Taking exams? here are some tips from the experts

Hispanic Times Magazine, Dec, 1997

The following suggestions are intended to help you eliminate some of the stress involved in preparing for and taking exams. They are contributed by the NEFE Test Center Coordinator and by members of the Academic and Measurement and Research departments.

Before the Exam

* To develop an overall understanding of the course materials, prepare an outline first. Use the learning objectives (LOs) at the beginning of each assignment as a starting point for the outline.

* Read the study guide materials and the LOs from each assigmnent prior to answering the questions at the end of each assignment. The LOs are the basis for every exam question, and they tell you what NEFE wants you to learn.

* Read all additional assigned readings. You will be tested on them as well.

* Complete all of the review questions at the end of each assignment. Review questions help you determine whether you have mastered the LOs for that assignment.

* If you have a question for an Academic staff member, call well ahead of the exam date. The volume of calls to NEFE increases significantly the week before an exam.

* You will receive an "admission letter" in the mail prior to your exam date. Be sure all informatión in it is correct. Individuals whose names do not appear on the test center roster for a specific exam location will not be allowed to sit for the exam.

* Get a good night's sleep before the exam.

On the Day of Your Exam

* Arrive on time. Individuals who arrive after a test is under way will not be admitted.

* Bring two forms of identification, including a photo ID.

* Bring at least two No. 2 pencils and fresh calculator batteries.

* Bring only a nonalpha-programmable calculator.

* At the test center, make sure the title on your test booklet corresponds to the exam for which you have prepared; e.g., "Foundations in Financial Planning" is not the same as "Financial Planning Process and Insurance."

* Verify that the course title on the scannable answer sheet matches that on the test booklet and that your name and ID number are coded correctly on the answer sheet.

Taking the Test

* Read each test question carefully. Make sure you understand what each is asking. Remember, skipping over even one word of a question may change the entire meaning of that question.

* As you read each test question, highlight key words, such as insurer, insured, owner, seller, lender, borrower, descendent, beneficiary, etc.

* If you are taking a multiple-choice exam, first go through the test and answer all the questions you are sure of. Then go back and complete the rest. All questions on NEFE exams are weighed equally. Also, double check that you are marking the correct bubble on your answer sheet, especially if you are answering exam items out of order.

* If your test includes both multiple-choice questions and a case analysis or essay component, and you feel uncomfortable with the multiple-choice format, do the case analysis or essay first. Give yourself a time limit, and then go back and complete the rest.

* Many questions have prerequisites or qualifying conditions that will simplify or completely eliminate the need for a time-consuming analysis or calculation. Look at all the qualifying conditions first.

* Some students like to write multiple-choice answers in their answer book. lf you do so, be sure to go back and "bubble in" your answer(s) on the scannable answer sheet. You will not receive credit for any answers that have not been coded on the answer sheet.

* Research conducted by NEFE indicates that the three-hour testing period allows students more than adequate time to complete an exam, including time for most examinees to go back and check their answers.