Guide to Preparing for a Literature Exam

There are many people that become intimidated when it is time to take a college exam, especially when it is a literature exam. There are certain tips that a student can take into the classroom on the day of the exam to make sure that he or she is fully prepared for the day's test. I should know since it is my job to grade them.

Characters

Make sure that you know the main character's names. There is nothing that is going to upset a professor more then a student who does not know character names on a literature exam. Make sure that you review the names right before the exam so that they are fresh in your mind.

Plot

Make sure that you can explain the plot in one sentence. By synopsizing the basis of the plot in your mind, many of the greater aspects of the story can be remembered. Honestly, if you cannot synopsize the novel or short story into one sentence, you are not well prepared for a literature exam.

Turning Point

Almost every story has a turning point for the main character or characters. Most of the time there is going to be at least one significantly graded question on a literature exam about this turning point. Make sure that you can explain what happened, and how it changed the main character or characters.

Symbolism

Most stories have some level of symbolism. Professors, like myself, love to go over the symbolism of a story or event to relate it to the modern day and to students. There will always be a few questions on my literature exams about symbolism.

Notes

There are many literature professors, including myself, that will allow students to bring in notes to use while taking a literature exam. Make sure that you notes are organized. It always makes me laugh when I see my students coming through pages and pages of notes to find an answer to a question.

You first page should have a listing of the main characters, and a few sentences about what they added to the story. You should also have a few sentences that cover the plot, turning point, and symbolism. You also need to have a small directory here to help you find what you will be looking for in your notes.

All of your note pages should be numbered before you take your literature exam. You should also have your notes numbered so that you can list them on your first page directory. You should be spending more time writing during your exam, them searching for notes.

If all of these tricks are followed, you should have a much easier time with your next literature exam. You would be surprised, though, about how many students do not follow these basic techniques. For some reason, I can tell the students these things until I am blue in the face, but they still do not listen. Will you?