This is a test…

Saipan, like anywhere else in the world, has some ambitious people who want to achieve things in life, and has some less ambitious people who are happy as long as their bellies are full and the TV works. But the world’s economy faces problems as the U.S. economy commits a messy and, frankly, tragic suicide. Soon, a lot of people, many of them with gray hair, will find themselves scrapping to retool their professional skills.

Some will find themselves back in classrooms. I’ve known people in their 40s who have gone back to college. I’ve known people in their 50s who have taken the nursing written exam. I’ve known people in their 60s who have taken written pilot exams.

It seems that I’ve spent my entire life taking written exams. I think I do better on tests than I do in real life. Well, so be it, and, for the benefit of young students and grizzled gray hairs alike, here are the techniques that I’ve come up with for knowledge tests (as opposed to aptitude tests, which I never bothered to prepare for):
[B] 1. Material[/B]

A reasonably intelligent person can grasp a lot from one quick perusal of material.

So, in general, from my experience it’s most effective to read through, just once, even if very quickly, all the basic material that might be on the test. Of course, this is only feasible in certain situations. Still, I’m surprised at the folks who find test preparation books and start plowing through them, ant-like, without reviewing the basic subject matter first; they frequently get bogged down at some point and lack a bigger context to provide strategic perspective for preparation.

[B]2. Triage[/B]

Some material is harder than other material. In fact, some is so hard, or so tedious, that it doesn’t pay to give it detailed study after the first read-through. Nobody has an infinite amount of time to prepare, so it’s wise to pick the lowest hanging fruit.

[B]3. Flash cards[/B]

Computerize them! That way when (not if, but when) you lose them, or spill coffee on them, or want to revise them, you don’t have to write them out again. And you can keep one set at work, one in the car, etc. Also, you can make worksheets from these files easily, so you can reinforce the stuff by writing it out.

The Avery 2-inch by 4-inch shipping labels (Avery item #5163, for example) work great. Stick one label on the front of an index card, another on the back.

[B]4. Don’t study in groups[/B]

Ever. It’s a waste of time. Learning is a solitary endeavor, which is why, in this age of groupthink, so few people can do it.
[B] 5. Take your favorite calculator[/B]

A familiar calculator can really help out. A test is no place to try to learn a new calculator. While I’m on the topic, get a good calculator to begin with. A good basic calculator should have a “1/x” (inverse) key and an “x” to the “y” power (exponent) key; if you understand math, this will let you fly through calculations a lot faster than dumb-dumb keys like percentage and square root.
[B] 6. Think logistics[/B]

Military officers like to say, “Amateurs talk strategy, but professionals talk logistics.”

The day before a big test, I don’t study at all. It’s logistics and relaxation day. I assemble my pencils, pens, erasers, and so on. I get cash to have in my pocket for incidentals. I gas up the car. I ensure my ID is ready. I make sure I’ve printed out directions to the test location. And I make sure I have two cans of cold, sugary Coke in the fridge, ready to go, which is what powers my brain for tests (glucose), and powers my dentist’s trips to Bali as well (services rendered).

This might sound a bit obsessive, but it’s nice to awaken on the big day and have no last minute errands to run. I’m relaxing over my morning coffee, while my competition is racing around in a frazzle for gas or pencil lead.

In the Commonwealth and just about everywhere else, life is going to get harder for all but the rich. Test-taking is an important skill. It’s not just for school kids.

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[I]Ed is a pilot, economist, and writer. He holds a degree in economics from UCLA and is a former U.S. naval officer. His column runs every Friday. Visit Ed at TropicalEd.com and SaipanBlog.com.[/I]