Deck 12: Taking Essay Exams

Question 1

The main reason you should gather information in a two-column format when planning essay answers is:

A) to save paper.
B) to avoid repetition of the material in your notes.
C) to create mnemonics for the important points.
D) to force yourself to condense the material into meaningful phrases.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

_______________ information for your essay answer is an active strategy that forces you to dig through the material in your text and notes.

A) Gathering
B) Outlining
C) Elaborating on
D) Organizing

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following would be an effective way to predict essay questions?

A) Develop questions from the major topics presented in lecture.
B) Develop a question from each of the headings in the text.
C) Develop a list of all the important names.
D) Turn each of the cues in your recall column into a question.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

If you know that you will have an essay exam with only three questions covering four chapters, how should you prepare?

A) You should anticipate that each question will deal with a specific point from one of the chapters.
B) You should predict questions that cover broad issues that are discussed in two or more chapters.
C) You should prepare in the same way you would for an objective exam.
D) You should predict detailed questions from each chapter.

Question 5

If you will have to answer only one essay question covering four chapters on your exam, you should:

A) predict 3 to 4 questions from each chapter.
B) predict 4 to 5 questions.
C) predict two questions from each chapter.
D) study your lecture notes instead.

Question 6

You have fifty minutes to complete three essay items worth 30, 10, and 10 points respectively. The professor has not indicated how long each answer should be. How can you reasonably plan your answers?

A) Write as much as possible for each question.
B) Spend about one third of your time on each answer.
C) Write as much as possible about the 30-point question. Give it as much as forty minutes.
D) Spend about thirty minutes on the first question and ten minutes on each of the others.

Question 7

Which of the following is a good essay question on the 1991 Persian Gulf War?

A) Who were three of the key figures on each side?
B) What countries served as allies of the U.S.?
C) Describe the events in 1990 and 1991 that led to the war.
D) List five important dates related to the military action.

Question 8

The difference between a short answer question and an essay question was demonstrated in the text using the example of which of the following?

A) the four most important reasons to reduce stress
B) the four most important battles of the Revolutionary War
C) the four most important battles of the Civil War
D) the four most important foods to eat for a healthy lifestyle

Question 9

What would be a good strategy to use as you begin an essay exam?

A) Immediately answer the first question as a way to get started and then go back and read the directions and other questions.
B) Put a few notes in the margin as you read each of the questions.
C) Answer the most difficult question first to reduce your anxiety.
D) Answer the question that has the highest point value first, so that you can maximize your score on the test.

Question 10

If you are disappointed with your performance on one or more essay items, what would be a good strategy to follow?

A) See your professor and try to argue for a few more points; most students do.
B) Study harder for the next exam.
C) See your professor to discuss his or her expectations for a good answer. Then rewrite your answer and see your professor again.
D) Go back and review your notes and find out what you should have studied that you didn't.

Question 11

How should you finish an essay answer?

A) Write a concluding statement that rephrases your main points.
B) Simply finish with your last point.
C) Restate your most important point.
D) Write a statement that ties the question to a broader subject and state your opinion on their connection.

Question 12

If you run out of time on an essay exam, you should

A) simply write as much of your answer as possible.
B) skip the last question and put the time you have into improving your other answers.
C) recognize that most students don't finish all of the questions on essay exams.
D) start writing out the answer and list any additional points that you wanted to make.

Question 13

Which of the following strategies is the most effective in helping you replicate your answer on the actual exam?

A) Outline the essay before you write it.
B) Make up a mnemonic device to help you recall the key points in your outline.
C) Write out your answer and then memorize it before you take the exam.
D) Identify key points in your answer and read over them until you know them by heart.

Question 14

When writing an essay answer, you should follow an organizational pattern such as

A) P1, S1, S2, P2, S3, TS
B) TS, P1, P2, P3, S1, S2, S3, CS
C) TS, P1, S1, P2, S2, P3, S3, CS
D) TS, P1, P2, S1, S2, P3, TS2

Question 15

Once you've developed an outline for a predicted essay question,

A) your work is done.
B) it is always important to prepare the written answer.
C) you need to identify the key information and learn it.
D) you need to develop alternative ways to organize the information.