Dynamics of test-Taking in College Students at the United Arab Emirates University

ABSTRACT This paper investigated the dynamics of test-taking, relative to the extent to which college students in the United Arab Emirates, employed test-taking strategies, before the test; in managing their time for the test; during the test; and after the test. This paper applied the test-taking strategy scale, developed by Dodeen (2008), who called for additional applications, to validate the scale using different samples, from different educational levels. All in all, a total of 549 students from different colleges in the United Arab Emirates University, participated in the survey. The findings showed that, the students employed a wide variety of test-taking strategies and responded to tests, either proactively or reactively, depending on the degree of preparation that they have. It was also evident that, the extent of use of test-taking strategies was crucial to the preparation and actual test action. On the whole, the dynamics of test-taking, among the students can be shaped by the confluence of a number of factors, but having greater control over circumstances generated by the inevitability of test-taking, can likely translate to better performance, when reinforced by proper skills in test taking.