Page 247 - Keys to College Success

Matching questions
Matching questions ask you to match the terms in one list with the terms in another list. For
example, the directions may tell you to match a communicable disease with the microor-
ganism that usually causes it. The following strategies will help you handle these questions.
■ Make sure you understand the directions. The directions tell you whether each
answer can be used only once (common practice) or more than once.
■ Work from the column with the longest entries. The column on the left usually
contains terms to be defined or questions to be answered, while the column on
the right has definitions or answers. As a result, entries on the right are usually
longer than those on the left. Reading those items only once will save time.
■ Start with the matches you know. On your first run through, pencil in these matches.
■ Finally, tackle the matches of which you’re not sure. Think back to your class lec-
tures, text notes, and study sessions as you try to visualize the correct response.
If one or more phrases seem to have no correct answer and you can use answers
only once, consider the possibility that one of your sure-thing answers is wrong.

Fill-in-the-blank questions
Fill-in-the-blank questions, also known as sentence completion questions, ask you to sup-
ply one or more words or phrases. These strategies will help you make successful choices.
■ Be logical. Insert your answer, then reread the sentence from beginning to end to
be sure it makes sense and is factually and grammatically correct.
■ Note the length and number of the blanks. If two blanks appear right after one
another, the instructor is probably looking for a two-word answer. If a blank is
longer than usual, the correct response may require additional space.
■ If there is more than one blank and the blanks are widely separated, treat each
one separately. Answering each as if it is a separate sentence-completion question
increases the likelihood that you will get at least one answer correct.
■ If you are uncertain, guess. Have faith that after hours of studying, the correct
answer is somewhere in your subconscious mind and that your guess is not com-
pletely random.
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CHAPTER The following examples show the kinds of fill-in-the-blank questions you might encounter in an

introductory psychology course (correct answers follow questions):

1. Information we encounter is first received by the . (sensory registers)
2. According to the , information in memory naturally fades over time. (decay theory)
3. We can generally hold five to nine bits of information in . (short-term memory)

4. People use when they recall how to use equipment or follow a recipe.
(procedural memory)

Creating Effective Answers to Subjective Questions

Subjective questions demand the same information recall as objective questions, but
they require you to plan, organize, draft, and refine a more lengthy response that
expresses your knowledge and views. All essay questions are subjective. With freedom
of thought and expression comes the challenge to organize your ideas and write well
under time pressure. These steps—a shortened version of the writing process—will help
you plan, draft, revise, and edit your responses.

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