Factors affecting test performance
Carelessness
Two of the most effective methods to combat carelessness
are to re-read the question before answering it and to
check your answers before submitting your Answer Sheet.
Failure to focus on question
Some MCQs call for facts more than thought, but some
require you to use factual information in a thinking
process. Examination logic requires that you think
thoroughly, concentrate upon the questions and answers,
and search for memory cues to information that you have
studied.
Cramming
Cramming means mastering a lot of new materials in a
relatively short period of time. Cramming does NOT work
well for passing an exam because materials learned
within 24 hours are difficult for most of us to recall.
A final review is a last effort to organise and brush up
on previously studied materials, but is not suitable for
remembering new information. Educational psychologists
suggest that the most effective technique for long-term
memory is to use a series of study periods over a
predetermined schedule broken by regular rest intervals.
