Test+Taking+Skills

What does it mean to study? To study is to learn something over and over again until you completely understand it. To learn a topic that I'm unfamiliar with. How do you study for a test? I usually review all the material that is going to be on the test and then quiz myself on it. I review notes from class and review my textbook. There are two basic parts of every Multiple Choice Question:
 * Activity 1: How do you study?**
 * Activity 2: Deconstructing Multiple Choice Questions **
 *  Stem - the actual question - determine what you are being asked to respond to
 * Answer options

Some multiple choice questions will have a third part: a root. The question root provides background knowledge and facts before the actual question. These are straight forward knowledge questions : do you know specific information about a topic? You need to know key terms, specific facts, basic concepts and principles. Some key terms to look for in the stem to signify a recall question: define, list, state, identify, label, name, who? when? where? what?
 * //__Recall__ ﻿ //**

//Sample: // //Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 adopted the Great Compromise to settle differences over // //A. slavery - Slavery was not something being argued over at this period of time. // // B. representation in Congress // //C. interstate trade - Trading betweens states was less important than getting the government set up so that is what they were discussing. // //D. taxation - Taxation couldn't be set up until the government was set up. //


 * Highlight the answer you think is correct.
 * What are some steps you can do to help you answer a recall based question? To answer a recall based question that you aren't positive you know the correct answer to, rule out the ones you are sure are incorrect so that you have a larger chance of getting it right.
 * Next to the three wrong answer choices, explain why each one is a wrong answer.

//**__Odd One Out__ **// This type of questions asks you to establish a pattern among the answer choices and determine which one does not fi t with the others.

//Sample: // //Which of the following ideas was NOT a part of the Great Compromise? // //<span style="color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A. All of the slave population would be counted for both representation and taxation // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">B. A bicameral legislature // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">C. The number of representatives for each state in the lower house is determined by population // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0d0d0d; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">D. Each state has an equal number of representatives in the upper house //


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Which one doesn't fit? Highlight it.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the pattern established here that the other three answer choices have in common? The other three answer choices are about the set up of the government.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What words should you look for to signify this type if question? You should look for NOT, FALSE, or TRUE.

//**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Accuracy/Judgement__ **// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When there is not an exact, factual answer, some questions will ask you to pick the most or least accurate answer to the stem question.

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sample // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Which of the following regions of the country benefited most from the ⅗ compromise? // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A. The North // //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">B. The South // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">C. The West // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">D. The East //


 * Which region benefited the most? The South
 * Which other region would enjoy some benefits of the 3/5 compromise? The North
 * Why did you pick B over C? The West wasn't even inhabited by Americans yet so the 3/5 compromise didn't have anything to do with them.
 * What are some key terms to look for in this type of a question? Key terms to look for include benefited and affected.

__//**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Consequence **//__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You will be asked to identify the cause and effect of an event or idea. As a result of one thing, something else changed. Some words to look for: change, challenge, result, effect, outcome, impact, and caused.

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sample // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One result of the Great Compromise was // //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A. the creation of a bicameral legislature // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">B. the creation of a unicameral legislaturem - true // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">C. the ⅗ compromise - true // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">D. the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution - false //


 * Highlight the correct answer.
 * Give the other three responses the "True/False" test: does it fit with the topic of the Great Compromise? True or false.

__//**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Comparison **//__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These questions will assume you have recall knowledge of several events and then ask you to compare and contras t them. They can also take the form of an analogy.

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sample: // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The New Jersey Plan was very similar to: // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">a. The Declaration of Independence // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">b. The English Bill of Rights // //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">c. The Articles of Confederation // //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">d. The Canadian Constitution //


 * Highlight the correct answer.
 * How is this compromise similar to the Great Compromise? The New Jersey Plan and the Great Compromise both proposed three branches of government.a

There are many other types of multiple choices questions. The ones listed above are the most common format for social studies AP questions.

