Kaplan Essential Review: High School Biology (Paperback)

Your Guide to a Better Grade in Biology.

To be competitive for college admissions, you need to maintain an excellent G.P.A. in high school, especially in core subjects such as biology. Essential Review: High School Biology uses targeted biology review, in-depth practice drills, and Kaplan's proven strategies for performing well on tests, to help you develop the skills you need to get the biology grade you want.

Comprehensive Biology Review
Increase your knowledge and understanding of key concepts, including Evolution, Unity and Diversity, Ecology, and Human Physiology.

Critical Test-Taking Strategies
Maximize your grade in biology with Kaplan's highly effective test-taking strategies.

5 Full-Length Practice Tests
Improve your test performance with 5 full-length biology tests that provide detailed explanation for every answer. Includes a practice quiz at the end of each chapter.

Chapter 1

Taking Tests: Some Basic Advice

In just about every subject, the key to doing well on tests involves good study habits, listening, and concentration. Still, there is certainly a lot to be said for developing good test-taking skills. The fact is, any exam is partially a test of your understanding of the subject, and partially a test of your ability to do well on that type of test. It's possible for one student to have studied and prepared less than another and still do better on a test merely because the first student is a more capable "tester."

Not fair, you say? You're probably right. Unfortunately, the only practical way educators have found so far of measuring students' abilities is through tests, all of which are standardized to some degree or another. You will have to face them throughout your academic life, and perhaps even in your career. The good news is, test-taking skills can be learned, just like any other set of skills. Here's a guide to tackling some common types of questions on high school tests.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE TESTS

Teachers like multiple-choice tests because they are very easy to grade. The cool thing about them from a student's perspective is that the answer is right there staring you in the face. All you have to do is figure out how to distinguish the right answer from all the wrong answers. If you know the answer, this is easy. It's when you are not sure -- or don't know at all -- that things get tricky. He are some tactics you can use.

Process of Elimination

When you go shopping for clothes, isn't it easier to spot what you don't like than something you like? The same can be true with multiple-choice questions. You may not be able to spot the correct answer right away, but there may be an answer or two that are so blatantly wrong that they leap off the paper. Likewise, there may be one or two other answers that you are fairly certain are wrong, too. Using the process of elimination, you could answer a question correctly by knowing the wrong answers. Don't eliminate an answer choice, though, until sure you are reasonably sure that it is wrong. You don't want to be too hasty and cut a correct answer just because it is unfamiliar to you or you don't know what it means.

Give It a Guess

Let's say that, when faced with four answer choices to a test question, you use the process of elimination to eliminate two answer choices -- but can't decide which of the remaining two choices is the correct answer. Now what do you do?

It depends. If there is no penalty for wrong answers -- that is, if you just get a zero for a wrong answer and your teacher doesn't actually deduct points from your score -- always, always guess. You have nothing to lose. If you leave it blank, you will get zero points, but if you guess, you just might guess right.

If your teacher counts off points for wrong answers (and many do this to discourage guessing on a multiple-choice test), you should guess only when the odds are in your favor -- that is, when you can eliminate at least one answer choice (out of four). Since there is some risk involved, you shouldn't guess on more than one third of the questions on your test.

SOME MULTIPLE-CHOICE PITFALLS

There are a few common problems that can throw off the multiple-choice test taker:

Decoys. Stay on your toes. Your instructor may try to lure you in with an answer that looks like a "gimme."

Second guessing. Your first impulse, as long as it was based on some sort of reason, is usually correct. Don't go back and change your answers unless you know for sure you were wrong. When in doubt, stick with your original answer.

Overanalyzing. Sometimes, students see a trick in everything. They try to read between the lines of every question and wind up unable to pick an answer because they think they are falling for a trap. Don't make yourself crazy. Just read the question carefully and accept it at face value.

Misreading. If you skim or read carelessly, you may miss very important words in a question, like not or except. You may miss the instructions that tell you to "pick all that apply," and wind up only giving one answer when several are required. Stay sharp and pay attention.

STRESS...THE #1 ENEMY OF TEST TAKERS

The countdown has begun. Your test is looming on the horizon. Anxiety is on the rise. Your thinking is getting cloudy. Maybe you think you won't be ready. Maybe you already know your stuff, but you're going into panic mode anyway. Worst of all, you're not sure of what to do about it.

Don't worry! It is possible to tame that anxiety and stress -- before and during the SAT or any other test. You won't believe how quickly and easily you can deal with that killer anxiety. Here's how:

Making the Most of Your Prep Time

Lack of control is one of the prime causes of stress. A ton of research shows that if you don't have a sense of control over what's happening in your life you can easily end up feeling helpless and hopeless. So, just having concrete things to do and to think about -- taking control -- will help reduce your stress. This section shows you how to take control during the days leading up to the test.

Identify the Sources of Stress

In the space provided, jot down (in pencil) anything you identify as a source of your test-related stress. The idea is to pin down that free-floating anxiety so that you can take control of it. Here are some common examples to get you started.