If you haven't read through part I, be sure to read it first here!
As you move through your academic life, which includes your various degrees, the testing becomes more and more rigorous. Where, for example, you were concentrating on terms and definitions in high school, and applying concepts at the beginning of your college work as a freshman or sophomore, as you progress to the major you want to work on as a junior and beyond, more is required and the testing often explores deeper concepts and their applications. So, when that time comes, what are professors going to ask? Let’s look at analyzing, evaluating and creating, particularly as they apply to the testing process.
Analyzing. When a professor is asking you to analyze something, what is going on in his/her head? Often a high school students hear that term used in a science class when they are working in a lab on a project and combining different items to see the results. These analyses are usually carefully controlled; how does that work at a university in an English or History class? Analyzing a text is more about taking apart the whole and picking pieces to think about. So when an instructor has this term on an exam, they are really asking you, as a students, to think about what makes this information work. Think of analyzing in terms of other words and it becomes clearer:
Evaluating. There is actually a difference between analyzing and evaluating and sometimes the clue are subtle. When you analyze something you might be considering how pieces fit into the overall theme of a piece of the puzzle (or topic, essay, or book). Evaluating, on the other hand, means that you are to take the information and form opinions about it (and usually, back up those opinions with facts, historical events, or similar items). Think of evaluating in these terms:
Creating. The last item in the testing process is usually one of creating. If you are a Chemistry student, that might mean combining various items and testing their worthiness. If you are an English student, it might mean coming up with a new idea on an issue or topic and writing about it. What are some other terms and ideas that come under this category?
As you work through the testing process in your academic career and beyond, consider that the testing process will always be a part of your life, whether written, oral, or in the work place. Remember that while a boss or an instructor might come up with certain terms they prefer for the test, by considering what those terms mean and finding other terms that are similar, you will find that the testing process is easier for you to achieve your goals if those terms can quickly be changed into terms you are familiar with.
As you move through your academic life, which includes your various degrees, the testing becomes more and more rigorous. Where, for example, you were concentrating on terms and definitions in high school, and applying concepts at the beginning of your college work as a freshman or sophomore, as you progress to the major you want to work on as a junior and beyond, more is required and the testing often explores deeper concepts and their applications. So, when that time comes, what are professors going to ask? Let’s look at analyzing, evaluating and creating, particularly as they apply to the testing process.
Analyzing. When a professor is asking you to analyze something, what is going on in his/her head? Often a high school students hear that term used in a science class when they are working in a lab on a project and combining different items to see the results. These analyses are usually carefully controlled; how does that work at a university in an English or History class? Analyzing a text is more about taking apart the whole and picking pieces to think about. So when an instructor has this term on an exam, they are really asking you, as a students, to think about what makes this information work. Think of analyzing in terms of other words and it becomes clearer:
- Compare/contrast
- Investigate
- Examine
- Inspect
- Consider
Evaluating. There is actually a difference between analyzing and evaluating and sometimes the clue are subtle. When you analyze something you might be considering how pieces fit into the overall theme of a piece of the puzzle (or topic, essay, or book). Evaluating, on the other hand, means that you are to take the information and form opinions about it (and usually, back up those opinions with facts, historical events, or similar items). Think of evaluating in these terms:
- Judge
- Argue
- Justify
- Critique
- Estimate
- Debate
- Validate
- Defend
- Appraise
- Assess critically
- Certify
Creating. The last item in the testing process is usually one of creating. If you are a Chemistry student, that might mean combining various items and testing their worthiness. If you are an English student, it might mean coming up with a new idea on an issue or topic and writing about it. What are some other terms and ideas that come under this category?
- Invent
- Construct
- Formulate
- Hypothesize
- Conceive
- Concoct
- Devise
- Theorize
As you work through the testing process in your academic career and beyond, consider that the testing process will always be a part of your life, whether written, oral, or in the work place. Remember that while a boss or an instructor might come up with certain terms they prefer for the test, by considering what those terms mean and finding other terms that are similar, you will find that the testing process is easier for you to achieve your goals if those terms can quickly be changed into terms you are familiar with.