Montgomery Blair High School

Winter 2012 MBHS Exam FAQ

Final exams are coming! Here's what you need to know:

Schedule

Exams are given according to this schedule:

1/12 — Review day (All periods meet)
1/13 — Period 1 & 2 exams
1/16 — Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday; no school
1/17 — Period 3 & 4 exams
1/18 — Period 5/6, & 7 exams
1/19 — Period 8 & 9 exams
1/20 – Make-up exams as approved by administration & scheduled with teachers only
1/23 — Professional Day; no school for students

Students who are taking a make-up exam should contact their teacher and administrator immediately to schedule their make-up during the weather-adjusted exam schedule.

This schedule is subject to weather delays, as explained below.

The bell schedule each exam day is as follows:

7:20 — Students report to scheduled activity
7:25-9:35 — Exam/culminating activity
9:35-9:50 — Break
9:50-12:00 — Exam/culminating activity
12:00-12:30 — Lunch

Students will remain in class until the end of the time allotted for the exam/culminating activity.

Note: High School Plus exams will be from 12:30-2:30 PM on 1/18 for Tuesday/Thursday classes and 1/19 for Monday/Wednesday classes

Lunch Period Conflicts

Due to the lunch schedule, certain rooms are used both periods 5 and 6. Since there is only one exam period scheduled for period 5 and period 6, a few of the period 5 or 6 exams will not be in held in their normal classroom.

Procedures

Here is a list of procedures for students to keep in mind:

Students who do not have any exams or culminating activities on one day are not expected to report to school. For example, if on January 13th a student does not have either a 1st or 2nd period exam, he/she does not come to school.
Students who do not have an exam or culminating activity during the first testing period (Exams 1, 3, 5/6, and 8) do not have to come for these periods. They can come to school by 9:45 for their 2nd, 4th, 7th, or 9th period exam. For example, if on January 13th a student does not have a 1st period exam but does have a 2nd period exam, he/she does not have to come to school until 9:45.
Students who are on an eight-period day will be allowed to leave the building at 9:45 on January 19th.
If a student is in school during a period in which his/he does not have a scheduled exam, he/she will report to the Student Activty Center for that exam block.
During exams, lunch will be served from 12:00-12:30. Students will be allowed to leave school at this time.
School buses will run at the regular time, 2:15 and 3:10. Students are encouraged to find their own way home and leave the building by 12:30.
Students who arrive for a final exam without their book will be given the exam. Students who do not return their books should be issued a financial obligation. Teachers are encouraged to collect books early when possible and provide students with a detailed study guide. Students may choose to return their books during exams.

In the case of inclement weather delays

In the event of inclement weather during exams, the following plan will be in effect:

On January 12th, the Review Day, if school is closed, the Review Day will be postponed until January 13th. Exams will begin on January 17th, starting with period 1 and proceeding in numerical order through period 9 as the week progresses.

If there is a delayed opening on the 13th, the Review Day will proceed as planned, and exams will begin normally on the 14th.

If there is a school closing during an exam day, exams will resume, in order, when school is reopened. For example, if schools were closed on January 17th, 3rd and 4th period exams would be given on January 18th, or the next day school is open. The exam schedule would then proceed in numerical order through period 9 as the week progresses.

If there is a delayed opening during an exam day, both exams scheduled for that day will still be given with this modified schedule:

9:25-11:30 — Exam/culminating activity
11:30-12:05 — Break
12:05-2:10 — Exam/culminating activity

Tips 'n' tricks

We've gathered some tips and tricks for successful exam taking from students, teachers, books, etc...here's a little of what we've learned:

Important Study Skills

(as reported by a successful MBHS alum)

Organization is very important; gather all notes and any tests/quizzes that you can find. Important assignments are also helpful.
Review all material quickly to get a feel for the areas you really need to study.
Hopefully looking over notes carefully should refresh your memory. If not, a textbook should provide a more in-depth explanation. When in doubt talk to a teacher about it.
Once you’ve refreshed your memory, try doing problems from your tests & quizzes or even problems in the textbooks with answers in the back. Even looking over problems with steps and answers should help.
Take your time! I find that heavier material (math, science, history) takes at least 3 good days of study each to review all information once.
Group study is always helpful if you’ve studied first on your own. Group study is good for subjects that involve a lot of memorizing (biology, history).
There is no one right way to study. What works for one person may not work for you AND what works for you in one class may not work for you in another. You may need to try different approaches until you find one that works for you in a specific class. Ultimately you’ll know when you’ve found an efficient and effective study method.

Mr. Donaldson’s Study Mantra

Be ACTIVE not PASSIVE! Do problems!! Don’t just read notes and textbooks!

Study Place Checklist

Evaluate your study place using the following checklist. Read each statement and for each place a check under “Rarely,” “Generally,” or “Always.” Use this guide to help you make your decisions.

Rarely means almost never.
Generally means about half the time.
Always means all of the time.

	Rarely	Generally	Always
I have a quiet study place.
There are no visual distractions.
There is good light.
The temperature is comfortable.
There is a comfortable chair.
All necessary work and reference materials are there.
There is a desk or table large enough to hold all may materials.
I can use this study place whenever I need it.

Study Habits Checklist

You need good study habits to get good grades. Good grades just don’t happen – they come from the result of studying. Use the following checklist to see how good your study habits are. Read each statement and for each place a check under “Rarely,” “Generally,” or “Always.” Use this guide to help you make your decisions.

Rarely means almost never.
Generally means about half the time.
Always means all of the time.

	Rarely	Generally	Always
I start working on time.
I avoid daydreaming.
I tell my friends not to call me during my study time.
I take short breaks when I feel tired.
I begin with my hardest assignment.
I review my notes before beginning an assignment.
I finish one assignment before going on to another.
I have a “study buddy” I can contact when I get stuck.
I begin studying for a test at least five days before it is given.
I keep working on long term assignments.
I write down questions I will need to ask my teacher.

Essay Tests and Direction Words
(Taken from Chapter 9: Taking Tests, Teaching Study Strategies, Stephen S. Strichart & Charles T. Mangum II)

discuss, describe, explain »»
write as much as you can, in a structured manner, about a question or statement

diagram, illustrate »»
make a drawing with each part labeled

compare, contrast »»
compare - tell how two or more things are alike as well as how they are different
contrast - tell only how they are different

relate, trace »»
relate - show how two or more things are connected
trace - state a series of things in some logical order

criticize, evaluate, justify »»
ask you to make a conclusion about something
criticize & evaluate - require you to think about the positive and negative aspects of something before coming to a conclusion
justify - provide reasons that explain an action or decision

list, outline »»
list - present information in an item-by-item series, usually with each item numbered
outline - provide the main points in some detail, usually using both numbers and letters

summarize »»
write a brief statement that tells something about the important ideas

More Info

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Main Office at (301) 649-2800.