HOW TO PREPARE FOR EXAMS USING STUDY GUIDES AND FLASH CARDS ?

Taking examinations is a significant step in every part of our academic and career progress. There are various stages of exams right from primary to secondary to tertiary and university levels. Different types of exams include admission and licensing exams. Admission exams are taken as part of college admission. Examples of Undergraduate & Graduate Admission Exams are - Accuplacer, ACT, ASSET, CAAP, CLAST, CPAt, CUNY, GMAT, GRE, HSPT, ISEE, MCAT, OAT, PCAT, PSAT, SAT, SSAT, TASP, THEA Exam. Those taken for admission in professional schools, on the other hand, are known as vocational exams. These include ASVAB Exam, HOBET Exam, ParaPro Exam, TABE Exam. Licensing exams are those needed for certification in certain professions. Among licensing exams are CBEST Exam, FTCE Exam, NCLEX-RN Exam, NCLEX-PN Exam, Praxis Exam.

The steps required for preparing and registering are many times not only confusing but also expensive. Exam preparation actually starts much earlier, right at the beginning of your course program. Hence among the first crucial preparation materials are good study notes taken in class. Note taking extends to putting down explanations concerning the exam itself, which need to be as detailed as possible. You will then be able to organize your study materials as per the expected test. It is better to take your time rather than rushing through the test preparation process.

As you prepare for your test, you need to have interest in your topic of study and how effective your study materials are. Then you should evaluate the various types of tests you are more at home with. During the test practice and exam practice, you should evaluate what you already know about the topic you are studying. You also need to consider the preparation materials you will use, which may include textbooks and even the Internet.

There are study guides that are geared towards improving your performance on multiple-choice questions. There are also a number of test preparation guides that will help you to improve your grade on reading comprehension when you apply the correct approach. As you undertake your test prep, bear in mind that what has been set on quizzes may as well appear on the exam proper. During test prep, it is advisable to study the most difficult contents first, when you are still more attentive. It is essential to have variety in your studying to avoid being worn out by monotony. Make use of flash cards and study guides to streamline your learning process. Studying for a test involves shifting pieces of information from short-term to long-term memory. It has been found that using flash cards is the best way of achieving this. Long-term memory requires occasional study and re-study.

The flash card system is one of the most powerful study tools for it is geared on the manner in which the human brain functions. The system was developed by a German scientist called Sebastian Leitner. Leitner divided a cardboard box into several compartments. He then placed flash cards, each of which contained a question on one side and its corresponding answer on the other, in one of the middle compartments. He would then take the cards, one at a time, and answer the questions. Then he would put the cards in a forward compartment or backward one depending on whether he got a question right or wrong respectively. As you can visualize, this eventually separates answered questions from unanswered ones. This thereby ensures than one does not repeatedly focus on what has actually already been learned, saving both time and worries.

You can modify the index system to suit your individual circumstances. You can arrange your pack of cards and put the cards whose questions you have answered at the bottom of the pack. Insert a card you have not tackled successfully at number three so that you will be able to reach and tackle it again before long. The index system ensures that you think about your study materials rather than simply looking over them. Index cards are easy to carry almost anywhere.

There are many test tools that you can use as you undertake your test prep. You can find many study guides from test prep resources on the Internet. Choose test practice and exam practice methods that best suit your type of mind and pocket. Be well prepared and avoid test anxiety, which may end up in physical and emotional symptoms. However, you need to realize that a degree of anxiety is natural.