TIPS IN TAKING THE BOARD EXAM Arch. Annie Corpuz – Pugeda, uap December 13, 2009

1. The United Architects of the Philippines – Graduate Auxiliary UAPGA Architecture Licensure Examination (ALE) Assistance Conference Survive Board:Ready, Set, BOARD!, TIPS IN TAKING THE BOARD EXAM Arch. Annie Corpuz – Pugeda, uap December 13, 2009 United Architects of the Philippines Headquarters 53 Scout Rallos St., Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City

2. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN • 2nd day • Non-drafting examination • 150 questions • Standardized testing – Multiple choice • computer-adaptive testing - requires no scoring by people • Optical Mark Reader (OPM)

3. Advantages of standardized testing • Considerations of validity and reliability typically viewed as essential elements for determining the quality of any standardized test - results can be empirically documented; test scores can be shown to have a relative degree of validity and reliability, as well as results which are generalizable and replicable • Another advantage is aggregation. A well designed standardized test provides an assessment of an individual's mastery of a domain of knowledge or skill which at some level of aggregation will provide useful information.

4. Disadvantages and criticisms • "Standardized tests can't measure initiative, creativity, imagination, conceptual thinking, curiosity, effort, irony, judgment, commitment, nuance, good will, ethical reflection, or a host of other valuable dispositions and attributes. What they can measure and count are isolated skills, specific facts and function, content knowledge, the least interesting and least significant aspects of learning."— Bill Ayers

5. General test preparation • Anticipating test content • Review tools for tests • Overcoming test anxiety • Cramming • Ten tips for test taking

6. General test preparationHe who opens a school door,closes a prison - Victor Hugo, French • To do well on tests you must first learn the material, and then review it before the test. These are techniques to better understand your material: • Learning Take good notes in your lectures and textbooks Review your notes soon after lecture/review Review notes briefly before the next session Schedule some time at the end of the week for a longer review

7. General test preparationHe who opens a school door,closes a prison - Victor Hugo, French • Reviewing Take good notesabout as your reviewer/teacher tells you what will be on the test Organize your notes, texts, and assignmentsaccording to what will be on the test Estimate the hours you'll need to review materials Draw up a schedule that blocks units of time and material Test yourself on the material Finish your studying the day before the exam

8. Anticipating test contentThere is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things -Wm Shakespeare,English 1564-1616 • Pay particular attention to any study guidesthat the instructor hands out in before the exam, or even at the beginning of the review course!  Ex. key points, particular chapters or parts of chapters, handouts, etc. • Ask the instructor what to anticipate on the testif he/she does not volunteer the information • Pay particular attention--just prior to the exam--to points the instructor brings up during review sessions • Generate a list of possible questions you would ask if you were making the exam, then see if you can answer the questions

9. Anticipating test contentThere is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things -Wm Shakespeare,English 1564-1616 • Review previous tests/pre-board examsgraded by the instructor • Confer with other board-takersto predict what will be on the test • Pay particular attention to cluesthat indicate an instructor might test for a particular idea, as when an instructor: • says something more than once • writes material on the board • pauses to review notes • asks questions of the class • says, "This will be on the test!"

10. Review tools for testsBe prepared - Boy Scout motto, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, British 1857-1941 • Create study checklistsIdentify all of the material that you will be tested on-- list notes, formulas, ideas, and text assignments you are accountable for ( this will enable you to break your studying into organized, manageable chunks, which allow for a comprehensive review plan with minimal anxiety • Create summary notes and "maps"Briefly map out the important ideas of the course and the relationships of these ideas. Summary notes should display lists and hierarchies of ideas. • Creativity and a visual framework will help you recall these ideas.

11. Review tools for testsBe prepared - Boy Scout motto, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, British 1857-1941 • Record your notes and significant portions of text on audio tapes so you can review material with an audio gadget. (having a tape of important information will enable you to study while walking or relaxing in a nonacademic environment) • Create flashcardsfor definitions, formulas, or lists that you need to have memorized--put topics on one side of the card, answers on the other (this will enable you to test your ability to not only recognize important information, but also your ability to retrieve information from scratch)

12. Overcoming test anxietyA hundred cartloads of anxiety will not pay an ounce of debt - Italian proverb • Most examinees experience some level of anxiety during an exam (when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem) • General preparation/building confidence: Review your personal situation and skills • Managing time(dealing with procrastination, distractions, laziness) • Organizing material to be studied and learnedTake a step by step approach to build a strategy and not get overwhelmed • Outside pressures: success/failure consequences, peer pressure, competitiveness,  etc. • Reviewing your past performance on teststo improve and learn from experience

