Carnegie Mellon University

Eberly Center

Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation

Students performed poorly on an examStep 2: Identify Reasons

Identify possible reasons for the problem you have selected.
To find the most effective strategies, select the reason that best describes your situation, keeping in mind there may be multiple relevant reasons.

Students performed poorly on an exam.

Exam was not aligned with instructional activities.

Exam questions or instructions are ambiguous or confusing.

Students don’t have enough time to thoughtfully complete the exam.

Students lack effective exam-taking strategies.

Students suffer from some form of anxiety or stereotype.

Format of exam was unfamiliar.

Students didn’t prepare appropriately.

Students lack pre-requisite knowledge and skills.

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