testing

Final Exams in the Testing Center

The Testing Center is preparing for final exams. If you have tested with us before, you know we have limited space. We have 24 regular testing computers, 12 reserved special testing cubicles, and hundreds of students to test. So, here are four tips to make your experience as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Tip 1: Know the Testing Center Protocols

Read the Testing Center Protocols before you come in to test. The Protocols clearly explain the rules relating to the Testing Center’s hours, sign-in procedures, testing room policies, and academic integrity standards.

Tip 2: Test Early

Don’t wait until the last minute to take your test. I can’t stress that enough! If you wait, you can expect to experience delays and waiting time if all spots are filled. The busiest times tend to be the hours between 4:00 pm and closing time. Keep that in mind as you plan for your final exams. Come early and beat the rush and the stress of waiting.

Tip 3: Remember the “Drill”

Bring your UAMS Student ID
Place all your personal belongings in one of the lockers outside the testing room with cell phones turned off.
Sign in at the kiosk and be sure to check with one of the testing coordinators and let them know what test you are there to take. We can’t open your test if we don’t know who you are.

Tip 4: Know the login procedure for your test before arriving.

Is your test in Blackboard? Lockdown Browser? ExamSoft? ATI? The initial phase of logging in and accessing your exam is your responsibility. Make sure you know what to do.

Keep these things in mind and taking your final exams will be a much smoother experience. Remember, our Learning Specialists will be available to meet with you during this time is you want to talk about test-taking or just to relax in general.

Test-taking 101

When it comes to testing well there is no substitute for planning and preparation. There are, however, some practical strategies, sort of like a test-taking 101 course, you can use to help your performance better reflect your understanding of the material.

Test-taking strategies address your attitude and how you read and answer test questions. and can be used across disciplines. Using good strategies improves your testing skills, often resulting in higher scores and increased confidence. Common strategies include

Carefully reading the directions
Knowing the types and number of questions
Answering the easy questions first
Managing your time carefully

Test-taking also includes how to approach more complex and difficult questions. These questions often present a detailed scenario, and then ask you to supply a specific piece of information or part of a process. Strategies to improve your performance on these types of questions include:

Working the Question
Reading all the Answers
Eliminating Options
Applying the Most/Best Rule
Changing Your Answers

Working the Question

The first step is to zero in on what the question is asking. In complex questions it can be difficult to figure out exactly what the questioner wants. Some of the details in the question can be distracting, so you need to work the question carefully in order to know how to answer it. Try to come up with a likely answer in your head. If your answer differs from the response options, you probably didn’t analyze the question correctly.

Reading all the Responses

One of the biggest mistakes people make when taking a test is to select the first “correct” answer and move on to the next question. Most questions will have more than one response that sounds correct, so it is important to carefully read them all and then choose the best answer.

Eliminating Options

It’s easier to get to the correct answer if you eliminate the obviously wrong answers. Sometimes the options will contain distractors. These might be answers that have subtle errors in them, or have absolutes like always and never. Distractors tend to sound good, but aren’t quite right.

Applying the “Most/Best Rule”

Once you have narrowed your options, it’s time to choose the best answer. One strategy is to apply the Most/Best Rule. Generally, the answer that applies to most of the people, most of the time is the best answer. Unless the question is asking for an outlier, it is unlikely that best answer will be a 1/200 occurrence.

Changing Your Answers

How often have you gone back on a test and changed your answer from a correct response to one that is incorrect? This often happens because you become unsure and second-guess yourself. It is so frustrating, especially when you had the correct answer all along. How can you fix this? Don’t change you answer unless you can explain exactly why your first response was wrong and your second choice is correct. If you don’t have a really good reason to change an answer, don’t do it.

Planning and preparation are still key to testing well, but using good testing strategies can increase your confidence and help you bump up your scores. You can find more resources to help you improve your test-taking skills and a tutorial on our Learning Support page.

Tips for Testing Well

When it comes to testing well there is no substitute for planning and preparation. There are, however, some practical approaches, or test-taking strategies, you can use to ensure that your performance accurately reflects your preparation.

