C FACTOR
Examine Your Test-Taking Skills Kenneth Enlow
President, FWPCOA
G
reetings, everyone. I hope you all are doing well. Here we are, moving into November as we approach the end of 2020. This has been a trying and difficult year. There are many distractions associated with our work environment, and COVID-19 may have gotten in the way of your professional advancement. Locating training and exam refresher classes has been difficult, with restrictions on gathering in groups and concerns with protecting ourselves and our families. In this month’s column I would like to go over some tips on how to prepare to take certification exams. First of all, I must say there is no substitute for studying for your exam. If you are taking a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) state exam, you can find all the approved texts and recommended study material listed in the FDEP operator certification program (OCP) handbook. The following link will take you directly there: https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/ocp_ handbook%20April%202020_0.pdf Copy this link into your computer internet browser. When taking an exam there are no absolute methods on how to succeed in
passing it, but there are some basic concepts that are commonly applied. This is what I am referring to as testmanship.
Testmanship Skills When taking an exam there are three methods you can use to analyze a question: read, remember, and reduce. Read Read the entire question to the very last word. Don’t just glance at the question; often the clue to the correct answer can be in a single word in the question. Read all of the answers completely. Again, a single word may be the clue to the correct answer. Remember Review the question! Read all parts of the question and then remember. After reading the question, ask yourself: S What/where did I read or study the material that will help me answer the question? S What do I remember from my studies? Reduce Reduce (eliminate) the obvious answers that are not correct. Often, two out of the four choices should be easily eliminated. This is where your studying pays off. Going into an exam with a good understanding of your study material will help you eliminate obviously incorrect answers. Once you have reduced your answer to two, you now have given yourself a 50 percent chance to select the right answer. Don’t dwell on a single question too
30 November 2020 • Florida Water Resources Journal
long. If you’re not sure of your answer, you can move on to the next question, but make sure you keep track of the ones you skipped so you can go back and answer them later. Never leave the answer to a question blank. Try these tips for the questions you are not sure about: S Turn back to the abandoned questions and answer them. You may get clues from other questions or you may just remember the answer. S Estimate the answer rather than leave it unanswered. When guessing an answer, use the A-C-E Technique: A void absolute words: never, always, none, not all, only, and every. Nonabsolute words are usually, seldom, some, most, sometimes, many, few, and often. C hoose the longest and most detailed choice; three to four words. E liminate similar choices. There can only be one correct answer; if two choices are the same or similar, eliminate both. Survey Finally, survey to ensure all questions are answered. Change an answer only if you are sure. When finished, ask yourself the following questions: S D id I answer all the questions? S D id I erase all stray marks if using answer sheets? S D id I only change an answer if I marked it by mistake first or if I’m completely sure another choice is better?
