One of the best ways to prepare for finals or exams late in a course is to make use of exams which were given previously. Frequently a professor will follow a pattern in making up and grading an exam and so a previous exam can help you to know what's expected of you on the next one. Consider these ideas:
What kinds of questions were asked? Definitions? Interpretations? Discussion? Problem-solving?Were the questions primarily from the text or from the lecture?Were the questions ones which you expected? (Mark or note these.)If the questions were unexpected, where did they come from? Try to locate these specifically in text or lecture.What was wrong with your answers - not long enough? Failure to answer? Careless mistakes? Poor distribution of time on important parts of the exam? Ask the professor or course assistant.On true-false questions, what key modifiers were used to make the answer true or false: always, never, sometimes, usually? What proportion of the questions were accounted for by using these modifiers?In instances where you were unsure of answers for multiple choice questions, how effective were you in eliminating clearly wrong answers? How did you make your final selections?Did you leave any unanswered questions? Why? Could you have guessed without losing credit?How successful were you on guessing: Did you get more right than could have happened by chance?In essay questions, did you understand or note the key words in the directions? Outline? Define? Compare? Contrast? Explain the causes?In essay questions, did you sketch an outline first? Did you emphasize key points? Was your writing clear? Did you answer the question asked? How could you have done better in these areas?On quizzes, those questions missed by most students will probably be asked again because the professor will be checking for mastery of the concept.On essay exams make an outline in the margin, particularly if time is limited. The professor will be looking for key concepts and may give partial credit.Make up a list of key questions on a unit of material. Check these out with the professor to see if you are studying in the right areas.
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