Short Answer Tests

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Adapted from Study Guides & Strategies, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn (Sept. 1998).

An instructor's primary purpose in giving a short-answer test is to cover the material.

Go over your notes and the assigned reading:

Prepare for the test by studying off of summary sheets that are packed with information within condensed space. Try to categorize the material.

Use IRAC to structure your short answer.

Use grammatical clues within a statement as hints for the correct answer.

If you can think of several answers for a blank or short answer question, let the instructor know. The instructor may give you a clue to the correct answer he/she's looking for.

A guess made with common sense could get you more test points than if you leave an answer blank. Don't be a smart aleck if you guess.

Write your short answers in simple, telegraphic sentences. Packing as much information as you can is more important than literary style.

Adapted by Bob Nelson from Walter Pauk's How to Study In College.

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