Strengthening Your

Test-Taking Skills
Timothy Warner
Christopher Chapman
Agenda

Our best words of advice

Multiple-choice items
Interactive items
Case study testlets
Our Best Words
of Advice
Dont try to fool the Microsoft
psychometrician. It wont work.

Tim Warner
What You Wont See on Microsoft
Exams
Parlor Tricks
References to fictional technologies
Absolute language

Enemy items and distractors

Question 5 has a clue in the item stem
that helps you answer question 8

Vague content
Correct answer(s) 100 percent correct
Distractors 100 percent incorrect in that context
Submit item-level feedback during your session
Multiple-Choice
Items
T or F?
input
validation
Interactive
Items
Read the instructions very
carefully

There may be partial credit, but

don't stress about it
Be mindful in your
clicking (avoid
mouse slips)
Case Study
Testlets
Testlets are individually timed and
graded
Tim's Case Study Strategy
Look
Scan for
case theme(
s)

Map to
Scan the
items case
Use the
case
Answer study
the extract
as the
items item
stem
Lessons learned

Your confidence should increase

significantly when you
understand how the item types
work
Your goal is to blend your
content knowledge with test-
taking strategy
Remember-no parlor tricks!
Next module: Mastering
Microsoft Exam Workflow
 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. The text in this document is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, additional terms may apply. All other
content contained in this document (including, without limitation, trademarks, logos, images, etc.) are not included within the Creative Commons license grant. This document does
not provide you with any legal rights to any intellectual property in any Microsoft product. You may copy and use this document for your internal, reference purposes.
This document is provided "as-is." Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, may change without notice. You bear
the risk of using it. Some examples are for illustration only and are fictitious. No real association is intended or inferred. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with
respect to the information provided here.
Preferred text layout without bullets
Main topic one: size 28 pt
Size 20 pt for the subtopics
Size 20 pt for the subtopics

Main topic two: size 28 pt

Size 20 pt for the subtopics
Size 20 pt for the subtopics

Main topic three: size 28 pt

Size 20 pt for the subtopics
Size 20 pt for the subtopics Tip:
To create subtopics, use the
Increase List Level button on the
toolbar,
or Alt-Shift-RightArrow as a shortcut
Preferred text layout with bullets
Main topic one: size 28 pt
Size 20 pt for the subtopics
Size 20 pt for the subtopics

Main topic two: size 28 pt

Size 20 pt for the subtopics
Size 20 pt for the subtopics

Main topic three: size 28 pt

Size 20 pt for the subtopics
Tip:
Size 20 pt for the subtopics To create subtopics, use the
Increase List Level button on the
toolbar,
or Alt-Shift-RightArrow as a shortcut
Photo layout with
bulleted text
As mentioned before, avoid slides with
nothing but bullets
Interspersing slides like this helps
break up the monotony
Image note - Do not use the following:

Images found on the web - we

probably don't have licenses to use
those
Logos for non-Microsoft products,
including OSS logs. Again, licensing
issues.
There are images at the end of this
deck that are guaranteed safe to use.
Photo layout with
bulleted text
As mentioned before, avoid slides with
nothing but bullets
Interspersing slides like this helps
break up the monotony
Image note - Do not use the following:

Images found on the web - we

probably don't have licenses to use
those
Logos for non-Microsoft products,
including OSS logs. Again, licensing
issues.
There are images at the end of this
deck that are guaranteed safe to use.
Student Expectations
What you need to benefit from this course

Size 16 pt bold for lead-in
statement.
Size 16 pt for descriptions.
Graphics can be swapped with
alternate artwork from the ITA art
pack. Please keep all descriptions
to five lines or less.
Size 16 pt bold for lead-in
statement.
Size 16 pt for descriptions.
Graphics can be swapped with
alternate artwork from the ITA art
pack. Please keep all descriptions
to five lines or less.
Size 16 pt bold for lead-in
statement.
Size 16 pt for descriptions.
Graphics can be swapped with
alternate artwork from the ITA art
pack. Please keep all descriptions
to five lines or less.
Text layout for list with graphics
Perfect for instructions with just a few steps

Step 1: Follow image guidelines

specified before. There are icons
available at the end of this deck.

Step 2: Feel free to update all the

images as needed.

Step 3: Typically follow this with a

demonstration; viewers love
demonstrations.
Layout with grid of data points
Check out the cool tips inline!

1 Tip 3,000
Lorem ipsum dolor sit
Avoid bullet slides and amet
lists whenever possible.
Having slides like this

2 Tips 3 Tips
helps make your deck

If you're listing lots of Feel free to use updated

facts and figures, use a icons. DO NOT use
slide like this images found on the

47%
web, as we may not
have license to display
those images. There are
Lorem ipsum dolor sit images at the end of this
amet deck that are
guaranteed safe to use.
This slide can be used to dress up a pull
quote or key statistic. Text should be styled
as 28pt Segoe UI Light. Reference should
be styled as 24pt Segoe UI Regular. Text
must be left as black to align to Microsofts
accessibility standards.

Firstname Lastname
 This slide can be used to dress up a pull
quote or key statistic. Text should be styled
as 28pt Segoe UI Light. Reference should
be styled as 24pt Segoe UI Regular. Text
must be left as black to align to Microsofts
accessibility standards.

Firstname Lastname
Demo name

Short description of demo

Software code slide
This slide layout uses Consolas
Tips:
Copy and paste from Visual Studio, keeping
formatting, to include color coding

To disable reformatting of quotes - " and '

In PowerPoint, click File > Options
Choose Proofing > Autocorrect Options
Remove the check from "Straight quotes" with "Smart quotes"

Consider using Code Presenter Pro from the

Layout with editable pie chart
graphics
Subhead goes here

26% 44% 33% 26%

Description of stat Description of stat Description of stat Description of stat

one. Font size 18 pt. two. Font size 18 pt. three. Font size 18 pt. four. Font size 18 pt.
Layout with editable bar chart graphic
Subhead goes here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,

consectetur adipiscing elit. 100
Suspendisse non ante lacus. Proin
imperdiet non orci at ultrices.
Aliquam erat volutpat. Quisque 80
egestas nisi nisl, at mattis massa
sagittis eget.
60

40

20
Text layout for with content boxes
Subhead goes here

Text goes Text goes Text goes Text goes

here here here here
Preferred layout for tables and charts
Additional Art Resources
If you don't find a logo you like in this deck, here are two starting
points:

MLX Course Cover Art Library

Brand Central (All of Microsoft)
Art resources

Mobile & Web Network, Database Admins, Students Educators

Game Developers
Developers Infrastructure, & Architects, &
Cloud Engineers Developers

Success stories
Art resources
 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. The text in this document is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, additional terms may apply. All other
content contained in this document (including, without limitation, trademarks, logos, images, etc.) are not included within the Creative Commons license grant. This document does
not provide you with any legal rights to any intellectual property in any Microsoft product. You may copy and use this document for your internal, reference purposes.
This document is provided "as-is." Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, may change without notice. You bear
the risk of using it. Some examples are for illustration only and are fictitious. No real association is intended or inferred. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with
respect to the information provided here.