How to Write an Examination

40 Pointers

for

College students, aspirants for civil service
positions and others who are required
to take simple or competitive
examinations


ISIS

EMERY R. HAYHURST, Ph. D„ M. D.

Professor of Hygiene,

Ohio State University.

Purchasable from

The Ohio State University Co-operative Supply Company,,
Hayes Hall, O. S. U.,

Columbus, Ohio

PRICE 15 CENTS﻿Copyright, 1922, by Emery R. Hayhurst.﻿PREFACE.

The author of these instructions
upon the subject of “How to Write an
Examination’’ has had a rather broad
experience extending over i twenty
years both in the writing of examina-
tions and as an examiner of candidates,
and of the papers and other work
which candidates have written, sub-
mitted or otherwise performed for
grading and scoring. This experience
has included state, county, and mu-
nicipal civil service work as well as
many years in university and profes-
sional school teaching, and some ex-
perience in mercantile and industrial
connections. While I have, most of
the time, been the sole examiner, I
have also often been one of a board of
several examiners—an influence which,
happily, I trust has served as a check
on any biased ideas I may have on the
subject. During the War I was also
fortunate to be the chairman of sev-
eral special boards where thousands of
papers for the S. M. A., S. A. T. C.,
R. O. T. C., and some for the U. S. P.
H. S. were examined and graded.

I have also brought to bear, in this
little pamphlet, the results of my ex-

3

P﻿perience in helping to conduct “quiz
classes/' in former years, for meeting
special competitive examinations for
technical appointments, as, for interne-
ship positions at Cook County Hospital,
Chicago, and, more recently, in super-
vising correspondence-study work for
state health officials in a special course
devised by the Ohio State Department
of Health.

The writer acknowledges that by no
means all points have been covered
herein and he will be pleased to wel-
come suggestions from students and
others which may be included in pos-
sible subsequent editions of this little
folder.—E. R. H.

i﻿INTRODUCTION.

The title of this disquisition is “How
to Write an Examination.” The author
may perhaps prepare a similar instruc-
tion some day on “How to Study,” be-
cause such should logically precede,
and he who has learned how to stu$y
needs hardly to be told how to write
an examination. The vast majority of
students, however, do not prepare for
and write examinations correctly, so
there is every occasion for these point-
ers. In fact most persons at examina-
tions exhibit very poor results of prep-
aration, low standards of efficiency,
confuse their training altogether,
wabble about, “don't tell half they
know,” and, what is the saddest part
of the whole picture, do not know why,
and never find out.

The system of written examinations
to give and receive credit for academic
work and for certain other recognitions
in life is too firmly established to com-
ment upon, in spite of its artificial, me-
chanical and soulless nature and its
other obvious short-comings. It has
some good features of course: it is a
wonderful “driver” for him who pro-﻿crastinates and it compels the unbusi-
ness like to audit assets. It will prob-
ably always obtain where elemental
courses, public teaching or public po-
sitions, large classes or many appli-
cants, and immediate current credit are
necessary. “Problem solution” or
“case solution” as a test for one's abil-
ity seems only applicable from a prac-
tical viewpoint for advanced students
and special cases. We can, indeed and
in all honesty, hardly blame that ec-
centric student who refused to study
for an examination on the grounds that
he was afraid he might prejudice him-
self by so doing. With this apology
for contributing further to an unfair
if not mean system, I here proceed to
tell how best, in my opinion, to manipu-
late it the most successfully.

Preparing for, and taking, an exami-
nation is very much like preparing for,
and taking an automobile trip in which
you are the driver, the machine is your
own person, and the luggage, represent-
ing what you decide to get together for
the trip (carefully collected into va-
rious bags, cases and carry-alls), is the
special knowledge which you store in
your brain box. You have previously
spent some days selecting the articles
you need on such a trip for meeting all
wants and exigencies along the road
and have gradually assembled these﻿things, putting together those which
have similar usages, occasionally shut-
ting up for the last time, you think,
this or that bag, the contents of which
satisfy you, but perhaps only to open it
two or three times again, before you
start, to check it over and add some-
thing else “which might come in
handy.”

