Learning how to take tests while you’re in college might be different from how you took exams while you were in high school. Some professors might have their tests during class, but others will take advantage of a testing center at the university. Some testing centers are large buildings filled with desks where students from multiple courses could all be taking tests at one time. There might be a room where students are allowed to listen to classical music over the speaker system, but often the tests are administered in silence.
The biggest difference between taking tests while you’re in college and when you took them in high school is that now there is more personal responsibility. The instructor will often hand out a syllabus at the beginning of the year with information of when tests will be offered in the testing center. They may not remind you when it is close to that time. They will also generally not allow you a second time to take the test if you forgot to do it when it was assigned.
There are some things that you can do during while you are taking tests to help ensure your success. First, get to the testing center or classroom early. That way you will have time to find a seat and get yourself situation with paper, pencil, calculator, or other things that you may need. If you are not rushed to take the exam in college, you may be able to think more clearly and recall the things that you have learned during the course. Another tip is to answer the easier questions first. If you don’t know the answer to tests while you’re in college, you can skip the question and go back to it later if you have time. Many of the exams will have a time limit, so it is important to keep an eye on the clock. In a testing center, multiple students are taking exams from different courses, so there would be no one there to tell you when you are close to your time limit.