Exams will test your understanding of topics presented in lecture and text, including overlapping and nonoverlapping material between the two sources. Roughly half the exam questions will assess content that came from both lecture and the text, 25% from lecture only, and 25% from the textbook only.Although some (~25%) of questions will assess your understanding of key terms, most questions (~75%) test conceptual understanding or the ability to apply concepts to new situations.

Each midterm exam is non-cumulative. To know which content is covered on each exam, check the Course Calendar. The calendar specifies which dates apply to each exam. All lectures and readings that were due within those dates will be covered on that exam. 

Each exam includes non-cumulative multiple-choice questions and one or two short-answer essay questions. We will provide sample questions before each exam to give you a feel for the kinds of questions we like to ask. 

Here are some specific exam study strategies we recommend:

Approaching the content:

Many students find it helpful to start by studying their lecture notes, along with the lecture outlines and slides available in Canvas. Starting with lectures is a smart idea because they are less overwhelming than the textbook chapters and 75% of what is on the exam will be covered in lectures! Walk through the lectures and work to re-teach yourself the main concepts and studies described in the lecture. Pay attention to key terms/concepts, big ideas/theories, and specific cases and studies. Know what main ideas the studies were used to support. It is good to know key figures emphasized in class (e.g., Darwin, Penfield) but dates/names generally not necessary.

Next, go back through the textbook, starting with the chapter summaries to remind yourself of what was covered in each chapter. Take some time to look for both overlapping content (do you remember it from studying your lecture notes?) and non-overlapping content. Dig into the non-overlapping content. Make sure to understand bolded terms, the content covered in interactive figures, and check-your-understanding questions at the end of each study unit, as these highlight more important concepts. Content that doesn't fall into one of these categories is fun and interesting to learn, but is unlikely to show up in an exam question.

Making sure you've mastered the material: 

Check out these tips for success from previous Psych 101 students!

Take time to organize your notes, make a study guide, and start thinking like a teacher:

• "I made a study guide following the lecture outines and then adding my notes from readings. Then I read it aloud while walking at at the same time I thought of what questions could be asked about the topics I was studying."

Look for gaps in your knowledge:

• "I found it most helpful to review my notes and compare them to the outlines to find gaps in my understanding, then ask my TF or a friend to help me out."

Study with a friend:

• "I studied a lot with a friend. He and I got together with our notes and talked through most of the material a few times, which was really helpful. I like knowing I can explain content to someone else."

Quiz yourself:

• "I used the InQuizitive program to test my learning, and quizlets made by my friends.

You can also quiz yourself using practice questions written by Dr. Grisham to get a feel for the sorts of questions that we will ask on Psych 101 exams. See the next section to learn more.

• Be on time! We will start promptly at 11:45. Dr. Grisham will give you a full 75 minutes starting from the time they finish giving instructions.

• Make sure you know your Duke Unique ID. This is the 7-digit number on your Duke ID card. You will need to write this on your bubble sheet and short answer response page. 

• Be sure to use the restroom BEFORE class so that you don't have to get up and leave during. 

• Make sure you have anything you need, including a pencil, eraser, pen, and water if desired.

• Be prepared to put all electronic devices (including phones and smart watches) away during the exam. We will project a clock on the front screen. 

• Read the Written Answer questions FIRST and take a minute to jot down a few initial ideas for them. Let those ideas incubate while you tackle the multiple choice.

• Work through the Multiple Choice and do your best to leave yourself at least 15 minutes to tackle the Written Answer.

• The Written Answer questions do NOT ask for an essay, so be efficient in responding to them. Write clearly and legibly, but get to the point quickly. No need for complete sentences as long as your point is communicated clearly. 

Yes! Several days before each exam, we will provide sample questions (via email) to give you a feel for what we consider to be important concepts and how our questions are designed to require conceptual understanding and application. These questions are no comprehensive--some may relate to actual questions on the exam and some may not. We strongly recommend that you use these practice questions to evaluate your study strategies and dive further into the material if needed. This means you should attempt the questions after you have already studied the material (following the study advice we share above) but while you still have time to study more if needed.

The fourth exam—given during the final exam slot—will consist of a cumulative multiple-choice test covering all concepts from the course. **As noted in the section on in-person lectures, this fourth exam will be optional for students with no more than 3 unexcused absences from lecture. Those students can choose to not take the fourth exam, or can use it to drop and replace a lower exam grade. Note that if the test is considered “optional,” then it can only help you: if this optional test is your lowest exam score, or you chose not to take it, then it will not count toward your grade.