Preparing for Tests I. Students’ attitude to test —To understand the (1)_____of the tests —Physical and mental approach —How to

Preparing for Tests
    Good morning, everybody. The topic of today’s lecture may sound somewhat horrible for some students. Ideally it should be love of learning, achievement and self-improvement that prompts all learning. But the average student is probably motivated by a more tangible, immediate and pressuring reason—-the requirement to take and pass tests. Few high school students are not concerned with the aptitude and achievement tests that they must take to get into college. Even students not planning to attend college will take placement, adaptability, and promotion tests if they are to succeed in their field. (1)You need to understand the importance of tests,the best methods of preparation, the common sense required for both a physical and mental approach to them, how to read instructions and questions correctly, and how to answer the way the test or teacher expect you to answer. This is one of the most valuable psychological benefits that can come from your education.
    People have different attitudes towards tests. Do you ever thank a teacher for giving a test? At first glance you are not likely to find much in your thinking that would help inspire a"yes". The teacher spends a lot of time preparing the test questions. After you have taken the test, the teacher spends many hours carefully evaluating your paper. Mistakes are marked so that when your paper is returned you can go over them and perhaps write in correction. Then you will not make the same mistakes again.
    Do you ever consider the test or examinations as a personal battle which the teacher wages in an attempt to defeat you or do you see it as a contest in which one tries to outwit the other? If this is your attitude towards tests, you probably do one of two things when the teacher returns your paper to you. One,you throw it away without bothering to do more than glance through it to see where points were taken off. Or two, without checking an incomplete answer against the facts as studied, you approach the teacher and demand to know why points were taken off. This is the most negative of approaches. The difference in attitude can be seen in the difference between two questions; "why did you take off points on this question?" and " what should I have included that I did not?"
    Another attitude that you should avoid is that of fear. Fear of taking test results in tension and disturbed thinking. These,in turn,produce blind spots. That is, you are unable to remember answers that you knew ten minutes before the test. This fear also keeps people form venturing into new areas in life. They may visualize the new method, the better tool, or the strong bridge, but they hesitate until someone else realizes their dreams.
    Fear prevents success on tests and examinations because fear conditions the mind for failure. Students who are afraid start in a state of confusion and disorder. Thus they throw away the advantages they have gotten by preparation. Students who approach tests with fear are almost always characterized by the following; 1) Their grade is considerably lower than their daily recitation grades, sometimes as much as twenty points lower. 2) They complain about the teacher-insufficient explanation, lack of detailed review,etc. 3) (4) They find fault with the test materials—too long,not the type of questions expected and studied for, didn’t understand the wording of questions. 4) Fear drives these students to study for the test with another student. Invariably they choose a study companion who has the same attitude of fear. Often the other student’s knowledge of the subject is only equal to,or perhaps less than,their own.
    If you recognize two or more of these characteristics as behavior patterns which you practice at test and examination time, you should change your attitude as quickly as possible. To continue them is to subject yourself to a climate of tension and fear and to condition yourself for defeat.
    A third attitude is wholly positive. It is the attitude of challenge, self-confidence , and content-reliability. Students who accept a test as a challenge to show the teacher the extent of their knowledge of the subject and to improve their grades are stimulated. This simulation produces the energy needed to think clearly and to act with precision over a longer period of concentration than the daily recitation requires. The attitude of challenge is reflected by enterprising rather than burdensome preparation. Even a questionable answer is approached by a calculated reliability. The belief is that a worthwhile answer, although perhaps only partially correct, can be worked out. (6) This attitude requires the relationship between student and teacher,and question and answer, always to be one of cooperative production rather than competitive destruction.
    To adopt an attitude ofchallenge and self-confidence toward tests and examinations, you must first understand the real purposes of test.
    First, the motivation. From the student’s point of view, the first reason for tests is motivation. Few of us are self-disciplined and motivated enough to educate ourselves without direction and requirement. Being tested periodically on accumulated knowledge is a strong motivating force.
    A second reason for tests is that they provide students with a chance to show how much they have learned. Daily recitation does not provide such an opportunity. A test gives the students a chance to show their ability to organize and unify large volumes of material. This is not possible in preparing for day-to-day assignments.
    A third reason is that students gain insight into what the teacher considers most important. If test questions deal with main topics and essential principles, the student can accurately estimate the nature of future and larger tests.
    A fourth important reason is that students can discover both their shortcomings and the extent of their progress. They can carefully study their errors and the general areas in which they occur.
    Now that you understand the reasons for tests and examinations, and how they benefit both student and teacher,you should not groan when a test is announced. Do not approach it as a burdensome chore or with light indifference. Approach it with an honest and determined effort for self-improvement. If you manage this,your grade will manage itself. That’s all for today’s lecture.