All tests are designed to determine how much you know about a particular subject at a particular point in time. But you should be aware of differences in types oftests because this will help guide how you prepare for them. Two general types of tests are based on their objectives, or how they are intended to beused: formative assessments and summative assessments. Formative assessments include quizzes, unit tests, pop quizzes, and review quizzes from a textbook or its Web site. Their main objective is to make sure you knowthe fundamental material before moving on to more challenging topics. Because these quizzes usually don't count much toward your final grade, many studentsthink they are not very important. In fact, these quizzes are very important, particularly to you;they can help you to identify what you know and what you stillneed to learn to be successful in the course and in applying the material. A poor result on a quiz may not negatively affect your final grade much—but learningfrom its results and correcting your mistakes will affect your final grade, on the positive side, when you take midterms and finals! More on this in Chapter 10"Preparing for and Taking Tests", Chapter 10, Section 7 "Using Test Results".Summative assessments include midterms and finals. They are used by the instructor to determine if you are mastering a large portion of the material, and as such, they usually carry a heavy weight toward your final grade for the course. Because of this, they often result in high levels of test anxiety and long study periods. In addition to this classification by objective, tests can also be grouped into various categories based on how they are delivered. Each type has its own peculiarstrategies. Paper tests are still the most common type of test, requiring students to write answers on the test pages or in a separate test booklet. They are typically usedfor in-class tests. Neatness and good grammar count, even if it's not an English exam. Remember that the instructor will be reading dozens of test papers andwill not likely spend much time trying to figure out your hieroglyphics, arrows, and cross-outs. Open-book tests allow the student to consult their notes, textbook, or both while taking the exam. Instructors often give this type of test when they are moreinterested in seeing your thoughts and critical thinking than your memory power. Be prepared to expose and defend your own viewpoints. When preparing,
know where key material is present in your book and notes;create an index for your notes and use sticky notes to flag key pages of your textbook before theexam. Be careful when copying information or formulas to your test answers, because nothing looks worse in an open-book exam than misusing the materialat your disposal.