1- BEFORE THE EXAM 5 1.1 Inescapable steps of a good study 7 1.2 "The million dollar question": what will the professor ask on the exam? 10 1.3 Turning randomness into a method: techniques for identifying potential test questions 11 2- DURING THE EXAMINATION 17 2.1 General criteria to be taken into account for any type of examination 17 2.2. The written examination: characteristics 20 2.2.1 Some cases of written examinations: true-false, multiple choice, open book 21 2.2.2 The typical written examination: essay questions 24 2.2.3 A strategic question: understanding the examination instructions 25 2.2.4 The most commonly used test instructions 28 2.2.4.1 Identify, recognize, list and distinguish 29 2.2.5 The black-red-green method 42 2.2.6 How to write answers 43 2.3 The oral examination 47 3- AFTER THE EXAM 51