Dr. Sterne’s Soothing Quiz Tonic, Or
How to Do Well on Our Quizzes
1. Read the directions carefully, and read the question and all the possible answers carefully. Lots of people get questions wrong because they didn’t read carefully enough. Make sure you understand the question and all the possible answers before picking one. Keep in mind that we are looking for the best answer to any given question.
2. Our quizzes are designed to see if you understand the readings and lecture. Note that showing up to lecture and laying your eyes on the printed page are not enough. If you aren’t clear on a concept in lecture, ask us. If you have trouble with a reading, do it a second time, or ask us.
3. Our questions ask you what was said in a particular reading or lecture. In other words, you may have heard one of the answers before, but that doesn’t make it right. Oftentimes, wrong answers will include “common-sense” platitudes about the media that aren’t really true.
4. Some people write multiple choice answers where there’s one right answer and everything else is obviously wrong. Our quiz questions are different. We write a correct answer, and at least two other plausible but wrong answers. In other words, one wrong answer might be a “true” statement in some contexts but not answer the question correctly. Other wrong answers might be ideas from class that aren’t relevant to the question. Still others might be the opposite of what the author actually argues. This way, we actually test your knowledge of the material, rather than your ability to answer quiz questions.
5. If you have done all the reading and attended all the lectures, and if you feel like you have a really solid grasp of them, then trust your instincts. People will often second guess themselves and psych themselves out while trying to answer a question. If you’ve done the work, trust your hunches – at least to start with.
6. You don’t have to answer all the questions in order. Answer the questions that you are most confident about, and then go back and mull over the tough ones.
7. New to multiple choice exams? The Academic Support Center [http://www.pitt.edu/~asc/]. can help you work on your test taking skills.
8. We’re always available by email, after class, or in office hours to answer questions on the material or go over quizzes. Please come see us if you’d like to do better or have questions about a quiz.