Test Taking Strategies

Test taking strategies that may be effective for anthropology courses include information dumping, looking for clues in the test, and organizing essay answers (D. Applegate, CAL).

Information Dumping

Information dumping involves quickly writing down anything you think you might forget or confuse. You should dump information on the test itself as soon as you get it. One caution is to avoid using too much of your test time dumping information; if you are concerned about completing a test in time, just dump the most essential information.

Things you might dump include:

• dates and other numerical information
• people's names
• definitions
• lists
• webs, tables, and hierarchies used to organize information
• outlines you prepared for anticipated essays
• memory devices like mnemonics

Look For Clues

If you run across an anthropology test question that you unsure of, look for clues in other test questions. Sometimes your memory is triggered by information in other questions. In some cases the answer itself might be found in another question. If you feel your essay answers are lacking in details and supporting evidence, look for information you can use in the objective questions.

Organize Essay Answers

If you are taking an anthropology test with essays, it helps to think about and organize your answer before you begin writing. One way to do so is to develop an outline of your answer. Other organizational formats that may be used are Venn diagrams, hierarchies, and tables, which are described elsewhere in this page.

Organizing your essays helps you to present a clearer, more structured essay. It also allows you to double-check that you have answered all parts of the question. If you run out of time before completing the essay, you might at least jot down the outline and hope for partial credit.