13. Overcoming test anxietyA hundred cartloads of anxiety will not pay an ounce of debt - Italian proverb Test preparation to reduce anxiety: • Approach the exam with confidence: Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success:  visualization, logic, talking to your self, practice, team work, journaling, etc.View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you've done • Be prepared! Learn your material thoroughly and organize what materials you will need for the test. Use a checklist • Choose a comfortable location for taking the test with good lighting and minimal distractions • Allow yourself plenty of time, especially to do things you need to do before the test and still get there a little early

14. Overcoming test anxietyA hundred cartloads of anxiety will not pay an ounce of debt - Italian proverb Test preparation to reduce anxiety: • Avoid thinking you need to cram just before • Strive for a relaxed state of concentration. Avoid speaking with any fellow examinees who have not prepared, who express negativity, who will distract your preparation • A program of exercise is said to sharpen the mind Get a good night's sleep the night before the exam Don't go to the exam with an empty stomachFresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress.Stressful foods: processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices • Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety (Avoid high sugar content [candy] which may aggravate your condition)

15. Overcoming test anxietyA hundred cartloads of anxiety will not pay an ounce of debt - Italian proverb • During the test: Read the directions carefully Budget your test taking time Change positions to help you relax If you go blank, skip the question and go on Don't panic when others start handing in their papers. There's no reward for being the first done

16. Overcoming test anxietyA hundred cartloads of anxiety will not pay an ounce of debt - Italian proverb • If you find yourself tensing and getting anxious during the test Relax; you are in control. Take slow, deep breaths Don't think about the fear. Pause:  think about the next step and keep on task, step by step Use positive reinforcement for yourself: Acknowledge that you have done, and are doing, your best Expect some anxiety. It's a reminder that you want to do your best and can provide energy. Just keep it manageable Realize that anxiety can be a "habit" and that it takes practice to use it as a tool to succeed

17. CrammingOnly the educated are free - Epictetus, Greek • Cramming is useful in emergencies;it is not good for long term learning. • Strategies for cramming include: Preview material to be covered Be selective: skim chapters for main points Concentrate on reviewing and learning main points Don't read information you won't have time to review

18. Multiple choice testsWe want a society in which we are free to make choices, to make mistakes, and be generous and compassionate - Margaret Thatcher English 1925 • Multiple choice questions include a phrase or stem followed by three to five options • Test strategies: Read the directions carefully. Know if each question has one or more correct option. Know if you are penalized for guessing. Know how much time is allowed (this governs your strategy) Preview the test. Read through the test quickly and answer the easiest questions first. Mark those you think you know in some way that is appropriate Read through the test a second time and answer more difficult questions. You may pick up cues for answers from the first reading, or become more comfortable in the testing situation If time allows, review both questions and answers. It is possible you mis-read questions the first time

19. Multiple choice testsWe want a society in which we are free to make choices, to make mistakes, and be generous and compassionate - Margaret Thatcher English 1925 • Answering optionsImprove your odds, think critically: • Cover the options, read the stem, and try to answerSelect the option that most closely matches your answer • Read the stem with each optionTreat each option as a true-false question, and choose the "most true"

20. Multiple choice testsWe want a society in which we are free to make choices, to make mistakes, and be generous and compassionate -Margaret Thatcher English 1925 • Strategies to answer difficult questions:Eliminate options you know to be incorrect. If allowed, mark words or alternatives in questions that eliminate the option • Give each option of a question the "true-false test:“ This may reduce your selection to the best answer • Question options that grammatically don't fit with the stem • Question options that are totally unfamiliar to you • Question options that contain negative/absolute words. Try substituting a qualified term for the absolute one, like frequently for always; or typical for every to see if you can eliminate it • "All of the above:"If you know two of three options seem correct, "all of the above" is a strong possibility

21. Multiple choice testsWe want a society in which we are free to make choices, to make mistakes, and be generous and compassionate - Margaret Thatcher English 1925 • Strategies to answer difficult questions: Number answers: toss out the high and low and consider the middle range numbers "Look alike options“ probably one is correct; choose the best but eliminate choices that mean basically the same thing, and thus cancel each other out Double negatives: Create the equivalent positive statement and consider Echo options: If two options are opposite each other, chances are one of them is correct Favor options that contain qualifiers. The result is longer, more inclusive items that better fill the role of the answer If two alternatives seem correct, compare them for differences, then refer to the stem to find your best answer

22. Multiple choice testsWe want a society in which we are free to make choices, to make mistakes, and be generous and compassionate -Margaret Thatcher English 1925 • Guessing: Always guess when there is no penaltyfor guessing or you can eliminate options Don't guess if you are penalized for guessingand if you have no basis for your choice Use hints from questions you knowto answer questions you do not. Change your first answerswhen you are sure of the correction, or other cues in the test cue you to change. Remember that you are looking for the best answer,not only a correct one, and not one which must be true all of the time, in all cases, and without exception.

