THE SPECIFIC EXAM

A week or two before a test, make time to gather information about the test: What will the format be? What content will it cover? How will your instructor be grading it? That is, what does he or she expect from you? For most English composition classes, essay exams cover the readings you have been doing for the class, and the format will be a long essay, but be sure to confirm this and to get details. There are several sources for this information.

The Course Syllabus. Reread the part of the syllabus that refers to this test, looking for details such as how it might be structured, what it will cover, and how many points it is worth. You might also look at the course objectives, as these are generally good guidelines of the instructor’s expectations.

The Rubric. A rubric is an assessment tool that lists the categories on which you are graded. If your instructor has given you a rubric for the exam, this is the best guide to his or her expectations. In the example of an English midterm rubric that follows, you can see that the instructor clearly spells out what will be evaluated. By reviewing a rubric like this beforehand, you gain a clear sense of what you need to accomplish in the exam. If your instructor doesn’t give a rubric for the exam, you might look at the rubrics for previous out-of-class essays or the comments that he or she wrote on your papers. While the expectations for in-class exams and out-of-class essays are usually not identical, looking at these rubrics and comments gives you a useful review of the instructor’s expectations as well as your strengths and weaknesses. For more on rubrics, see Chapter 17, Giving and Receiving Feedback, page 000 in your book.

Your Notes. Over the semester, instructors usually give a few hints about the test questions. And if they refer to certain topics again and again, you can figure these topics will show up on the test.

Your Instructor. If you feel these sources don’t give you enough information, ask the instructor, either in class—your classmates will thank you for it—or privately during office hours or via e-mail. Be polite, and ask far enough in advance. Instructors really hate to hear the question “Is this gonna be on the test?” because it implies that students don’t care at all about the topic being discussed and only care about their grades. However, instructors love to hear things like “I’m trying to do my best, but I’m a little overwhelmed by the material. Can you give me some guidance on the test format and content?” Some instructors make previous exam questions or study guides available to students, while others expect students to make the study guides themselves.