Test-taking advice given by counselor
by Eric Hooker, reporter

    Students should earn 80 percent mastery on tests, a South Campus counselor told seminar attendees recently.

    Annie Dobbins, counselor and instructor of psychology, delivered How to Take a Test and Pass, specifying study methods that enable students to pass tests successfully.

    “Sponges absorb everything like children do,” she said.

    Soft drinks that contain caffeine and an excess of sugar and snacks can increase anxiety if taken before a test, Dobbins said.

    One student in the audience said, “My math professor said it was okay to eat a candy bar before tests.”

    Everyone is different,” Dobbins responded,

    Dobbins pointed out that every student should know the course material before, after and during tests and should have the right attitude when it comes to test taking.

    “A positive attitude equals positive results. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy,” she said.

    “Failure is something that we do … not who we are,” she said.

    SQR3 is an effective study method, according to Dobbins.

    The method includes surveying, questioning, reading, reciting and reviewing material.

    SQR3 is considered to be a quick study method used for success on tests when combined with one’s notes, Dobbins said.

    Educated guessing, another test-taking strategy, can raise test scores 10 to 15 percent, Dobbins said.

    “Most multiple choice questions have a greater tendency to be D. Look for longer responses called inclusive,” she said.

    Dobbins advised students to follow and understand directions and to ask questions if they are unsure of what the instructor wants.
Familiarity with terms can also help a student do well on tests.

    “Read one word out of the dictionary every night and memorize it,” she said.

    This presentation was part of Survival Skills, sponsored by the South Campus counseling center.