By the time you reach college, you have taken literally thousands of tests. However, because tests may be the only assessment tool your professor uses to evaluate your progress in a course, it is important that you do the best that you can. 

Below are some general test preparation suggestions. For other suggestions, go to the web links located on the left and choose one of the sites for additional information.

1.  Start early. Assume that there will be questions on the test from every lecture and from every reading assignment. 

2.  Be selective. You can't remember everything. Based on the goals of the course, the major points in the reading, and the emphasis that the professor gives in class, determine four or five questions from each lecture that could be potential test questions. Study these well.

3.  Be creative.  Rote memorization is probably the weakest memory technique. Use your learning style (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic) to strengthen your memory. By storing information in a variety of forms, you have a greater chance of remembering under pressure.

4.  Use spaced learning. Studying in 40 to 50 minute blocks over four days before a test is much better than cramming for four hours the night before a test.

5.  Study with others. There is power in numbers. By reviewing with several others from a class, you have an opportunity to fill in information you might have missed. You can also collaborate on what each considers the most important information to study and then test one another.