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You are here: Student Success Skills » Preparing for College » Testing in College

Student Success Skills

Testing in College

by JoJo
August 16, 2012

One of the major differences between high school and college is the testing approach that is used.  Most incoming freshmen believe that the tests in college will be similar to those in high school.  That’s far from the truth.

In many courses the average on a test will be in the 65% – 75% range.  You will probably be shocked and depressed after you receive your first round of test grades.

Here are characteristics of college tests you should be aware of:

■      Many tests are on a computer or are computer graded.  That means that there is no partial credit.

■      There will be 3 – 4 tests given during a semester with each test worth 10% – 20% of your grade in a class.

■      There will be a final which is often worth 2-3 times the value of a regular test

■      There is generally no curve on a test nor is there an opportunity to take a retest. College faculty expect students to step up their preparation rather than cut them slack by adjusting grades.

■      Test questions are carefully constructed to separate the lucky guessers from those who truly know the material.  Often multiple choice questions will have several choices which could be plausible answers.

The best way to prepare for college tests are:

■      Study several days ahead

■      Study 2-3 hours a day

■      Find old tests to use in your preparation

■      Review the course material continuously

You will find more advice on doing well on college tests in the section entitled “Ensuring You Get the Grade You Want.”.

← Understanding the General Education Curriculum
Adjusting to College Teaching Styles →

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Testimonials

  • My biggest improvement is that I have been checking my grades, instead of burying my head and trying to ignore the classes I know I am doing bad in.  This semester my grades don't necessarily show improvement at midterms because once again I wasn't prepared for the first round of exams.  That really came back to bite me because in a few classes that was the only grade on the midterms.  But since I have been keeping track, I have been doing everything in my power to make the grades better.  I did all my on-line homework for a few classes so that I would not have to worry about keeping track of when they are due, and I have been keeping a to-do list for studying and things like that..

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