23. Open book examsThat is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit.Amos Bronson Alcot American 1799 - 1888 • In an open book examyou are evaluated on understanding rather than recall and memorization • You will be expected to apply material to new situations analyze elements and relationships synthesize, or structure evaluate using your material as evidence

24. Open book examsThat is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit.Amos Bronson Alcot American 1799 - 1888 • Do not underestimate the preparation needed for an open book exam:  your time will be limited, so the key is proper organization in order to quickly find data, quotes, examples, and/or arguments you use in your answers.

25. Open book examsThat is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit.Amos Bronson Alcot American 1799 - 1888 • Preparation: Keep current on readings and assignments Prepare brief, concise notes on ideas/concepts being tested Carefully select what you intend to bring with you to the exam, and note anything significant about what you do not Include your own commentary on the informationthat will provide fuel for your arguments, and demonstrate that you have thought this through Anticipate with model questions, but not model answers.Challenge yourself instead with how you would answer questions, and what options and resources you may need toconsider.

26. Open book examsThat is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit.Amos Bronson Alcot American 1799 - 1888 • Organize your reference materials, your "open book:"Make your reference materials as user-friendly as possible so that you don't lose time locating what you need Familiarize yourself with the format, layout and structure of your text books and source materials Organize these with your notes for speedy retrieval, and index ideas and concepts with pointers and/or page numbers in the source material (Develop a system of tabs/sticky notes, color coding, concept maps, etc. to mark important summaries, headings, sections) Write short, manageable summaries of content for each grouping List out data and formulas separately for easy access

27. Tips for Better Test TakingA child should be approached with reverenceBronson Alcott, American...as well as the child in each of us • When you take a test,you are demonstrating your ability to understand course material or perform certain tasks.  Successful test taking avoids carelessness.

28. Tips for Better Test TakingA child should be approached with reverenceBronson Alcott, American...as well as the child in each of us • These suggestions may help you avoid careless errors! • Prepare: Analyze how you did on a similar test in the pastReview your previous tests, and sample tests, especially when studying for the final exam.Each test prepares you for the next:  the more tests you take, the better you will develop your test taking strategies. Arrive early for tests. Before a test, list everything you will need for it that is allowed (pencils/pens, calculator, dictionary, watch, etc.) Good preparation helps you focus on the task at hand

29. Tips for Better Test TakingA child should be approached with reverenceBronson Alcott, American...as well as the child in each of us • These suggestions may help you avoid careless errors! • Prepare: Be comfortable but alert. Choose a good spot in the room and make sure you have enough space to work, maintain comfortable posture in your seat, but don't "slouch" Stay relaxed and confident. Keep a good attitude.Remind yourself that you are well-prepared and are going to do well.  If you find yourself anxious, take several slow, deep breaths to relaxDon't talk about the test to other examinees just before entering the room: their anxiety can be contagious

30. Tips for Better Test TakingA child should be approached with reverenceBronson Alcott, American...as well as the child in each of us • Test Taking: Read the directions carefully. This may be obvious, but it will help you avoid careless errors If there is time, quickly look through the test for an overview. Note key terms, jot down brief notes. If you can, mark the test or answer sheet with comments that come to mind. Ask if that is permitted!

31. Tips for Better Test TakingA child should be approached with reverenceBronson Alcott, American...as well as the child in each of us • Test Taking: Answer questions in a strategic order: • Answer easy questions first to build confidence, score points, and mentally orient yourself to vocabulary, concepts, and your studies.  It may also help you make associations with more difficult questions. • Then difficult questions or those with the most point value. With objective tests, first eliminate those answers you know to be wrong, or are likely to be wrong, don't seem to fit, or where two options are so similar as to be both incorrect.

32. Tips for Better Test TakingA child should be approached with reverenceBronson Alcott, American...as well as the child in each of us • Test Taking: • Review:Resist the urge to leave as soon as you have completed all the itemsReview your test to make sure that you • have answered all questions • did not mis-mark answers • did not make simple mistakes

33. GOOD LUCK! WELCOME! January 2010 ARCHITECTS! THANK YOU and SEE YOU in your Oath Taking Ceremony!