Conciseness is the sister of talent. Anton Chekhov, 1860-1904 Russian playwright

Testing with success series

Short answer tests

A teacher's primary purpose
in giving a short-answer test is to test whether you have a foundation of knowing the material, usually factual.

Prepare for the test
Develop summary sheets of the course material information.
Focus on key words, events, vocabulary, concepts
Organize and categorize the material, then review

When taking the test

• Respond directly to the question or directive
  Focus on keywords and ideas called for
  Eliminate those that do not directly address the information requested in the test item
• Respond and write concise answers
  Connect key facts into short sentences according to the test instructions
• If you can think of several answers
  let the instructor know. The instructor may give you a clue to the correct answer he/she's looking for
• A guess made with common sense
  could get you more test points than if you leave an answer blank

Testing with success series

Test preparation series |
Ten tips for terrific test taking | Taking online tests | True/false tests |
Multiple choice tests | Short answer tests | Open book exams | Oral exams |
Essay Exams | Essay terms and directives | Math Exams