A Brain Hack (of sorts) for Exams and Tests - College Info Geek
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- Earlier this year I made a video to answer the question, "Should I change answers on tests or stick with my initial answer?"
That video is now sorta kinda... wrong. The beauty of science is that, at pretty much any time, new data can be discovered that invalidates earlier conclusions.
That is what has happened in the case of this debate on changing answers, and the result is a technique that will help you more accurately judge whether or not to stick with your initial answer on each individual question. It’s called confidence tracking; here's how to use it.
My book "10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades" is completely free, so check it out if you're interested in improving your grades!
collegeinfogeek.com/get-better...
Here's the podcast interview with professor Justin Couchman:
collegeinfogeek.com/justin-cou...
Original video on changing test answers:
• Should You Change Answ...
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Videos you might want to watch next:
10 Study Tips for Earning an A on Your Next Exam: • 10 Study Tips for Earn...
Test Anxiety: How to Take On Your Exams Without Stress: • How to Beat Test Anxie...
How to avoid stupid mistakes on exams: • 10 Ways to Avoid Makin...
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If you want to get even more strategies and tips on becoming a more productive, successful student, subscribe to my channel right here:
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Companion article for this video:
collegeinfogeek.com/confidence...
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~ created by Thomas Frank
Great timing. My exam's in an hour.
Haha.
Same
❤️❤️❤️
Mine is in 6 min 👁👄👁
so did u pass?
So I probably should have stated this more explicitly in the video:
High-scored answers (4 or 5) are more likely to be correct, while questions with lower scores are better candidates for revisions. Also, low-scoring questions should get more thinking/reviewing time when going back through your test.
(Sometimes I get so deep in the research that I forget to view the script from the perspective of someone else - sorry about that!)
Remember, the insight of this research is that you're better off trusting your metacognition in the moment rather than later on - it DOESN'T mean you'll never make the incorrect choice when deciding whether or not to revise an answer. It should, however, help you choose correctly more often.
+Adnan Smadi sadly, I can't remember the name of the site where I got the shirt... but I know it went out of business a while ago.
However, there are lots of other cool t-shirt websites! Check out Threadless, The Yetee, Cotton Bureau, and Design By Humans.
+Thomas Frank Haha I was afraid to ask about that because I thought I missed it somewhere. Thanks, Thomas!
Thomas Frank thank you ☺️
I tired this method... And wouldn't lie.. I think my instincts were really wrong.. Would you please tell me how to make changes in that?
One piece fan !!!!😁
I can't thank you enough for everything you share..
I'm taking probably the most important exam academically tomorrow , really needed this
Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your videos, your tips do actually work. I read your book before taking my first finals this year.
Before i start i have to say that I have always been a good student but i was not the most efficient one. I would spend a lot of time studying and even thought i felt like i was not ready to take my exams. ..
But this quarter was a hole different story, i am a freshman at college (I study law, in Spain) and thanks to you i studied way less hours.
I followed most of your tips, i was more organized, i had time to hang out with friends, play sports, sleep 8h , and study.
I found my self more relaxed and ready to take my exams, i felt like i did my best and i had to believe in my brain hahaha...
i didn´t skipped a single class and let me tell you guys.... That is the key to succeed ... if someone tells you another thing... they are lying to you!!!
As result... i had A in ALL my subjects... ALL OF THEM!!! i´m super exited.. i felt like it was so easy and i enjoy learning new things now that i know how to do it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH THOMAS!! :)
What's the book's name?
Is it ironic that I'm watching videos on improving my study skills while procrastinating at the same time? Probably. Am I going to stop watching and study for my finals instead? No...
+Grace McLean you figured it out :P same here! but to be honest this guy is quite helpful
Everyone is
I know this is a few years late but not really because you're at least trying to find techniques to get more out of the studying and do better than before.
the modern paradox
Great timing! My exam is tomorrow.
Same
Adeline F. How did it go?
Omg same mine is tmr
Lucas Heijdeman he failed
Same lol
I'm a professional and I love watching these videos because they still apply no matter if you're in or out of college. I would love to see a video on simply how to get started faster. I have a hard time just getting myself in the mood to start working (about 30 minutes to about 2 hours work), even with it all planned out . As Mark Twain says "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."
