Updated: July 24, 2015

What to Expect on a College Exam

Dreading the first college exam can occur even before you’ve started the semester. Most freshman do not know what to expect on the first, or consecutive exams- worry not, as they are not as bad as one may think. While the academics are obviously more rigorous, as it should in higher education, the format and standard layout of exams are identical to those you have been seeing throughout your secondary education.

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Exam Layouts

Essay

Perhaps the most common type of college test, the essay exam is typically great for those students who are actively engaged in class discussions and course work. They have opportunity to share their ideas openly and intellectually and this confirms retention of class material. On the other hand, students who lack classroom engagement and do not pay attention will struggle to demonstrate what they have learned. It is nearly impossible to study this material in one evening, as the learning process has spanned over the course of the semester and is not easily learned again. Essay exams generally link multiple texts used in the semester. Math exams are rarely in essay format- they require problem-solving and providing explanations in reasoning rather than expressing ideas on concepts.

Multiple Choice

Multiple choice testing is slowly diminishing from schools and fortunately, many students do not prefer this format. Multiple choice exams do not credit students for their understanding of the material since there are limited options, and only one can be correct. This route of testing favors rapid memorization, regulation of facts, and limited expression of knowledge. Simply put: you are either right or wrong. They’re more common in high school and are rare in college unless you are a science, math, or similar major.

Grading Styles

Each professor has their own preference for grading and students will find that some are extremely lax or lenient whereas others are brutal and rarely give out perfect scores. You will not know what to expect with a new teacher, until after the first exam, which could be nerve-wracking.