EXAM PREPARATION
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Anticipating Test Questions
Anticipating, or guessing, a test question is an extremely effective 
way to study for exams. Think about how much easier it is to prepare for an exam when the professor gives you a list of question and says that the test questions will come from the list. Oh, how much easier it is to prepare for that test.
Here are five ways to anticipate your own test questions.
1. Use syllabus information.
The course description, course objectives, and topic outline are section of the syllabus you should look at carefully. The course structure, specifically focus and patterns, is revealed in those sections of the syllabus.
2. Note the professor's questions asked in class.
Each time the professor asks a question in class, write it down in your notebook. Note the directional words or phrases that are used frequently. Is the professor asking for the causes or effects?
3. Use study aids such as study sheets or graphic organizers
Any study aid that you create should contain the most significant, or hard-to-remember, information. These study aids may be in the form of flash cards, outlines, study sheets, recordings, graph organizers, or any other format that you desire.
4. Create questions and validate with your professor.
Write a number of questions that you think your professor might ask on the test. Bring them to your professor and ask if your questions represent the kind of queries that would be helpful for mastering the material and if they will help prepare you for the next exam. Your professor's feedback will inform you if you are on the right track or what you need to do to create more helpful questions.
5. Use previous exams to create your own questions.
When you read previous exams, notice the type of information asked in the questions. Are examples given in the stem of the questions and you have to pick a definition, or are terms in the question and you are being ask to choose the correct definitions? Are the questions asking for a person's name or seeking the date of an event? If you are looking at a previous test that you already took in the course, your test preparation for the next test should emphasize the type of information in the exam questions. That type of information will probably appear on the upcoming one.