Test-taking strategies improve how you take a test. They include your attitude and how you read and answer test questions, and can be used across disciplines. Using good test-taking strategies improves your testing skills, often resulting in higher scores and increased confidence. Common strategies include

Carefully reading the directions
Knowing the types and number of questions
Answering the easy questions first
Managing your time carefully

Testing well will also require that you know how to approach more complex and difficult questions. These questions often present a detailed scenario, and then ask you to supply a specific piece of information or part of a process. Use the following steps to improve your performance on these types of questions.

Work the Question

Read all the Answers

Eliminate Options

It’s easier to get to the correct answer if you eliminate the obviously wrong answers. Sometimes the options will contain distractors. These might be answers that have subtle errors in them, or have absolutes like always and never. Distractors tend to sound good, but aren’t quite right.

Apply the “Most/Best Rule”

Once you have narrowed your options, it’s time to choose the best answer. One strategy is to apply the Most/Best rule. Generally, the answer that applies to most of the people, most of the time is the best answer. Unless the question is asking for an outlier, it is unlikely that best answer will be a 1/200 occurrence.

Taking Your Finals in the Testing Center

The Testing Center is preparing for finals. If you have tested with us before, you know we have limited space. We have 24 regular testing computers, 12 reserved special testing cubicles, and hundreds of students to test. So, here are four tips to make your finals as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Testing Tip 1: Know the Testing Center Protocols

Testing Tip 2: Test Early

Don’t wait until the last minute to take your test. If you do, then you can expect to experience delays and waiting time if all spots are filled. The busiest times tend to be the hours between 4:00 pm and closing time. Keep that in mind as you plan for your finals. Come early and beat the rush and the stress of waiting.

Testing Tip 3: Remember the “Drill”

Bring your UAMS Student ID
Place all your personal belongings in one of the lockers outside the testing room with cell phones silent or off
Sign in at the desk as usual, and be sure to check with one of the testing coordinators and let them know what test you are there to take. We can’t open your test if we don’t know who you are.

Testing Tip 4: Know the login procedure for your test before arriving.

Is your final in Blackboard? Lockdown Browser? ExamSoft? ATI? The initial phase of logging in and accessing your exam is your responsibility. Make sure you know what to do.

Keep these things in mind and taking your finals will be a much smoother experience.

Addressing Test Anxiety

You attended the lectures, took the notes, and read all the chapters. You made notecards, flashcards, Quizzlets, outlines, charts, and graphs. You stayed up late and got up early. You studied alone and with your study group. You are ready for your test. You ate a good breakfast. You know the information. You are ready. So, why is it that your heart is racing, your breathing is shallow, and you suddenly can’t remember your own name? You might be experiencing test anxiety.

What Causes Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety can come from many sources. Lack of preparation or lack of trust in your preparation, past negative experiences, pressure to perform well, competitiveness, or lack of physical well-being (like not getting enough sleep) can all contribute to test anxiety.

Let’s talk about preparation for a minute. Have you ever stayed up all night before a test cramming information? You might be able to remember some information, but exhaustion makes it even harder to understand the test questions and apply the details you’re trying to remember. Cramming information the night before a test usually made me feel like I was carrying water in my hands – it all leaked out before I could use it.

How Can You Prevent Test Anxiety?

One solution is to be better prepared. To do this, start studying as soon as new information is covered in the class. Make the time to review your notes/textbook daily. Set aside enough time the week before the exam to go over the most important topics again.

But what if you prepared well, and you still feel anxious? When this happens, try calming yourself with positive self-talk and relaxation exercises. Tell yourself: “I know that I’ve studied. I’m just going to answer each question one at a time”, and then do just that. Answer each question to the best of your ability, and come back to problematic questions at the end if you have time. Try to relax by taking a deep breath in and then exhaling slowly.

With advance preparation, positive self-talk, and relaxation exercises, I am confident that you will be able to handle any exam.

If you’d like more information about addressing test anxiety and preparing for tests, check out our On-Demand Resources or use the Academic Coaching Request to contact a Learning Specialist. If you want to talk about anxiety in general, contact the UAMS Student Wellness Program at 501-686-8408; they’re available to all UAMS students.