With finals starting on Monday, this is a great video to have. I do wish the Study Schedule video could have come sooner, it definitely would have been a help; at least it will still be useful for subsequent final exams
Portgas D. Ace! Great hat on the globe in the right background. Thanks for the video. Finals start Monday. Will try out your suggestion and hopefully (Memory, as you said, is notoriously bad) post back once I get my results.
Seriously, you're awesome! I watch a lot of your videos for trying to succeed my exams et your advices are precious
LOVE your channel!
Great timing! I mean I know it's been 4 years and therefore it's actually not a coincidence I search for this kind of vids before an exam, but still great timing!
Thank you. Your timing for releasing this information is perfect as next week is finals week for me.
OMG! okay so, im in nursing school atm and i had a lot of trouble with the tests. i started off my first semester with just taking the 50 question multiple choice tests as i always did.. read the question then answer in my head and pick the answer closest to my answer i stated in my head... then during my second semester, just for fun i guess, i decided to write ALL OVER my test. for each question i would underline key words and even define them or write down what came to my head as soon as i saw a key word. then i would answer in my head and then check to see if that answer was one of the choices.. before moving on i wrote down a "G" for a guess, circle to come back to it, or a checkmark for answers where i thought i was without a doubt right. i found that doing that helped me to prioritize and finish faster so i can check my work! i thought it was very awesome to see the way i naturally decided to take a test was being studied! and all this time i thought i was a weirdo lol
also i have no shame in changing my answers on a test... i will change answers if i see fit.. i want to be ok with making mistakes and recognizing that i am indeed wrong. it doesnt come easy but i try!
Love your vids! Helps me a lot during exams.keep the videos coming!!
I have finals in about 2 weeks and this channel might just save my life. Thomas can you do a blog post or a video about planning a study schedule for finals?
Perfect Timing, thanks again thomas for this awesome videos
I think I'm doing something wrong because every answer has a 1/5 confidence
I just discovered your channel and my finals ended last Friday hahaha. But this video came out near the end of my finals week, so either way I couldn't use it last week. But I will DEFINITELY by using this in the future. Whenever I look over my answers I always lose track of the ones I'm confident on. This method should save some time now :)
by the way drawing a line after you solve a question thing that you said in your previous video has been really helpful. Thanks a ton Thomas! :)
Cant wait for next week's video!
you're awesome, your videos and your blog help me SOO MUCH
amazing video, as I have tough exam next month and I hope I had time to review, and if so I will rely on my confidence rating for every question that will be marked for review.
Perfect timing Thomas!
Best youtuber 👏🏻👏🏻❤️ thanks for the tips
Thank you! This channel has really helped me and i'm starting high school in a month!
Thank you for this. I will use this in my teaching practice and encourage my students to do this.
Very interesting and creative, I very liked this book!
Have in mind I subscribed for you, now I'm checkinbg out the books which you gave, in your videos and also the interview was also very interesting!
I subscribed the very first time I saw this vid. Your videos are great, dude. Helped me a lot! Thanks.
thank you so much for your helpful tips :D btw cool Ace hat in the background 😁
Thank you for tips!!!! Great as always ;)
Hey! Primarly, I would like to thank you for doing what you do, some of your tips have truly helped me improve my studies. Your videos are both informative, interesting and of very high standard.
Secondly, I have a problem though, I have huge troubles getting to school and I know a lot of other people feel the same dealing with a lot of pressure and issues sleeping. Do you perhaps have any tips for how to get to school?
Thankyou so much, you constantly help me
The perfect tool for final exams or any exams, thank you!
Very interesting and informative, thank you!
I liked and subbed bc this helped me focus on my English exam!!!
Thank you! Love your channel
Just got your book, I'll enjoy to read it 😌
Does this work with timed exams? Should I take the extra time to rate my confidence in each question?
Hi Thomas, firstly I really appreciate and support your channel. I believe what you're doing here is amazing. I wish your channel existed when I was in college... anyways, I am preparing to study for the CPA exam, which just thinking about it makes me cringe. I understand every tip and theme you've covered applies to any number of scenarios and situations. But it would be awesome and so helpful if you could make a video specifically targeted at studying for licenses such as CPA, Lawyer, MD... etc. 😁pretty please
Need MORE!!!! Plz update new videos twice a week!!!!!
