Kaplan Continuing Education and Test Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does Kaplan's 'Predict the Answer' strategy involve before looking at the answer choices?
- Guessing randomly to save time
- Formulating a likely correct response based on the question stem alone (Correct answer)
- Reading all answers simultaneously
- Eliminating the longest answer choice first
Correct answer: Formulating a likely correct response based on the question stem alone
Predicting an answer before reading the choices prevents answer choices from distorting your thinking and helps you spot the correct option quickly.
Question 2: Which metacognitive skill is most critical for adult learners in continuing education programs?
- Passive reading of assigned texts
- Self-monitoring comprehension and adjusting study strategies accordingly (Correct answer)
- Memorizing definitions without context
- Relying exclusively on instructor-led review sessions
Correct answer: Self-monitoring comprehension and adjusting study strategies accordingly
Self-monitoring — recognizing when understanding breaks down and switching strategies — is a hallmark of effective adult learners in continuing education.
Question 3: On a Kaplan standardized test, what does a 'distractor' answer choice refer to?
- A correct answer designed to trick students
- A plausible but incorrect answer crafted to lure test-takers (Correct answer)
- Any answer that is too long
- An answer that repeats words from the question
Correct answer: A plausible but incorrect answer crafted to lure test-takers
Distractors are carefully written wrong answers that exploit common misconceptions or partial knowledge to mislead unprepared test-takers.
Question 4: Which scheduling approach does Kaplan recommend for balancing test prep with professional continuing education commitments?
- Studying whenever you feel motivated
- Creating a structured weekly study schedule with defined topics per session (Correct answer)
- Focusing entirely on practice questions and ignoring content review
- Completing all studying in the two weeks before the exam
Correct answer: Creating a structured weekly study schedule with defined topics per session
A structured weekly schedule distributes study load over time, prevents cramming, and ensures all content areas receive adequate attention.
Question 5: When reviewing a wrong answer on a Kaplan practice quiz, what is the MOST productive action?
- Simply mark it wrong and move on
- Analyze why you chose the incorrect answer and what reasoning led you there (Correct answer)
- Re-read the question faster
- Memorize the correct answer without understanding why it is correct
Correct answer: Analyze why you chose the incorrect answer and what reasoning led you there
Understanding the error pattern — misread question, content gap, or faulty reasoning — prevents repeating the same mistake on the actual exam.
Question 6: What is the role of 'active recall' in Kaplan's recommended study methodology?
- Highlighting text passages in yellow
- Testing yourself by retrieving information from memory without looking at notes (Correct answer)
- Re-reading chapters multiple times
- Listening to lecture recordings at double speed
Correct answer: Testing yourself by retrieving information from memory without looking at notes
Active recall forces the brain to retrieve stored information, strengthening memory traces more effectively than passive re-reading.
Question 7: Which approach to reading comprehension passages does Kaplan recommend for tests like the LSAT, GRE, or MCAT?
- Read every word at normal speed before looking at questions
- Skim the passage for main ideas, then read questions to guide targeted re-reading (Correct answer)
- Skip the passage entirely and use only answer choices as clues
- Read only the first and last sentences of each paragraph
Correct answer: Skim the passage for main ideas, then read questions to guide targeted re-reading
Kaplan's 'Passage Map' strategy focuses on capturing main ideas and structure efficiently, then returning to specific sections as questions demand.
What does Kaplan's 'Predict the Answer' strategy involve before looking at the answer choices?