There is another major precaution
which you take for the auto trip which
you should also take for the examina-
tion, but which most persons do not:
you check over the auto pretty care-
fully, clean out the carbon, tighten up
here, oil up there, test the air pressure
in the tires, “try her out”on some short
runs and on a few steep grades, but you
are especially careful not to put “her”
on any long strains at this time, both
for the sake of the machine and your-
self (“yourself” includes your brain
arid nervous system), and the night be-
fore leaving you go to bed earlier than
usual to arise the next morning almost
with the sun feeling full of “pep” and
eager for the trip. You pile on the lug-
gage according to a plan which you
have already schemed out. As you put
in place each item of paraphernalia,
there flits through your mind an inven-
tory of its contents. Now and again you
stop and open up something, as you are
not “dead” sure of its contents, check

7﻿them over, perhaps rearrange them in
order to make room for another article
which you have thought of later. At
last all is ready with both machine and
luggage. The breakfast bell tingles
and, forgetting everything else except
the joyful expectation ahead, most of
all such things as dread or responsi-
bility, for you are prepared, you sit
down to an invigorating, but light re-
past. Then those, who are going, as-
semble at the garage or meeting place;
there are exchanges of “You didn't
forget this?" “Have you got that?"
etc. Someone toots the horn, the min-
ute for starting arrives, each takes
his seat and you are off — yourself the
most confident one in the crowd, as
you are at the wheel. You get the di-
rections and, after “sizing things up,"
move off slowly, but with rapidly in-
creasing speed. Other people on the
road you avoid as far as possi-
ble. Especially do you keep your eyes
sharply on the road ahead and do not
allow them to wander over into some
other machine or indeed into your own
luggage to see what pointers you can
pick up. Past experience and road
sense tell you that such habits are
dangerous and likely to result in false
steers, collisions and smash-ups or even
arrest by some officer of the law who
doesn't like your style of driving.﻿It’s the same with writing examina-
tions.

While it is expected that these
"pointers” will help to better the self-
efficiency, scholastic and comparative
standings of my own examinees, both
in college and elsewhere, I shall be
doubly gratified if they may prove of
some worth to others. They may prove,
also, of some service to examiners,
where papers have to be returned to
examinees with comments, by enabling
them to call attention to certain appli-
cable "pointers.”﻿﻿HOW TO WRITE AN EXAMINATION
Forty Pointers.

1. Take every opportunity you can
to benefit by examinations. While
schooling, take every examination you
can, first, to get the criticism of “those
who know” upon your capabilities and,
second, for the sake of practice in being
examined. Life for him who keeps pro-
gressing is one constant series of exam-
inations anyway. Hence get practice at
every opportunity.

2- Here are pointers on physical and
mental conditions for taking an
examination: (1) Always take an ex-
amination in the morning if you can:
(2) Always eat a light meal at the us-
ual hour for your meal preceeding the
examination. Your previous regular
meals should have been medium in
amount, selected widely as to type of
food, and wisely as to natural food
make-up (not so much canned, car-
toned, boxed and preserved food) and
limited in matters of candy and all
sweets, also stimulants. (3) Be sure
the bowels are open; if in doubt take a
mild cathartic for a night or two before
the examination. (4) In cool weather

