Test Taking Strategies for Engineering Students
Engineering exams are some of the toughest around. Gone are the simple and straightforward exams you had in the general education classes. True-false and multiple-choice tests are nowhere to be found. Now that you’re in engineering classes, your test taking strategy has to change.
Types of Exam Questions
For the most part, engineering exams will consist of multiple word problems you have to solve. These problems can be simple or they can be complex and involve several concepts packed into one ‘fun’ problem. The problem-solving exams were always my favorite format due to the partial credit you’d get if things didn’t go 100% correctly.
My least favorite exam questions were the qualitative ones. The ones where you have to write out a short answer explaining a concept. I, and many others, find these to be rather tricky. You have to get the explanation just right or you get zero credit. I’ve known many professors that really like using this technique because it forces the student to explain what they know instead of just plugging numbers into a calculator. I also sometimes use these types of questions on the exams I create for this same reason.
What to Do on Exam Day
Number one, make sure you get plenty of sleep before your exam. Pulling an all-nighter might seem like a good idea but, as I mentioned before in this article, it’s definitely not. So, sleep is step one for exam success!
Before you get to class, take about 15 minutes and review the main concepts that’ll be covered on the exam. Don’t try to work through a bunch of problems right before the exam, you should’ve done that in the days leading up to the test.
Make sure you gather up all the stuff you’ll need during the exam: several pencils, eraser, calculator, and equation sheets (if allowed). Also, you may want to take a jacket or sweater if you’re in a cold room. Nothing is worse than trying to concentrate while you’re freezing. Take a water bottle too in case you get thirsty or start coughing. I’ve seen instances where students start coughing during the exam and can’t stop. It’s not fun for anyone in the room so take water just in case.
If it’s possible, get to class a few minutes early so you have time to settle down before the exam. Being rushed on your way to an exam just adds stress and puts you at risk for showing up late. Some professors won’t even let you take the exam if you’re not in your seat when the exam starts so make sure you’re there on time at the very latest.
During the Exam
First
Make sure all the pages are there and everything is legible. Copiers do weird things and sometimes they miss pages or text gets smudged. If something isn’t right, let the instructor know.
Second
Pay attention to the instructions. I can’t stress this enough! Some teachers have specific things they want done on the exam. They may want answers boxed or certain notation used. The instructions will tell you exactly what they want and will keep you from losing valuable points.
Third
Read through every problem on the exam before you start working. Don’t just glance at them and then go back to problem one to start. You want to start off with the problems you are confident about. Those problems will be easier and quicker for you to finish plus, you’ll get off to a good start. Save the ones you aren’t sure about for the end.
If you start off on a question you’re unsure about, there’s a good chance that you’re going to spend a lot of time on it. This will limit the time you have to complete ones that you could knock out easily. Your goal is to get the maximum number of points that you can so always go for the ones you know first because that’s where most of your points will come from.
Also, if you have any questions or doubts about the problem statement or what the problem is asking for get help from the instructor. You don’t want to lose points because you were unsure about something in the question. Many students don’t bother to even ask for clarification because they think the instructor won’t help them and that’s not the case. Just ask if you’re in doubt!
Another helpful thing to do before starting a problem is to underline or make a note of what is being asked for. This will help you focus on exactly what equations, concepts, etc. are needed for the problem. It will also keep you from forgetting to answer parts of the problem.
Fourth
Write legibly and in an organized manner. Remember that someone else will be grading your paper, not you. It gets very hard to grade papers that have equations and numbers all over the place. So, write your solutions down in an easy to follow manner and also box or underline your final answers. This will help the grader. Making the grader’s life easier helps you too!
Fifth
If there’s time, review your work. Make sure you answered all the questions that were asked. Students lose points all the time because they forgot to answer part of the problem. Did you draw all the required free body diagrams and/or plots that were needed? A quick review will help you find little things you may have missed so just take the time and do it.
Finally
Turn in your exam and then relax! Take a break for the rest of the day if you can. If you have other stuff to work on that day, try to at least give yourself an hour or two to unwind and not think about coursework.
Summary
Engineering exams are stressful and no one likes them. If you’re well prepared and have good test taking strategies they’re a lot easier to handle. Good luck!