Holaaaaaaaa!!! , gracias por subir tan buenos vídeos , no se mucho ingles pero los coloco los subtitulos , estoy en mi etapa de ser mas productivo y tu me ayudas mucho! muchos éxitos !!! saludos desde PERÚ!
You're really an inspiration! I have changed a lot after following you. However, I'm still struggling with how make a balance between my personal life (Girlfriend,hanging out, voluntary work..) and my college life. Any advices or tips ? PLEASE make a video about that.
Awesome..We have always heard "go with your first instinct"; but I usually leave my second choice answer because there is a reason why I doubted the first answer
Thomas, I've spent so much time trying to look for studies and alter my study habits and how I manage my life while in school and I haven't come across good material. So I was wondering what resources do you use to develop the content for your videos?
I usually do this by nature. your efforts are appreciated, sir.
Why is only a part of your wall soundproof? Saving up for more? Or is it just decorative?
Can't wait for ur time schedule video for exams!! Do it very soon mann!! +Thomas Frank
awesome video, thanks !
Great video Thomas! Quick question: have you ever used any sort of nootropics to help you study? :)
Great Advice!!!
Today is Thursday! Next Thursday, my finals start... OMG thankyou so much Thom!
I always circle the question number if I am unsure with the answer, or has yet to answer. When I go through the test again, I can see what I have to look at again. Is that similar to this technique?
"And as always, thanks for watching" .... Vsauce has hacked CIG!! Loved the last line
Best video !!! Do more !!
dude this is really good information
Great video thanks
Any quick tips for a study schedule? My finals are next week and I'd like to be as prepared as possible!
I suggest spending 30 mins each day on topics that you're having problem with.
+Shannon Paradine sameee
+Shannon Paradine
Going through example problems is usually quickest way to get resoults for exams. Doing in-depth studies 1 week before isn't going to help much. The problem is that the resoults are highly temporary as they're tied to short-term memory instead of comprehension, and the lack of that information will cause problems in future.
I believe he has several videos posted about study schedules already! They're super helpful
My final is on Tuesday! thanks a lot for the tips man!
YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU WILL!
+Carol Kayamba YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU WILL!
Me too lets go
How was it??
That's a great strategy .. Thanks :)
do you have any tips on how to pass my accuplacer specifically for reading and writing sections
i used to do that spontaneously by putting a different shape next to each question to indicate how confident i am about my answer.
and trust me it works
Great video
4:25 I've had that happen before. Recently, I had a math test. I knew the concepts and equations like the back of my hand, and I had gotten every question correct on the two tests for the two units (then there is a proctored test - I am homeschooled and I do my work online - that tests me on both units). On the proctored test, I figured that a little bit of practicing before the test won't hurt. Well, I was wrong. Half-way through the test, I get super exhausted and I made many careless mistakes, and I was too tired to check my answers. I eneded up getting a B+. Which isn't bad, but I was expecting 100%, and I totally would've gotten that if only I would have slept in a lot more and didn't practice before the test. Let this be a lesson to you, aha...
Sir kindly make a video for how to approach multiple answer exam...we have 19 medical subjects...and 10 months duration...
I read your 1st book I hope you publish a 2nd book .it is very good .
Thanks! you made my day
Hey, could you make a video on compartmentalizing for studies? Like creating a mind study place?
Thank you Frank , your videos are very helpful, you are a very informative and great channel,
i did use this method in my previous exam, but what I don't understand is how it will help me? I mean i did not understand why do we grade? is it because we review the topics after the exam or is it so we revise the questions we gave a low score to? if anyone can help me understand that would be great! i watched the video three times and I am still unsure??
thanks in advance
I know I should be focusing on what you're saying but OMG THAT'S PORTGAS D ACE'S HAT IN THE BACKGROUND!!!!!!
Hey Thomas, I was wondering if you have any tips to motivate yourself ,to finish the semester with good grades and not "procrastinate"?! My finals are in two weeks I need your help!!!
+1 for the FireFist Ace hat in the back.
I have a test today so i will experiment this technique. Let's see how great it works
Just in time for my finals! Thank you *-*
+Lígia Cipriano Good luck!! :)
What if it's a computer exam and once you answer you can't go back, and you have about 60secs per question?