li﻿study in the evenings; in warm
weather study in the (early) mornings.
(5) Get the proper hours for sleep ac-
cording to your age, especially for the
week or so before you are to take the
examination. He who is physically pre-
pared is most mentally alert to meet
any situation. (6) If the examination
comes in the afternoon eat some hot
soup at the preceeding lunch and limit,
to some extent, the amount of solid food
otherwise. If you are accustomed to
coffee or tea, take the usual amount;
if you are not, take them sparingly if
at all. No other stimulant should be
contemplated. You do not want to sit
down at the examination in an exicted
state .of mind. (7) Remember that
there is a natural slump in the mental
powers about 4 P. M. (and for that mat-
ter, at 4 A. M. too). The later after-
noon is best used for physical recrea-
tion. The mental powers return with
the evening meal. (8) Do not wear,
at the examination, a tight-fitting col-
lar, tight sleeves or arm bands, tight
belts or tight clothing anywhere. (9)~
Sit in a good light. This greatly limits
fatigue. Take an eye shade with you if
you fear you may have to sit facing the
light.

3- Develop speed in writing. Inas-
much as most examinations have
to be written longhand, instead of by

12﻿typewriter, you should take every op-
portunity to write longhand in order to
keep in practice.

4. Be your natural self at the exam-
ination. Some are too buoyant
and cocksure, many are nervous and
uncertain. None of these have poise
and will do their best. Begin some days
before to store energy or potential for
the ordeal as well as to store knowledge.
Really what you must do is to store
energy for memory, imagination and
conception, the things upon which
judgment and reason must depend,
(1) Try to conduct your daily habits
strictly along hygenic lines. If you
have to put in some extra time prepar-
ing for the examination, do it in the
economical way: where overtime is
necessary, it is far better to add half-
an-hour, or an hour, each day during
the emergency than to put on overtime
spells of three to four hours’ dura-
tion at a time. (2) As the day for
the test approaches, shorten or drop
the overtime entirely. In doing this,
sacrifice details/if necessary, and
study general principles. (3) Just
before the examination, either the eve-
ning before, or the morning of, take
a final hour or two for a concentrated
survey of the whole subject from a
broad point of view, relating and co-
ordinating major features, memorizing

13﻿certain important headings and in gen-
eral getting the material well in hand.
(4) Here is the time to make your
“pony,” or to work your several ponies
into one strong “horse,” usually on a
single card or so. Memorize it, lay it
aside while you are getting ready in
the last hour to go to the examination,
then glance it over for the last time
and discard it. Do not take it with
you. You may be unable to resist the
temptation to pull it out and look at it
“after the bell rings” and the race is
on. Besides you are a blockhead if
you cannot remember at least 95% of
the comparatively few points you have
jotted down on a card or so.

5-	Come to the examination free of
text-books, note books, etc.

Don't look into one for the last half-
hour at least before the test begins.
Instead, get a little physical exercise.
In other words your luggage should
be packed in place on the machine, not
thrown onto the fenders, hung onto
the top-bows, or carried in your hands
at the last minute when you have to
leave.

6-	Certain mechanical preparation
for the examination is always

necessary: (1) Use a pen or a good
black pencil (provided/’ a pencil is
permitted). Do not tire the examin-

14﻿er’s eyes and patience by using a hard
lead pencil the tracings of which are
difficult to follow. (2) Bring your
own blotter. (3) Place any books,
wearing apparel, etc., entirely to one
side. (4) Don't cramp yourself for
room anymore than you can help.

7.	Should you recopy the question?

Unless instructions .are otherwise
and unless you are writing against
time, always recopy the question. In
doing so, write out each word in full;
do not abbreviate. By so doing you
reap a certain very impotant psycho-
logical benefit, for you place yourself in
the same position, or attitude of mind,
as the propounder of the question. It
enables you to look out through his
eyes, so to speak, and thereby to trace
back the thought or line of argument
which instigated the question.

8.	Most examinations are contests

against time as well as tests of

your knowledge and wits. All competi-
tive examinations are. Therefore, di-
vide the time proportionately to the
number of questions or to the amount
of work indicated and stick strictly in-
side of the time limits set. Here
above all things, freshness of mind
and stored energy enable you to
judge nicely and give you the will
power to stick to your judgment.—If,

15,﻿for instance, there are five questions
of equal worth for an hour's test, it is
foolish to spend 25 minutes on the first
one, then from 5 to 10 minutes on each
of the rest. Your resulting grades usu-
ally fall about this way for the re-
spective questions: 20, 16, 15, 10 and
5, total 66. On the other hand a
proper division of your time into 10
minutes for a question (thereby leaving
a minute or two for leeway and re-
reading of each) would have resulted
in all probability in something like this:
16, 18, 16, 18, 17,—total 85.

