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1.) Do not rush into the exam. Arrive with as much time prior to the exam as you can afford. Not only will this give you the opportunity to review a bit more, but also saves you from forgetting things because you feel hurried or rushed.
2.) Look over the entire exam first. Find out what is expected of you and where you might want to start working. (You don’t ever have to start with the first question!) This will also give you a feel for what you will need to do and how to manage your time during the exam.
3.) Read all directions carefully. Do not assume that you know what is being asked on any individual question or for the exam in general.
4.) Answer the easiest questions first. Again, you are not required to start with the first question on the exam. Start with the easiest questions or the questions with which you are most comfortable.
There are at least three benefits in using this strategy:
1.) All questions with which you feel confident are then answered correctly and are “out of the way” in case you run short on time.
2.) Answering the easier questions first will increase your confidence, which really helps when you start tackling the harder questions.
3.) Very often, the concepts covered in some of the easier questions are then used to answer the harder ones. In a way, doing the easier ones first gives you a quick review.
5.) Double-check your work. Whether it is after you answer each question, or after you are finished answering all the questions, go back and check your work. There is usually plenty of scrap paper available at the front of the room, so feel free to actually rework questions wherever you are unsure of your work. Don’t allow yourself to lose points due to errors you could have caught by simply double-checking your work.
6.) Learn from your mistakes. You will usually get your graded exam back about a week after you take it. (I grade things quite carefully and it takes time to get them all done.) Once you get an exam back, if you have made any errors, learn how to correct them. Math is such a cumulative subject that most concepts are bound to reappear, sometimes quite often.
Thanks to the good folks at the Success Center for letting me borrow much of this good advice. For additional information, please make arrangements with them to attend a Test-taking Skills seminar. The seminars are usually scheduled at the beginning of each semester. Check with them for dates and times. If the seminars have ended, individual appointments can be made with the receptionist.
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