RE: "poor test-takers?"

[Monica Vogler]

Hey Monica: Don't keep us in suspense. How about giving us some of the items on the Test-Wiseness Scale to illustrate what it's about? And perhaps you could throw in some (or all) of those hints for test-taking. I'm curious about those too. The book isn't in our library (but perhaps it should be). Stephen     Stephen:   As I am a painstakingly pathetic data entry clerk, I'll copy only 3 [short] questions from the test:   2.  The disputed Hayes-Tilden election of 1876 was settled by an:   a.  resolution of the House of Representatives. b.  decision of the United States c.  Electoral Commission d.  joint resolution of Congress     19.  The first great written code of laws was:   a.  Civilia Equus b.  Corpus Juris Civilia c.  Hammurabi's Codus Juris d.  Draco's Juris Categorus     36.  The Scalawags were:   a.  selfish Southern politicians who were members of the Republican party during the period of the Reconstruction b.  Northerners with Southern sympathies c.  Negroes d.  poor whites serving jail sentences   I think I got 1/3!    Now for the incredibly abbreviated list of 8 common flaws in questions:   1.  Watch for incorrect options that are highly implausible 2.  Eliminate equivalent options 3.  Watch for information in other items that provide the answer to the current item 4.  The correct option is more detailed or specific than other alternatives 5.  The correct option is longer than other options as the writer tries to eliminate ambiguity 6.  Watch for a grammatical inconsistency between the stem and the incorrect option 7.  The incorrect options include key words that tend to appear in false statements like "every,"total," and "all." 8.  There is a resemblance between the stem and the correct option, but not the incorrect options.   Last unnumbered hint:  change your answer from your first impression if you think you've made an error.  Your chances of changing from incorrect to correct are 63%.   Enjoy,   Monica   ___________________________________________________ Stephen L. Black, Ph.D.            tel:  (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology         fax:  (819) 822-9661 Bishop's  University              e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC  J1M 1Z7 Canada Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy TIPS discussion list for psychology teachers at http://faculty.frostburg.edu/psyc/southerly/tips/index.htm    _______________________________________________ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Monica Vogler Psychology Instructor Castlegar Campus Selkirk College Castlegar, BC, Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] 250-365-7292  Ext 384 --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]