
the exam.

50. • Use point distribution as a clue to how many pieces of
information to include.
• Plan what you will say before starting to write—outline
your ideas.
• Use the amount of space provided as to a clue to how
much you should write.

51. • Strategy #1 for Essay Exams:
• Read over the questions.
• Read the directions first
• Study the question for clues to organizational pattern
you should use
• Watch for questions with several parts.
• Note the relative value of each question.
• Plan your time.

52. • Strategy #2 for Essay Exams:
• Read and re-read the questions, carefully
noting what each question is really asking.
• Understand exactly what each question word
wants you to do.
• Explain, describe, apply…
• Make your choice.

53. • Strategy #3 for Essay Exams:
• Organize your thoughts before beginning to
write.
• brief outlines
• mind-maps
• diagrams

54. • Strategy #4 for Essay Exams:
• Write a brief introduction.
• Adapt your thesis statement from the
question you are answering.
• Tell the reader what information you will provide
to support the thesis.

55. • Strategy #5 for Essay Exams:
• Keep your points straightforward and clear.
• Use simple, clear transitions to link your points.
• Avoid opinions and judgments.
• Illustrate your ideas with examples from course
materials.

56. • Strategy #6 for Essay Exams:
• Sum up your work to reinforce the coherence of
your answer.
• Review the paper for obvious errors, legibility,
labeling of questions, and changes you want to
make.
• If you run out of time, jot down major ideas.

57. • Use ink.
• Use clean, 8 1/2 by 11 paper.
• Number your pages with your name on each
sheet.
• Do not scratch out sentences, draw a single line
through them.
• Write on one side.
• Leave plenty of space between questions.

59. • Some degree of anxiety is normal
• Test anxiety is not an excuse for not being prepared.
• Get used to a variety of test situations.
• Control negative thinking.
• Compose yourself before the test begins.

60. • Focus on answering the questions
• Don’t focus on how well/poorly you are doing in
the exam.
• Don’t focus on what others are doing.
• Deep breathing can help you relax

61. • Keesee, Gayla. “Test Taking Strategies.” Creative
Learning Solutions. 28. July 2008. Web. 4 April
2014.