Tests

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One thing that I have heard about AS is that a universal theme that seems to run amongst all of us is that we all have great difficulties when it comes to taking tests.

In the past two days, I had to take two different tests in two different classes by the same instructor so how the tests were worded was pretty much the same, the main difference was that the test I took yesterday was a multiple choice test, the test I took today was a mixed fill-in-the-blank/short essay test.

The multiple choice test I took yesterday I had no trouble with, despite the fact that I did little studying for it. The test I had today I went through much slower. But interestingly I still breezed through the FITB questions, but I got stuck on the short essays questions which were of a compare and contrast style.

One question in particular hung me up.

Even though I knew the criteria for each method quite well, when it came time to analyze side-by-side the two, I was stumped. I spent a good 20 minutes on this question thinking about what to write before I had to abandon it, and move on since I had a 90 minute time limit. I only got three compares and one contrast, not enough I feel to earn me credit for the question which is in a 300 level class.



This is one of Gillberg's criteria for AS. I was confused by what it meant at first, but now it makes more sense to me. I had initally thought that based on what I had read about rote memory that mine was fairly bad, but now I'm starting to re-asess that thought. When compared with what I now feel is my lousy ability to comprehend, my rote skills are fairly good, as evidenced by the time it took me to breeze through my mulitple choice test on tuesday

I do not have the same problem with tests. I love analyzing and comparing things. I suppose that's why I'm more interested in literature than math or history.

There are a few reasons why I have difficulty (though I always seem to do fine, despite them). One is all of the distraction going on around me in the room. The other is that sometimes I have a hard time understanding what the questions are asking. Usually, after some puzzling, I can understand them. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time, and causes me to rush through writing an answer.

I definately have an easier time with multiple choice tests too. I understand what you mean by more rote than meaning. When teachers ask the class questions about a specific thing-a date, an event, a person, etc. I can answer in a snap but when they ask us to relate something to something, or explain something, I need more time, although it depends on whats being asked. If they ask us to interpret someones actions/intent, then it's pretty difficult for me, otherwise it'll take a few minutes (or hours) and suddenly click. But I don't have as much difficulty as you do except times when I can't understand what a question is asking (although I'm switching over from science-largely rote-to English, so I might in the future). Like Civet I've always loved to compare/contrast/analyze things, so that's probably helped me out. I have the rote/meaning difficulties in math, too. If the teacher explains how to do a problem step by step, I can do it, but if I am given a situation and asked to make up an equation for it, I have to pick my brains out.

I find tests *much* easier than the actual classwork. However, I oppose the practice of standardized testing. (funny; opposing something that benefits me...)

I hate test so much. Thats it.

I have a very hard time depicting tests. I'm not very good at them.

Same with assignments, I used to tell tutors they didn't explain them properley and in enough detail. It helped them though, they'd get me to go through assignments and tell them information to add so it will be understandable to everyone.

Hi this is my first post. I feel very much like Catffienated I do very well on standardized tests (i got a 24/25 today in CH101) but I am very opposed to them. Every class I take has a few people who have a very hard time taking tests. I am 15 and I am taking classes at Clackamas Community Collage. The math deparment has been overhauled they have started doing group work instead of lectures (which I preffer) any one else have trouble with group work over lecture style


Ben the geek next door.

Some tests I can remember many answers to if it was on previous quizes or tests or talked about in lecture. I used to call l"earning through osmosis" as seemed to be a similar principle. That can be a two edged sword with attention problems I don't always hear the correct answer when going over quizes, so I don't remember the correct answer.

I'm *not* very good at rote memorization, at least for the purposes of what they want us to memorize in class. Most of the wrong answers I get on tests aren't so much because of a faulty analysis or whatever-- they were because I just couldn't remember the proper term for something, or the definition of a particular term, so I'd just fudge the answer and make up something that sounded plausible. Long laundry lists of information give me particular difficulty with memorization, for some reason-- individual facts are easier.

My biggest problem with tests, other than the information retrieval issues mentioned above, is simply one of time-- I can come up with the answers, but it takes me a lot longer to do so (both retrieving information by rote and synthesizing/analyzing it) than it does for most 'normal' people.