When I was a high school English teacher, I designed tests that probably vexed some students. Now I try to help frustrated students see past the tests and set themselves up for lifelong learning. But those pesky exams still keep popping up, so how can you turn each one into a positive learning opportunity?
One solution that I’ve found valuable is to test yourself. That means actually writing tests! In order to make up your own test in a subject, you’ve got to get really deep into the material. You get a sense for how your teacher thinks when he or she designs an exam, and this can guide how you answer questions on the real test. By this point in the school year, you’ve seen a couple of tests from each teacher. For maximum benefit, design your practice tests in the format you’ve learned to expect from that teacher.
To make studying in this way both easier and more fun, get together with a few friends and have everyone create some questions: multiple choice, short answer, and essay (if applicable). Pose the questions to each other, and discuss the answers to refine your knowledge and ideally identify the most important material.
Right now I’m even making tests for myself. I have been trying to squeeze in a few minutes each day for teaching myself Italian, and at the end of each chapter of the textbook I wanted to feel the accomplishment of demonstrating what I’d learned, even if no one else sees it! So I started writing open-ended questions and checking my answers by going back through the chapter.
You’ll find that creating questions out of thin air can be difficult at first, but it is an important way to train your mind to identify the central concepts and key supporting details.
Good luck!
Tim
Upcoming Performance
The Taming of the Shrew is commonly read in high school, and Great Lakes Theater is putting on a modern adaptation this month! You can read more about it and order tickets here.
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