Studying for tests and exams - maximizing your brain's potential for learning, understanding, storage and retrieval. See tips and tricks related to:

• Studying for a Test or an Exam.
• Writing a Test or an Exam

Many students open their books, read until they finish (lose interest, or fall asleep), and are convinced that their concentration, comprehension, and speed are poorer than everyone else's. If this sounds like you, the chances are better that your reading skills are about the same as most of your classmates.

Students must recognize that reading may be the most demanding work you do within business courses at H.T.S.. Many students report difficulty with the volume of reading required. Here's a few tips for assisting you in getting the most out of your reading.

Try This	Why it Works
Get into the material more often, but for shorter periods of time!	Many people can read for ONLY 20 minutes without losing concentration. Also, learning is improved by changing tasks each hour, spreading the work over time, and dipping into it more frequently.
Read groups of words at a time - WITHOUT mouthing them!	Your brain can read more than one word at a time, your MOUTH can't. (A single word has little meaning anyway.) Speed and comprehension will increase if you read in meaningful phrases.
Read the introduction, headings, charts, graphs, diagrams, conclusion, and summary, then take a minute to think about the material before beginning to read in depth.	This establishes a context in which to read the new material by beginning with an overview of the material. Knowing a bit about what you're reading BEFORE you read it will improve your comprehension and retention.
Examine the test/exam outline associated with the particular chapter BEFORE you begin reading.	This way you will recognize key points and concepts AS YOU READ THEM.
Establish a list of questions. Use the questions at the end of the chapter, or convert the headings into questions. Then, read to answer these questions.	Reading with a purpose will help you maintain your concentration. Developing questions and making note of the answers is a good way to help yourself focus while reading.
Put ticks in the margins beside key points the first time you read through a chapter.	It's better not to take notes, highlight, or underline the first time you read a chapter, as you won't know which are the most important points until you are finished.

Students also have difficulty in knowing what the difference is between an 90% answer and a 60% answer. Biggs and Collins (1982) produced a scheme to classify and describe different learning outcomes. It is known as the SOLO taxonomy (Structure of Observed Learning Outcome). The business department at H.T.S. uses this taxonomy to evaluate test and exam answers. Here's an oveview of the taxonomy that will hopefully assist you in getting the most out of your exam writing:

Style of Answer	Approximate Grade	Description
1. Prestructural	0 - 10%	No correct elements are present. The question and response are confused. This may be because no serious attempt has been made at addressing the question, the question is merely restated or an incorrect "guesstimate" has been made.
2. Unistructural	10 - 40%	One correct and relevant element is present.
3. Multistructural	40 - 70%	Several relevant elements are present, but they are independent of each other - often in a list form. An unwarranted conclusion may be offered without considering all the presented data.
4. Relational	70 - 90%	The relevant elements are integrated into a conceptual scheme. The answer provides an argument rather than a list. However, a process of induction leads to a conclusion which is not qualified, i.e. an over generalisation. No alternatives are offered.
5. Extended Abstract	90 - 100%	The answer displays a wider appreciation of the subject. It extends outside the confines of the original problem and addreses related issues, perhaps citing other data and contexts. Inconsistencies are resolved, analogies are drawn, alternatives are considered, and conclusions are supported.