9. Sometimes you are at a loss as to
what to say in answer to a ques-
tion. You feel that you have a consid-
erable amount of information upon it,
but fear you do not know where to
begin or that you do not grasp the
question fully. How are you to be
guided under such circumstances? Re-
member this: Do not write anything
until you have oriented yourself ; then
first, think of what you have heard in
lectures or have studied in definite as-
signments on that subject. By all
means dismiss your general or “street”
knowledge upon it, and write logically
and technically.

10- Be slow to act but swift to exe-
cute, i. e. “size up” each question
well for a moment or two before Start-

16﻿ing to answer it. Then once having
mapped out the plan of your answer
in a comprehensive manner get dili-
gently at it. As someone has said,
“plan your work and then work your
plan.”

11. Write on the question, the whole
question, and nothing but the
question. There never was a better
rule propounded than this one. Di-
gressions are permissible only when
they bear a definite relation to the
question at hand and when you have
plenty of time. But, as a rule, digres-
sions do more harm than good.

12 In all general questions, that is
questions other than those in
which some specific answer such as
“Yes” or “No,” or figures, or names,
constitute the answer, take a broad
view point. Imagine that you are
asked to describe 1 the surrounding
country from a mountain top. Re-
member there are four points to the
compass, therefore look in all direc-
tions; also, there is a horizon on all
sides, therefore a limit of defined vis-
ion. Oftentimes this may mean start-
ing well back in the history of the sub-
ject as well. Take up each main
^thought as though it were a deep
valley running down and away from
your view point on the mountain top,

17﻿but show where it is only a part of
your whole picture.

13.	State the important things first.

This is an invariable rule. Then

in case you did not have time to finish
you will have written enough to assure
you a passing grade in any event.

14.	Make a good arrangement of

your work on the paper. The^
“outline form” greatly facilitates this.
Except in narrative, place your points
one below the other, that is, a new line
for each. Never mass up a number of
points in a conglomerate way in
a single paragraph. Invariably it is
well that you dwell upon each of these
points, or cite an example for each one,
and this is, therefore, only possible, on
account of writing space needed, by
placing them one below the other, and
oftentimes with a vacant line between.

15- Do not crowd. Always use-plenty

of room. Do not be limited by the
size of the paper. Do not think that
you have to stop at the end of the page.
Almost invariably you have more to
say on looking your questions over be-
fore turning your paper in, and you
show lack of good foresight and ready
judgment in making additions, interlin-
ing, writing along the margin of the
paper, etc. Leave plenty of space be-
tween your answers. Paper costs

18﻿much less than the sacrificing of your
points or the jumbling of your work.
Furthermore, the examiner, in all those
examinations in which papers are re-
turned, wants room for his own re-
marks, both on the margin and at the
end of your answer.

16.	Distinguish well between parts of
a question so that the examiner

is not puzzled in giving you credit for
each part upon which you have written.
Usually, simply use the same symbols,
numbers or letters which were used to
divide up the question itself.

17.	Do not attempt to cover up your
ignorance by a prolixity of words.

The examiner is never deceived and
tends to resent it, as he has to analyze
everything said with great care for fear
that you may have said something per-
tinent which he might overlook.

18.	Avoid repetition. Even if neces-
sary, do not rewrite what you have

previously stated, but refer to it.

19.	An introductory statement at the
beginning of your answer to a

question is usually not necessary,
wastes time, and often gets you into
trouble because of an under- or over-
statement. A comprehensive statement,
in one sentence, may be made in order
to show the examiner your breadth of

19﻿knowledge, or view-point, upon the sub-
ject.

