Study Tips for Math Tests
First, absolutely the best way to prepare for a test is to do the homework
and keep up with the course material all the time. This requires
commitment throughout the semester, not just the night before a test.
You should be investing 2 to 3 hours each week per credit hour, outside
of class, on the course material. (That means 10-15 hours per week, outside
of class, for Precalculus; 8-12 hours for Calculus; or 6-9 hours for a
three credit course.) You may need to spend a bit more time than that when
you have a test or project coming up. Plan your time accordingly.
Tests are your opportunity to show the instructor what you have learned
in the course. You should expect that you need to be reasonably efficient
on tests, and you will gain this proficiency through working the assigned
homework problems. For many students, getting started on a problem is the
biggest obstacle. If this applies to you, practice identifying strategies
for solving problems. One way to do this is to use the chapter reviews
in the text. Without solving the problems, go through them one by one and
decide what you would need to do in order to solve it. (E.g., ``Use the
definition of the derivative," or ``Find an equation for the line through
point P with slope m," or ``Compute a 95% confidence interval for proportions.")
Below is a list of resources available to you as you study for the test.
The best advice is start studying early. Cramming the night before
the test is not a good way to prepare!
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Review your class notes.
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Read the textbook.
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Test questions are often similar to old quiz questions, so rework your old
quizzes. (Don't just look them over. It is much easier to read and
think you understand something than it is to work a problem from scratch.
Rewrite the problems on a clean sheet of paper and then work them, without
referring to your original quiz until you have completed all the problems.)
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Tests generally include several assigned homework problems,
either exactly as they appeared in the text, or with very slight modifications.
Be sure you fully understand all the homework.
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Do some of the chapter review problems. On tests, you should be able to show that you
can combine ideas from different sections (use what you learned about estimating
derivatives to estimate a second derivative, for instance). The chapter
review problems often give you practice with this sort of problem-solving.
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Complete and review handouts distributed by the professor. The handouts contain examples of
problems which the professor thinks are particularly interesting or important,
or problems that are not found elsewhere in your review materials.
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Last modified: June 9, 2000