Exam Autopsy

Careless Error

• mistakes made which can be caught automatically upon review of test

solutions:

• read instructions/question/case, etc. THOROUGHLY

• review question to be sure you know what the question is asking for and review each problem step by step

Concept Error

• mistakes made when you do not understand the properties/principles/foundation, etc. required to complete the problem

• trouble remembering what you studied (mental block)

solutions:

• review textbook + notes and identify why you missed the concept (metacognition) 

• practice explaining concepts to peers (use lecture objectives to guide learning)

• review Bloom’s Taxonomy to learn what is expected on exam

Application Error

• mistakes that you make when you know the concept but cannot apply it to the problem

solutions:

• use learning objectives to predict type of application that will be on test

• work through cases while learning + studying

Test Taking/Procedure Error 

mistakes made because of the specific way you take tests:

• not completing a problem to its last step

• changing test answers from the correct one to incorrect ones

• getting stuck at one problem and spending too much time

• not reviewing difficult questions at the end

• test anxiety

solutions:

• only change answer if you can prove the changed answer is correct

• set a time limit for each problem before moving to next problem

• set checkpoints for yourself (halfway point by X minutes, review tagged questions by X times, etc.)

• take a deep breath before exam or when you feel anxious

• do a brain dump of memorized info on scrap paper when exam starts

Preparation (learning) Error

• mistakes that occur when you learned the wrong type of material

• do not spend sufficient time learning pertinent material

• do not use the lecture objectives to guide learning

Solutions:

• identify why errors occurred and identify more effective learning strategies

• consider exploring how you learn and aligning study strategies with learning style (VARK)

Misread Direction Error

• skipped or misunderstood directions

Solution:

• thoroughly read ALL directions

• highlight key words in directions/questions