20.	If time permits never miss an op*
portunity to cite examples or to

put in a few words of sub-classification,

21.	Don't be a slave to an outline
which you have prepared for an

examination. It is very seldom that the
questioner will so state his question that
your outline will exactly fit as an an-
swer and it shows poor judgment on
your part in thus exposing your inabil-
ity to meet the exact situation. Fur-
thermore you lay yourself open to sus-
picion of having used a "pony" and not
used it well.

22.	Be especially careful about the
spelling of simple words. Also

words which are recent in your vocabu-
lary. An ignoramous in spelling can
never merit an examination. He is
usually also considered by the examiner
as one who is not a close observer of
what he sees and reads, and as one wTho
is therefore not certain and sure of him-
self.

23.	When you can, divide your discus-
sion according to a logical plan

with heads and sub-heads. It pleases
the examiner and if, perhaps, you do
not have time to fill out some of vour
•sub-heads he is inclined to be charitable

20﻿in grading your paper on the work com-
pleted.

24. As a rule, answers to questions,
particularly in scientific subjects,
are best arranged in the “outline form”
rather than in “block form,” i. e., para-
graphs composed of completed sen-
tences. In the “outline form” you use
main headings and sub-headings and
leave the ends of lines vacant on more,
perhaps, than three-fourths of the lines
of your paper. This enables you to use
this vacant space for additional
thoughts or expressing more sub-heads,
explanations, or to cite examples. Also
if you write in “outline form” you are
very much more apt to grasp and cover
your subject in full than if you write
in the “block,” or paragraph, style be-
cause here you are apt to become rutted
along one or two lines of thought, and
to end your answer without having
touched upon a number of points which
should be included in the answer. The
“outline form” better enables you to
show the examiner that you have a log-
ical conception of the question at hand,
where, so often, the paragraph form,
unless specifically called for in the ques-
tion, does not do this. Also the para-
graph form takes more time, requires
the complete filling out of sentences
(the outline form does not) and is much

21﻿more difficult for the examiner to “wade
through.”

25.	Methods of Emphasis. It is highly

advisable to show the examiner

that you know the important from the
less important things. The writer who
does this always gets a grade superior
to him who does not. You may do this
by the way in which you arrange your
answer. State the important things
first, or place them on the left hand
side of the page, or give them Roman
numerals, or large letters; then place
the less important things subsidiary to
these, beneath them, or more to the
right and give them minor symbols in
your outline, such as Arabic numerals,
small letters, etc. Finally, one of the
best ways in which to emphasize is to
underline the important word or words.
Doubly underline if you wish. In this
way you have an opportunity to put
the proper emphasis on certain words
or thoughts wheresoever you may place
them on your written page.

26.	Do not be “single thoughted.”

About half the individuals who
write examinations are “s i n gl e
thoughted.” They do not seem to con-
ceive that there may be several possi-
bilities included in the question all of
which must be written upon foi* a com-
plete answer. Necessarily such exam-

22﻿inees cannot compete with those who
write upon all of the concepts, or inclu-
sions possible.

27.	It is usually well to indicate at the
foot of the page, by the word

“over,” anything more on that question
which, from lack of space, you write on
the next page or subsequent pages. This
is more necessary if you have ended
with a paragraph or chief sub-division
at the end of the page. In this connec-
tion always number your pages so that
the examiner may readily follow them
through. With the commonly used ex-
amination booklet of from two to ten
sheets bound together at the top, the
best place is to number each page at
the center at the bottom. Whether you
should write on the back of a page or
not is a matter which each examiner
will explain to you. From the point of
view of examining your paper it really
has little significance provided the paper
is not too thin, your pages are correctly
numbered and your reading directions
are definite.

28.	Be specific. Do not just fill space.
Avoid general statements which

mean little.

