How To Predict Exam Questions

How To Predict Exam Questions

The key to powerful Thinking is powerful Questioning. Whenever you learn something, or answer a question, ask, "Why?" If you can reason the answer without spitting out, "Because XYZ is true," but by saying in basic terms, the logic behind it for multiple steps, then you are thinking critically. This involves a lot of thinking backwards. You can apply it to anything from the MCAT to why your best friend is upset that night. The more steps you can reason backwards, the more proficient and comfortable you are with the subject (s).  When students think critically, they think deeply; they not only know the facts, but they take the additional step of going beyond the facts to do something with them. Critical thinking involves reflecting on the information received, moving away from “surface” memorization and toward deeper levels of learning.

·        The Problem: we need less than 5 points to go from B student to A STUDENT STATUS!

o   Our current mapping method is great @ recalling lots of information, but poor @ test taking, since it tends to focus on lots of notes taking, but not enough on problem solving skills (CT).            

o   By the nature and limitations of most exams, 90% of student notes is less than 10% of all test questions

o   However, the study of 90% of test questions will focus on 90% of exam questions!

o   Quest: if @ beg of semester, “similar” test questions were distributed, how might grades have improved?

o   As such, since past test questions are unobtainable, we must create our own!

·        Must have a Top-Down Study Approach

o   Goal is to be Questions Driven and not Notes Focused – to build questions around topics! To challenge yourself to anticipate the questions on the exam. To manipulate the main ideas in your mind by asking cluster questions.

o   Idea is to be able to draft notes exclusively from answering test questions

o   Must have a “Basket” of test questions for test reviews (separate folder)

o   Goal is not to memorize but to learn to think critically… to really understand the concepts and logic… you have to be able to think thru the material

·        Five Critical Thinking Study Goals:

1)      To improve CT skills by manipulating the big ideas and concepts of a course by asking “Cluster Questions”.

2)      To be able to Predict Test Questions

3)      To accumulate a Basket of CT Questions for every test reviews, leading up to the final examination.

4)      Develop mastery at accumulating and creating MCAT style test questions.

5)      Transform from a B student to an A student (i.e., less than 10 points!)

How To Qualify Test Questions

·        Questions should overlap several sub-topics

·        Questions must be thought-provoking and probing (clever). Not instant memory recall, but rather, testing your overall, and deeper, understanding of the big ideas or concepts.

·        Questions should promote evaluation and synthesis of facts and concepts

·        Open-ended questions that are aimed at provoking divergent thinking... explain, describe, compare, why, how...

·        Questions should start or end with words or phrases such as “explain,” “compare,” “why”

·        Higher-level thinking questions that go beyond simple knowledge-level recall

·        Put yourself in the instructor's head – is this the kind of “clever” question he might ask?

·        Focus on critical ideas - the ones that are most important to understanding the chapter or topic as a whole. Most teachers won't test you on picky details.

Sources for Anticipating Test Questions

·        Study Maps questions that probe a “deeper” understanding of the big ideas or concepts.

·        End-of-chapter Exercises that test “overlapping” topics.

·        Class Feedback that helps predict test questions

·        Prior Quizzes & Tests that sets the tone and direction of future exams

·        MCAT questions that encourages divergent thinking

How to Measure Your Performance

·        Do you have a basket of test questions and is it expanding exponentially as the semester progresses?

o   Are you able to automatically think of topics and sub-topics in terms of clever “cluster” questions?

o   Are the CT cluster questions covering the entire understanding of the chapter, which is, seeing the big picture?

o   If you were to map the answers from your “clever” cluster questions, will it look similar to your regular chapter map? How different is it from your chapter study map? Is it focused on questions that might be asked on tests?

·        Are you able to challenge professors & students with “thought-provoking” questions, in class?

o   Practice testing these “clever” questions on others, and rate their responses: A-B-C (A = extremely clever, B = smart, C = ok)      

o   What is the reaction of teachers, students, lab instructors, etc., on the "cleverness” test feedback?

o   On rating score of A-B-C for cleverness, are your CT questions good enough to be on an MCAT exams?

·        Are you able to accurately predict 90% of test questions, form your basket of test questions?

o   Are you always scouring +90% in test range (A+)?

o   Are you spending most of your valuable study time on Questions-Reviews, rather than notes memorization?

·        Are you beginning to uncover a “pattern” on how CT questions are designed? Are you able to reformat this “general formula” to fit other topics, and to be able to ask “standard” questions in multiple ways (commonality approach)?

o   Can you re-create map notes exclusively from these “clever” questions? Or do you still need your original chapter mapping notes to form “clever cluster questions”?