__//**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Answer Choices **//__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Always read through every possible answer choice before you decide which one is right. Answer options that are wrong are called distractors, and they often include information that is close to the correct answer. Sometimes, you will not have any idea what the information in the question is asking you. In this case, you must guess. Do not just guess randomly - make an **educated guess**!

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Copy and past in your notebook these general tips for educated guessing: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Eliminate options you know are incorrect <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Eliminate options that are completely unfamiliar to you <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Echo options: If two answers contradict each other, one of them is likely to be the correct answer. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Look for “modifiers.” Options that include superlatives (always, never) are usually wrong. Superlatives indicate that the correct answer must be an indisputable fact. As you know, in social studies this is rarely the case!

1. The National Road was constructed primarily for the purpose of (a) demarcating the southwestern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase (b) promoting trade and communication with the Old Northwest (c) opening the Southwest to ranchers (d) assisting the movement of settlers to the Oregon Country (e) relieving overpopulation and crowding in the Northeast (Accuracy/Judgement Question) (To answer this, I have to pick the most accurate answer)

2. At the beginning of the Civil War, Southerners expressed all of the following expectations EXCEPT: (a) The materialism of the North would prevent Northerners from fighting an idealistic war. (b) Great Britain would intervene on the side of the South in order to preserve its source of cotton. (c) Northern unity in the struggle against the Southern states would eventually break. (d) The South’s superior industrial resources would give it an advantage over the North. (e) The justice of the South’s cause would prevail. (Odd One Out Question) (I have to determine which answer does not fit in with the others)

3. Before 500 C.E. Judaism and Hinduism were similar in that both (A) had written scriptures and an ethical code to live by (B) spread widely around the Mediterranean (C) promoted teachings about reincarnation (D) advocated a monastic life and a rejection of the world (Comparison Question) (I have to compare and contrast)

4. In the period 1450–1750, which of the following, produced on large plantations by slave labor, were significant commodities in the growing world market? (A) Grains such as wheat and barley (B) Tropical fruits such as bananas and oranges (C) Animal products such as wool and beef (D) Cash crops such as sugar and tobacco (Accuracy/Judgement Question) (Pick the most accurate answer)

5. The Constitution and its amendments expressly prohibit all of the following except (a) slavery (b) double jeopardy (c) cruel and unusual punishment (d) unreasonable searches and seizures (e) sex discrimination in employment (Recall Question) (I need to have basic knowledge on this subject)

6. Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture? (a) Legal equality (b) Political equality (c) Economic equality (d) Freedom of religion (e) Freedom of speech (Odd one out) (I need to see which answer doesn't fit)

7. In psychological research, which of the following is most appropriate for identifying cause and effect? (a) Participant observation (b) Survey methodology (c) Case study (d) Experimentation (e) Correlational techniques (Accuracy/Judgement Question) (I need to pick which answer is most likely correct)

8. An individual who experiences major distortions of reality is most likely suffering from which of the following types of disorders? (a) Anxiety (b) Mood (c) Adjustment (d) Schizophrenic (e) Bipolar (Recall Question) (I have to know information about these disorders in order to answer the question)

How do you remember information? I remember information by drilling it into my brain. What tricks do you use? I repeat information over and over and then after a period of time see if I can still remember it.
 * Activity 4:**

> > > >
 * Activity 5: Memory**
 * 1) “I remember the information when I’m studying, but I forget it the day of the test.”
 * 2) “I remember every word the teacher says in class, but I have trouble remembering information from what I read.”
 * 1) “I’m just so bored with what we have to learn. I can’t remember things if they’re not interesting to me.”
 * 1) “I remember things I read in the textbook, but I can’t seem to remember what the teacher talks about in class.”
 * 1) “I can’t even remember information while I am studying, much less during the test.”
 * 1) “I just can’t remember anything when I take tests."
 * 2) “My memory is so bad that I can’t even remember three pieces of information!"

Memory Principles Quiz: 86.67% (13/15)
 * Activity 7:**
 * Activity 8:**