29.	Avoid the use of words having
only general meaning such as the

words “proper,” “normal,” “standard,”
“usual,” “ordinary,” etc., etc. Unless

23﻿you define these words to the examiner
he can give you little credit for the use
of them as he has no method by which
to know your comprehension of them.
Your conception of the word “proper”
or “usual” may be entirely different
from that of the dictionary or the mean-
ing which someone else would give.
Only experts who understand each other
have the right to use these words. If
you use such terms in order to shorten
the length of your paper, define them
the first time you use them and then re-
fer back to your definition when you
use them subsequently.

30. Often the student states the exact
opposite to what should be said.
The examiner then implies: (1) that
you have no information on the subject,
have bluffed, and “hit it wrong”; (2)
that you are confused in the informa-
tion you have and decided to bluff it
anyway; or (3), to be more charitable,
that you are careless. In any event he
can give you but zero for such an an-
swer although he might be more char-
itable if you were perfectly honest and
explained your lack of certainty or con-
fusion of information. It is very diffi-
cult to be strictly honest in such mat-
ters on an examination. But you make
the best impression on the examiner by
putting your honesty first. Don't for-

24﻿get that. It is often wise, also, when
you are uncertain, to say so and then
state just where you would go for in-
formation on the subject. These things
often explain why, in a final “size-up,”
a candidate who did not have the best
grade was, nevertheless, the one chosen.

31.	If you are familiar with the cor-
rect word, term, or phraseology

which should be used, use it. Do not
use a substitute, or paraphrase. Use
the technical terminology of the sub-
ject to the full extent of your ability.
Do not use lay terms, cant expressions,
“street talk,” etc.

32.	Do not take it for granted that the
examiner knows what you mean.

Say it yourself. Illustrate it by exam-
ple if there is any uncertainty. Many
writers fall down by simply implying
that they know something rather than
stating it right off the shoulder. The
careful examiner demotes unmercifully,
but justly, for this. The psychology of
this situation is, to be positive, not com-
placent. Do not mislead yourself into
believing that the examiner knows you
well enough to know that you know bet-
ter and will mark you accordingly. If
he does he has done you an injustice,
and only encouraged a bad habit, that
of “half-wayness.”

25﻿33. Keep your eyes and ears, and

therefore your thoughts, on your
own work. The writer is quite con-
vinced that many persons, writing ex-
aminations in a crowded room, unmean-
ingly allow their eyes to wander over
the papers of their neighbors. Uncon-
sciously they pick up points and include
them in their own papers. This is in-
distinguishable from plain cheating.
Remember these points: if, in the midst
of examining even, several hundred pa-
pers, the skilled examiner is struck by
the similarity of statement or presenta-
tion between the paper in hand and one
he has examined before, he will invar-
iably stop his work and go back through
the papers he has already graded until
he finds the other one and compares
them. The proof of cheating is not a
difficult matter. It is invariably estab-
lished when he discovers the same ar-
rangement or delineation of thought,
the same odd expressions or manners
of diction, coupled with the same mis-
take or mistakes, oftentime occurring
in the same order, on the two papers.
He is also greatly aided through his
knowledge of the seating arrangement
at the examination which shows your
seat in relation to others. He, or his
monitors at the examination, may also
have made note of suspicious relations

26﻿between examinees. Keep your work
entirely above suspicion of cheating.

34.	Remember that if there are many
taking the same examination, particu-
larly if it is in a competitive examina-
tion, you must write more strikingly
than others if you are going to come
out among the first. Therefore “say
something/' write forcefully, briefly,
and to the point, and in the best of Eng-
lish. Also in as legible handwriting as
you are capable of executing without
waste of time.

35.	In writing definitions, do not

make the mistake of thinking
that the mere use of a synomyn will
suffice. Definition means more than
this. If you are asked to copy some ma-
terial, be certain that you make no mis-
take in spelling or in the use of figures.
This applies to your copying the ques-
tion, also. One of the chief objects in
asking you to copy the material is to
ascertain your degree of accuracy and
thereby to estimate the degree of re-
sponsibility for details which can be
placed in you. No young person can be
excused for inability to note details,
and to note them correctly. Older per-
sons may be excused to some extent.
This represents the difference in physi-
ological ages.