You're the man!
i have a 200 multiple choice questions exam...i don t really have time for confidence scores :)) can you do a video on increasing speed on multiple quest? i always have unread questions at the end of my exams or i just go through them like crazy
Cool T-shirt dude!
hi Thomas. please do a small videos on HOW YOU MAINTAIN OR WRITE IN YOUR DAILY PLANNER BOOK< WHICH YOU SHOWED IN YOUR BACKPACK VIDEO.. THANKS.
What about writing essays? Any tips for that?
This lad is great!
I guess set a weekly upload routine will do good for your channel because sometimes I deliberately click it but get nothing new.
interesting, I usually mark an answer I'm not sure about with a question mark! I'll try the 1-5 scale, thank you!
can someone please confirm; if you are unsure about the answer (1-2) and you pick the answer according to your gut, should you change your initial answer or not?
I have exam in two hours. It is timed. I will try my best to follow this strategy.
Can you please make a video on bad test takers and studying for exams with this in mind? thanks :)
Thank you
I am just curious, how good are u doing at school, r u that kid who is understanding everything and acing most exams, were u always like that?
Thanks man.
Is this for multiple choice only?
I have negative marking in my exams. What do I do if I'm almost sure but not quite?
+Anjitha Puthillam say it's rating can be either 3 or 4 out of 5 as Thomas says in that metacognition bleh bleh, you must review it later,say after completing the whole paper and guauge your confidence again on that question if it doesn't decrease then it's okay, you can go with that ;) PS: these all techniques are good if your mcq exam doesn't have negative marking like mine :( so I prefer to rely mostly on my preparation since a wrong question costs me a negative rather these superfluous,highly out of the sky techniques.also the time bound is there for every exam.i had to do 180 problems in 180 minutes -_- #randomramblings nvm
Isn't this video just stating what happens during an exam anyway? The only reason we would want to revise an answer is because we're not sure whether or not its correct (not confident about the answer). I'm sure everyone doing a test would mark a question with a circle or something of the sort when they're unsure about it, while leaving the answers they know for sure are correct untouched just so that they can go back after they are finished the exam to rethink it... This video doesn't really bring in anything new other than a different method of distinguishing answers that you're unsure about.
Btw I do respect you and your videos, they've helped me quite a bit. I guess I could say It's just that this one was not one of them.
Actually, for me this can help me a lot. Why? Because even if I'm 100% sure of all my exam, I reread the whole thing again just to be really sure it is all right.
@thomas_frank Dont you think that the student will be more critical of his answer if he reviews it later rather than "in the moment" ? Hence resulting in him giving his answer a more realistic score ??
I have a fear of forgeting i.e. suppose i learn a topic and i will proceed further in the chapter...but still i will return on the same topic in a fear forgeting everything...waste much of my time..PLz help me out :)
Hey Thomas, I love you, you're such a big help. Just saying. I have my SATs this Saturday, and I may not want to spend time during the actual test rating my self, but this does seem like a good plan when taking practice tests so I know what to look over C: Thank you!
I'm doing the SAT this Saturday too! Good luck, friend :) I don't think this technique will really work in the actual SAT because you have to deal with the time hahaha.
+Enrique Moran Yea, I can use every single second they give :P But I'm taking a bunch of practice tests to prepare so. Good luck to you too!! C:
+Bella Bear I have done like 12 practice tests so far, but I don't really feel totally prepared for it. Thanks :)
How did you do???
+Enrique Moran Sorry for late reply, I've been celebrating not having to study anymore xP But I feel like I did alriiiiight I guess. I feel more confident than last time so I guess there's some improvement. How'd you do? C:
From where did u get this t-shirt!!?
thank you
You should have linked the podcast where this idea was spawned from. Gave me what I needed to score a 2000 on my SAT. You should maybe even consider bringing in personal experiments with ideas you tamper with, i.e. take a test with this strategy and reveal the results. This way its not just research but also conducting a physical experiment that we can be impressed with. I am sure it would take more time, but it would be really interesting to add to some videos like these. With all that said phenomenal video and strategy as always, great addition to any student's test taking arsenal.
+RiNickulous I did link to the podcast, both as a Card and in the description...
Totally agree with the personal experiments, though - I just have to pick my battles on that front since I publish a video every week :)
+Thomas Frank My bad, I forgot my cards were disabled.
I can see that challenge and you obviously can't do it every week, but I will be excited to see the videos you do make in that style.
Always appreciate your content keep up the good work!
to have something that you like is good. just manage the time. and make sure the hobby itself is healthy.