How To Not Suck At Tests

Question 1

List the 5 ways to not be a chump before test day:

Answer 1

1. Identify silly mistakes
2. Classify into specific brackets
3. Figure out root cause
4. Find ways to eliminate root cause
5. Prepare counter-measures

Question 2

What is meant by identify silly mistakes?

Answer 2

Maintain an excel log of all the silly mistakes during assignments and practice to track your performance.

Question 3

What is meant by classify?

Answer 3

Start logging the phase/stage at which the silly mistakes occur. Below are 4 example stages.

1. Reading the question
2. Understanding the question.
3. Following the correct solution path.
4. Calculating the answer

Question 4

What is meant by identify root cause?

Answer 4

Prepare a list of options such as:

1. Skipping too many steps?
2. Too many complicated calculations in head?
3. Messy rough work?
4. Not reading thru problem/ missing relevant information?

Question 5

What is meant by eliminate?

Answer 5

The elimination of root problems is an adaptive solution. The solutions aren’t always simple, but knowing the root cause is half the battle.

Question 6

What is meant by counter measures?

Answer 6

Silly mistakes still happen, so you need to discover a series of backfalls to discover if the solution seems unreasonable,

Question 7

What are the important steps to take in order to avoid making silly mistakes in test preparation?

Answer 7

1. Do not ignore silly mistakes.
2. Do not brush off silly mistakes as one-off mistakes.
3. Work on removing silly mistakes before the test.
4. If you make silly mistakes on your homework, you will likely make them on the test.
5. Follow the 5 step process during test prep.
   - identify > classify > root cause > eliminate > counter measures

Question 8

The product of two odd numbers must be?

Answer 8

Odd