Tips for True/False Exams
By Natalie Umberger
If you're facing a difficult true/false exam, try some of the following tips to help lessen your anxiety.
- Every part of a true sentence must be "true":
- If any one part of the sentence is false, the whole sentence is false despite many other true statements.
Pay close attention to:
- Negatives, qualifiers, absolutes, and long strings of statements
- Negatives can be confusing.
- If the question contains negatives, as "no, not, cannot" drop the negative and read what remains.
- Decide whether that sentence is true or false.
- If it is true, its opposite, or negative, is usually false
Qualifiers are words that restrict or open up general statements:
- Words like "sometimes, often, frequently, ordinarily, generally" open up the possibilities of making accurate statements.
- They make more modest claims, are more likely to reflect reality, and usually indicate "true" answers.
Absolute words restrict possibilities:
- "No, never, none, always, every, entirely, only"
- Imply the statement must be true 100% of the time and usually indicate "false" answers
Long sentences often include groups of words set off by punctuation:
- Pay attention to the "truth" of each of these phrases.
- If one is false, it usually indicates a "false" answer
Guessing:
- Often true/false tests contain more true answers than false answers.
- You have more than 50% chance of being right with "true". However, your teacher may be the opposite.
- Review pasts tests for patterns if you can.
Resource: www.studygs.net
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