2. How To Do a Self-Diagnostic Test and Some Additional Tips for Targeting Problem Areas

This might be the very best first step in test preparation. It is preparation, familiarization, practice, and self-diagnosis all wrapped up in one package. And it just may save you an enormous amount of time in the long run.

So many prospective test-takers ask: "How long should I prepare for this?" Only one person can answer this question for you: you. You might need only a small amount of "familiarization." You might need more extensive preparation. You might benefit from tutoring or from multiple practice tests. How do you find out? Take a practice test and do a "Self Diagnosis."

"Self-Diagnosis" means that you do all of this yourself: for yourself, with yourself, to yourself. There is no need to go out and buy a thing called a "self-diagnostic" test. You can find sample tests in your library, and sometimes on the web. (See below.) Then just go somewhere quiet, time yourself while you take the test, chart what you know and don't know, and score it. (Detailed instructions below.) Doing this on your own is an incredibly useful step in test preparation, often far more useful then having someone else do the diagnosis.

So.....

Where do you find a "sample test"? Some test registration bulletins contain a whole sample test. You can also usually purchase sample tests directly from the company. Nearly all university libraries have a large selection of test study guides, all of which contain sample tests. Click here for a list of test prep materials available in the MSU Library. And you can purchase these study guides in most bookstores, too. I always think it's best to start with the "free" options like the library! If you use a study guide from the library, you won't be able to write in the book, and you probably won't be able to take it home. So, go to the library armed with a tablet of paper, a watch, pencils or pens in 2 different colors of lead or ink, and maybe earplugs, too.

When you do this self-diagnostic test, keep in mind that you don't have to do it all in one sitting. In fact, it would probably be more helpful and less stressful to do it in several installments. If you're doing the GRE or the SAT, then you could do the verbal section one day, the math section another day, and the writing section a third day. Do whatever feels best. Stay motivated. Don't burn yourself out.

A self-diagnostic test focuses on two things:
  1. getting a feel for the timing and
  2. figuring out "what you know", "what you don't know", and "what lies in between."

While you take each section of your sample test do two things:

1. Time yourself

If you are not finished with the section when the time is up, then mark where you are and change to a different colored ink/lead, then keep on going. When you are finished, score it both ways---how many did you get right in the time limit, and how many did you get right with unlimited time? The point of this is to see whether you get more correct answers if you have extra time. You need to change the lead/ink color so that, if you go back to a previous question and change your answer, you'll know to count the first answer in your "time limit" scoring and the changed answer in your "unlimited time" scoring. If you get lots more right with more time, you probably just need to practice speeding up. (Is your reading "rate" something with which you might need tutoring help? On the Michigan State University campus, the Learning Resources Center can help with this.) How much extra time did you take? Did you really need it? Did you change many answers? If so, were you right the first time, or was your "changed" answer the correct choice? What else can you learn about your performance under timed pressure?

2. Chart what you know and what you don't know

What this means is that you need to have a very clear sense of what proportion of the test you clearly know already and what proportion of the test is beyond your current level of knowledge. Here's how to "chart" this in a very simple way. (You don't need a detailed graph, you don't need a fancy "data analysis", you just need a good overall picture.) Make some kind of mark by every question you are positive you answered correctly -- e.g., you could write "p" for "positive" next to the question. Also, make some kind of mark by every question about which you are clueless --- e.g., you could "x" those questions as though you are crossing them out. Most people will probably end up marking a few questions with a "p" and a few questions with an "x". It's that middle group, the ones on which you are making an "educated guess", which should be your primary concern in the early stages of preparation. For now, don't worry about what you 'already know' and don't worry about those questions that are way beyond you.

Graduate school entrance exams (and, similarly, undergrad college entrance exams) are designed to measure knowledge acquired over a long period, specifically, knowledge acquired through high school and the first several years of undergraduate work, therefore most of the questions on these exams should be at least somewhat familiar to you. These tests are written by faculty from graduate programs around the country and they are governed by boards composed of faculty from around the country. Their purpose is not to trick examinees. Nor is their purpose to require complicated test-taking strategies. Their purpose is simply to provide one additional perspective on your ability to handle graduate-level work.

Take a careful look at all the questions you did not mark with either a "p" or an "x". Is there any kind of pattern to the ones you got right? Is there any kind of pattern to the ones you got wrong? To use a simple example, let's say you're looking at a math section which consisted of arithmetic through calculus... And let's say you studied math up through trig, but no further. You should have been "positive" about all of the arithmetic questions, you probably marked all the calculus questions with an "x" and the rest fell into that "middle ground". In that middle ground, let's say you got most of the algebra questions right, a few of the geometry questions right, and most of the trig questions wrong. The easiest way to begin "studying" for this section of the test would be to put both calculus and trig right out of your mind. You never learned calculus, after all, and your trig memory is obviously the weakest. Focus hard on algebra and focus slightly on basic geometry.

When you feel as though your memory in these two areas is becoming brighter (through review and practice), take another self-diagnostic test in math. Chances are, your score will have improved significantly and all you've done is re-awaken information already in your brain. Repeat this procedure until your score on that section is where it needs to be based on the selection criteria of the schools to which you are applying.

Tips for Problem Areas:

VERBAL SKILLS:

MATH

  • If your basic arithmetic skills are rusty, consider using a high school level study guide to polish them (GED, ACT, SAT).Find these in bookstores, libraries, and on the web.
  • If algebra and geometry are your downfall, start with high school level study guides (above) and once you're beyond that, look for more sophisticated assistance at the university level.
  • Look for a workshop/seminar in math review (MSU students: check out the LRC)

ANALYTICAL REASONING/LOGIC

  • Look for a workshop/seminar in analytical reasoning strategies (MSU students: check out the LRC)
  • Carefully study the analytical sections of a variety of study guides in the library....not just study guides for the test you're taking (e.g., GRE, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT)
  • Master the strategies one or two at a time. Practice what you learn.

WRITING

  • Consult the MSU Writing Center
  • Consult the official web site for the test you're taking
  • If your skills are extremely rusty, consider a high school level study guide, such as the GED.