How to Analyze a Practice Problem
by Stacey Koprince on October 9th, 2009
1. Did I know WHAT they were trying to test?
- Was I able to CATEGORIZE this question by topic and subtopic? By process / technique? If I had to look something up in my books, would I know exactly where to go? (If I couldn’t do this, I need to take the time to categorize it now, while I’m analyzing the problem.)
- Did I COMPREHEND the symbols, text, questions, statements, and answer choices? Can I comprehend it all now, when I have lots of time to think about it? What do I need to do to make sure that I do comprehend everything here? How am I going to remember whatever I’ve just learned for future?
- Did I understand the actual CONTENT (facts, knowledge) being tested? (Go back to your books and teacher to learn / understand anything that gave you trouble.)
2. How well did I HANDLE what they were trying to test?
- Did I choose the best APPROACH? Or is there a better way to do the problem? (There’s almost always a better way!) What is that better way? How am I going to remember this better approach the next time I see a similar problem?
- Did I have the SKILLS to follow through? Or did I fall short on anything? (Again, go back to your books and teacher to learn / understand anything that gave you trouble.)
- Did I make any careless mistakes? If so, WHY did I make each mistake? What habits could I make or break to minimize the chances of repeating that careless mistake in future?
- Am I comfortable with OTHER STRATEGIES that would have worked, at least partially? How should I have made an educated guess? (Think about this even for questions you get right — it’s often easier to develop alternative strategies and learn how to make an educated guess on problems that you got right. Then, you use the lessons learned when you see a harder problem of the same type / category.)
- Do I understand every TRAP & TRICK that the writer built into the question, including wrong answers? (Again, it’s often easier to understand and learn to avoid traps on problems that you got right! Learn how to spot them consciously so that you can still avoid them even on harder problems.)
3. How well did I or could I RECOGNIZE what was going on?
- Did I make a CONNECTION to previous experience? If so, what problem(s) did this remind me of and what, precisely, was similar? Or did I have to do it all from scratch? If so, see the next bullet.
- Can I make any CONNECTIONS now, while I’m analyzing the problem? What have I done in the past that is similar to this one? How are they similar? How could that recognition have helped me to do this problem more efficiently or effectively? (This may involve looking up some past problem and making comparisons between the two!)
- HOW will I recognize similar problems in the future? What can I do now to maximize the chances that I will remember and be able to use lessons learned from this problem the next time I see a new problem that tests something similar?