27﻿36. Avoid making too positive or too
sweeping statements. Remember
what Hamlet said in the ghost scene:
“There are more things in heaven and
earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in
your philosophy/' Be very careful to
distinguish between theories and facts.
Do not state as a fact that which has
been given to you in lecture or text-
book as a plausible explanation of some
phenomenon. Dogmas, doctrines, max-
ims and platitudes do not constitute
facts. It is characteristic of the present
day that many of these are being dis-
carded or modified because they do not
stand the tests of accurate scrutiny by
modern means. It is to be regretted
that each student might not have the
experience of listening to' the evidence
submitted on both sides in some note-
worthy legal battle. Get such experi-
ence if you can, and you will have lots
more respect for facts and lots less for
opinions and usually accepted “say-so's"
as guides for action. The great value of
a course in science is the lesson learned,
to accept nothing as a fact until it is
proven to be so by all positive and nega-
tive means now known. Look out for
that little word “only,” in this connec-
tion; e. g. “The only wav to do, etc.”
There may be a number of other ways
unknown to you. but known to others.
The same may be said for the words

28﻿“simply,” “easily,” “always,” “never,”

“absolutely,” etc.

37. Remember that the answers to all
questions must include the men-
tioning* of certain important points.

Oftentimes the examiner, or board of
examiners, decide what percentages they
are going to allow for the mention (and
appropriate discussion) of certain
points; or they may decide how much
they are going to deduct; for instance,
10, 20, or 30 per cent, or more, for the
failure to include this or that particular
point. Paradoxial as it may seem to
state it, it is nevertheless found true
that almost everyone taking an exam-
ination will mention one or two insig-
nificant points, which are found in text-
books or given by lecturers as footnotes,
side remarks, etc., whereas a consider-
able percentage of examinees will fail
to mention one or more important
points. I am unable to understand the
psychology of this, although I have of-
ten done it myself. It is undoubtedly
due to love of the startling, the “blaze,”
and to a failure to study backgrounds,
as in looking at a picture, before being
charmed away by the chance decorative
flourishes,—a common tendency in all
human nature which has to be over-
come and which is quite completely

29﻿mastered by those whom we call “prac-
tical”, or “solid”.

38.	Always re-read both questions
and answers in order to be certain

that you have made no omissions or
mistakes in writing and that you have
covered everything. Many a good pa-
per is doomed as far as the final grade
is concerned because the writer omitted
part of a question.

39.	Do not rush to be the first one
through with the examination.

More fools do this than wise men. The
impression which a fool makes on his
examiner under such circumstances is
obviously ludicrous. The wise man is
never in a hurry and he will not sacri-
fice his wisdom for a show of speed.
Remember the turtle and the hare. On
the other hand, try not to be the last
one to finish.

40.	When the time set for the end of
the examination is up, quit on the

spot. In the confusion of persons leav-
ing, and, in class rooms, of others com-
ing in, you can do little real work; it
is impolite to hold up the instructor's
time; in many examinations your paper
may be refused and, finally, do not for-
get that “late papers” are usually care-
fully scrutinized—each question for ad-
ditional sudden thoughts, usually pen-
ned in a nervous hand—for evidences of

30﻿cheating through intelligence conveyed
to you by so-called “friends” who have
finished and pass you while leaving the
room, or by the opportunity which you
may have for seeing other's work dur-
ing the confusion, or for consulting
'‘ponies", etc. Aim to finish on time.

It is not exactly an after-thought to
say that these forty pointers may also
be used as a fair guide to “postmor-
tems.”

It would also be well to review them
before taking every examination, re-
imembering that the first 6 pointers
apply before the examination.

81