The Linux And Unix Menagerie

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Taking Tests

It's a fact that being able to successfully pass an exam is not necessarily indicative of a person's level of competence in any particular field. Many intelligent and capable individuals simply don't do well on tests. This is because doing well on tests, like the subject matter they comprise and the level of achievement they attempt to assess, is something learned.

You can liken testing well to gambling well. Most folks consistently lose their figurative shirts playing cards while others, seemingly blessed, make a steady living at it. Once you're familiar with the actual rules of the game (as opposed to the implied rules), you will greatly reduce the odds against you and begin to succeed more often than not.

Following is a list of some important points to keep in mind when testing. Think about each of them. Some may seem trivial. Most of them employ common sense. Even so, try to read them and remember them. Taken as a whole, and applied as necessary, they will increase the probability that you will do well.

NOTE 1: These are also favorite tricks of test makers who will count on you to choose your answer according to common logic

NOTE 2: All rules assume the multiple-choice method of testing, except where otherwise noted. The examples are meant to be somewhat extreme, in that they exist only to make a point. Their real-life counterparts will, most likely, be more subtle in nature.

1. Know What You Know:

The first rule is also the most important. If you're serious about passing a test, you need to prepare for it. If you're in the possession of a textbook or other study guide related to the subject matter, read it cover to cover and know it cold. Doing so, in my experience, will give you about 50% of the test. By inference, not doing so will virtually guarantee failure.
It's important to note, also, that this method will be extremely important when faced with short-answer, demonstration or essay type questions.

2. Know Your Audience.

The second most important thing to keep in mind is for whom you are testing. The more you know about the testing body, the more intuitively you'll understand what it is that they want to hear.

3. Rule Out The Implausible:

Often times, test makers will include at least one answer that can't possibly be correct.

Ex:
Mein Kampf was a political tractate written by:
a. Nikita Kruschev
b. Adolf Hitler
c. Slappy White
d. Benito Mussolini

Sometimes, they'll include more than one. Based on your level of preparedness, you'll be able to weed these out quickly and concentrate on viable options.

4. Look For The Answer In Other Questions.

Assuming the exam you're taking is not adaptive (a form of test which uses the last question answered to determine the next question asked, usually without the option to go back and review), you can generally find the answer to one or more questions in questions presented later in the examination.

It's fairly commonplace for a test writer to pose a question for you at one point in a test and then, presumably without knowledge of the fact, use the answer for that question as a necessary assumption in a later question.

Ex:
1.
Free Radicals are created by _____ and loss of an electron:
a. Spontaneous combustion.
b. Oxidation.
c. Taxation without representation.
d. Sloth.

2.
The role of oxidation in the creation of Free Radicals is:
a. Essential.
b. Recommended.
c. Frowned upon.

5. Beware of Absolutes and Superlatives.

Almost nothing is loved by all or applicable to everyone. When absolute words crop up in an answer, it is almost always incorrect. Absolutes most commonly include all and every.

Superlatives may or may not be indicative of the worth of an answer. While words like best and greatest should generally be treated with caution, you will, again, have to consider who is giving the test. Microsoft may well believe that they've created the best operating system in the world, and may expect you to believe it too.

Ex:
The year 2000:
a. Is feared by all.
b. Is hailed by everyone as the dawning of a new era.
c. Is a year.
d. Is the best year ever.

6. Watch For Grammatical Inconsistencies.

You can't count on this one too much anymore, since not many test writers seem to care about correcting their typos anymore, but it may help you out in the odd situation.

This error will creep in when the test preparer carelessly chops any given sentence into a question and answer pair, following up by writing out the incorrect answers. The grammatical inconsistency, in this case, will be between the question and the answer. The flow between the two will be stilted or the resulting sentence will be a complete abomination.

Ex:
Everyone on the honor committee is:
a. Done his or her homework.
b. Expelled from school.
c. Completed all course requirements.

7. And Don't Forget Incorrect Spellings.

This one is also not too dependable these days. That isn't to say that there isn't at least one word misspelled in almost every test you'll take. Only that standards have dropped to the point where the incorrectness may not actually be a clue.

Generally, where spelling is concerned, you will have to determine whether or not the answer would be valid, were it spelled correctly. If not, proceed. Otherwise, ensure that no other, correctly spelled, answers are correct.

8. Notice Similarities Between The Question And The Answer.

Sometimes, you can map words from the question directly to words in the answer. Whether it be a case of euphemism, direct relationship or redundancy of another nature, this sort of bond between the question and answer can lead you to the correct one.

Ex:
People who hail from Frankfurt are called:
a. Germans
b. Frankfurters
c. Deutschers

9. Be Aware Of The Level Of Detail.

Often times, test preparers (presumably hog-whipped by complaints concerning the ambiguity of their previous answers) will go out of their way to ensure that the correct answer can not possibly be considered wrong. These answers generally stand in stark contrast to alternate options, as they provide the most detail.

Ex:
In order to change the PATH variable in Unix completely, you need to:
a. Kick back. Unix will do it for you.
b. Type PATH= followed by the new value for the PATH variable. Then type "export PATH".
c. Type PATH and let Unix do its thing.

10. Check Equivalence And/Or Contradiction.

This is one that you can count on at least once on every test. When faced with only one possible solution, you can designate a few solutions as being incorrect based solely on their relationship with other answers.

That is to say, if two of your options make the same argument, neither of them can be correct. The same rule applies if two of your options contradict each other.

Ex:
1 - Contradiction.
Nobody likes Mike Golvach because:
a. He is short tempered.
b. He has immense patience.
c. He keeps a stockpile of munitions in his desk drawer.

2 - Equivalence.
Everybody likes Mike Golvach because:
a. He's a nice guy.
b. He's very pleasant.
c. Their water supply has been drugged.

11. Be On The Lookout For The Multi-Answer Answer.

This relates somewhat to Equivalence-Contradiction and the rule of absolutes. When one of your options is "All Of The Above" or "None Of The Above", you're afforded a good comfort zone. Simply put, if you can prove that any statement aside from the aforementioned either equals or contradicts another, this answer, as well as the contradictory or equivalent answers, is wrong.

Ex:
In the event of a Potassium Chloride spill, one should:
a. Refrain from raising dust.
b. Get ready for the long walk.
c. Shoot concentrated air into the center of the spill.
d. All of the above.

12. Don't Always Trust Your Initial Instinct.

I know this won't go a long way with most folks, but, barring the fact that you absolutely know the answer, you should never trust that the first answer you select is necessarily the correct one. What may seem more than likely on the first go around, might seem absolutely preposterous on the second. You're just about as likely to change a wrong answer to a correct one as you are of doing the opposite.

Simply put: Don't rely on your gut. Logically prove to yourself that the answer you have chosen must be the correct one, if possible.

In closing, remember that there really is no substitute for an actual grasp of the subject matter involved. Nobody's writing a test to do you a favor. The last three things you may want to keep in mind are these:

1. Believe In Yourself.

Most tests are screened before they are released to you, to check for lapses in logic, ambiguities, typos, etc. Depending on the curve, at least 40% of the people screened passed the test, and they probably had minimal knowledge of the subject matter. Therefore, it is equally possible for you to pass. Especially if you know your facts.

2. Don't Be Afraid To Fail.

Or, to use other terminology, "Play To Win." If you worry too much about doing well, you won't. If you try too hard not to lose, you will.

3. Practice Humility.

Take numbers 1 and 2 to heart, but, for God's sake, don't be too cocky.

Good luck to you!

From <a href="http://linuxshellaccount.blogspot.com">The Linux and Unix Menagerie</a>