·        Once clever tester system is internalized, are you able to breeze thru science classes? That is, notice a significant improvement in your study methods and test results?

·        What is your main source of finding clever questions?                                                    

o   What % of clever questions are you developing on your own?        

o   Can you easily, without much effort, convert topics and sub-topics into CT questions?

o   At the end of a test, if all you had was your predicted test questions (i.e., only notes developed from test questions), would you have passed the exam?

o   Are you able to develop your notes exclusively from test questions?

o   How can you improve the efficiency of your CT system and accumulate MCAT style test questions?

o   How good are you at predicting actual test questions (scale of 1-10)? 

The Critical Thinking (CT) Study System

·        From Study Maps, develop +5 “big picture” CT questions. The questions need to relate as a process (i.e., cover multiple aspects of the chapter). These questions will be the roadmap of the chapter. The purpose of “clever” cluster questions is to group logical representations within your mind of various concepts by forming relationships. That is, to logically think thru the chapter materials.

·        Bring the cluster questions to class. As the professor covers the chapter, check each question that you feel the professor has covered.

o   Whenever the professor has not touched something, put a question mark next to it.

·        Every time you review your chapter notes add 5+ “clever” cluster questions by linking concepts to something else. You will realize that you will see the material multiple, multiple, multiple times. But each time that you see it, you add something new to it. In essence, you are always adding newer and newer relationships.

·        Seek out relevant CT questions from MCAT books that are organized by sub-topics

·        From chapter exercises, isolate questions that cover several sub-topics (overlapping)

·        Put yourself in the head of the professor, and ask if this is a question he would consider on a test?

·        For MCAT multiple-choice questions, it is just as important to identify why the wrong answers are incorrect. You have to be able to “reason out” the answer choices to achieve mastery of the concept.

How to Ask Higher-Thinking CT Questions:

·        Under what conditions...

·        Which of the following...

·        What is the evidence...

·        What are some of the difficulties/complexities/ consequences...

·        Compare/Contrast...

·        What evidence/examples supports...

·        What might happen if...

·        How would you classify...

·        What are the functions/process/causes/results...

·        What is the relationship/differences/issues/similarities between...

·        If... Occurs, what happens...

·        What does theory X predict will happen...

·        Rank / list the ... Categories of...

·        What is the purpose / goal / agenda of...

·        Explain how these are related...

·        What steps are important to...

·        What are the implications of ___?”

·        Why is ___ important?”

·        What is another way to look at ___?” 

·        Why did this happen...

·        What are the causes...

·        What would happen next if...

·        How does this affect...

·        Why is this important...

·        Does this make sense...

·        What does this mean..

·        What else can we learn from this...

·        How could this be used to...? What else can we learn from this?

·        Why is this important?

·        How does this affect...?

·        What would happen next?

·        How can we look at this another way?

·        What if you compared it to...?

·        Why is this better (or worse) than...?

Developing Critical Thinking Skills By Asking Probing Questions (an Example)

Great critical thinking questions require students to evaluate information and draw conclusions that are not readily apparent in the text. This is usually easier to accomplish by using essay questions, but essays can be time consuming for students to write and for you to grade.

On Liberty John Stuart Mill, 1859
“...The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties or the moral coercion of public opinion. The principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right. There are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he does otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns him, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign”.

Examples of CT Questions:

A.     Summary/ Definition:

o   What is J.S. Mill basically saying here?

o    What is meant by "harm to others"?

o    What does "remonstrating" mean?

B.     Analysis Questions:

o   Why does Mill say what he says?

o    How do Mill's ideas relate to the time period he's in?

o    What evidence or reasons does Mill use to support his ideas?

o    How do Mill's views relate to those of his contemporaries?

o    How does On Liberty fit into the course at this point?

C.     Hypothesis Questions:

o   How might Mill's ideas be different if he were writing today?

o    What if we applied this to a discussion of suicide?

D.     Evaluation Questions:

o   Do I agree with J.S. Mill?

o    Is Mill persuasive in his discussion of Liberty? Why?

o    What would be the advantages of adopting Mill's views?

Applying a list of “question frames” to your work is really only the beginning of critical thinking. As you progress through your major area(s) of study and become a more critical thinker, it will become easier to ask questions that are directly applicable to your work. This is partly the development of awareness about the kinds of question your professors will be asking and partly the development of awareness about your discipline and how students (and professors) in that discipline are trained to think.