Test Preparation Flashcards

Which type of memory is primarily tested when an exam requires you to apply a formula to a novel problem you have never seen before?

Answer: Semantic memory

Semantic memory stores factual and conceptual knowledge, including formulas and their applications.

TMU applicants are often assessed on critical thinking. Which of the following best describes a critical thinking error called 'hasty generalization'?

Answer: Drawing a broad conclusion from too few examples

Hasty generalization occurs when a sweeping conclusion is drawn from an insufficient or unrepresentative sample.

A student consistently scores well on practice tests but panics during the real exam. This is most likely due to:

Answer: Test anxiety interfering with retrieval

Test anxiety activates the stress response, which can block access to well-learned information stored in memory.

Which of the following reading strategies best helps identify the author's purpose in a passage?

Answer: Identifying the thesis statement and recurring themes

The thesis and recurring themes reveal why the author wrote the passage and what argument they are advancing.

What is 'spaced repetition' and why is it effective for exam preparation?

Answer: Reviewing material in increasingly longer intervals to exploit the spacing effect

Spaced repetition leverages the psychological spacing effect, which shows memory retention is higher when reviews are spread over time.

In a time-limited math section, a student encounters a very difficult problem early on. What is the best strategy?

Answer: Skip it, mark it, continue, and return if time allows

Flagging and moving on preserves time for questions you can answer, maximizing total score.

How does 'elaborative interrogation' differ from simply re-reading notes?

Answer: It requires asking 'why' and 'how' questions to connect new information to prior knowledge

Elaborative interrogation deepens encoding by linking new facts to existing mental frameworks, unlike passive re-reading.