How to Study for a Non-Fiction Book Quiz
Book quizzes are common occurrences in any discipline which requires a fair amount of reading. Literature classes obviously require these most often, but non-fiction disciplines such as history and political science often have book quizzes, as well.
A non-fiction book quiz is quite different from a fiction book quiz. Since the subject matter actually happened, there is much less room for interpretation. Also, non-fiction works are generally harder to follow since the story tends to get bogged down by details. Luckily, it is these very details which will save you on an exam.
I will briefly discuss managing time before moving on to the primary goal of this article, which is learning to extract important themes and details from your book.
Humans can only read, on average, between 150-350 words per minute. (Find out how fast you read here.) With an average book page having between 250-300 words, this means that there are some physical limitations on how fast you can finish a book. By making a generous assumption of about one page per minute, that still means that a 360 page book will take 6 hours to read. Even more damning, this estimate is only valid if there are no interruptions whatsoever.
It is best to determine, for yourself, a system that matches your reading speed. For example, if reading 100 pages as fast as you could would take you 4 hours, and your book has 400 pages, don’t expect yourself to be able to finish it in a day or two. Be realistic, and budget 3-5 days.
Use this benchmark to establish a loose schedule for you reading. You want to finish the book at least twice. A third time for final review is even better.
Now that you have scheduled your reading, your first task is to get acquainted with the book. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that there is no important content located outside of the first page and the last page. Start by finding the answer to the following questions:
- Who wrote the book, and why? (TIP: Check the back cover or the inner page-flaps for a hardcover.)
- What might his/her motive(s) be?
- When was the book published?
- Does the book have an index?
- Do the acknowledgments give any clues about the book?
- Does the book have a preface and/or epilogue? (If so, don’t skip them.)
By becoming aware of the scope of the book, you become aware of its limitations. You also become aware of any slant the author may have injected, inadvertently or not. Be sure to carefully scrutinize the first several pages. Important information can be found in both the table of contents and the oft-overlooked “Roman numerals section.”
Your second task is to simply read the book. Don’t worry about how much you are retaining, just finish it well in advance of the date of the quiz. Even if you only have a general idea of what you have been reading after the first run-through, by the end of your studying you will have gone through the book at least twice, and hopefully three times.
If you own the book, highlight important details, but sparingly. Less is more. A good rule of thumb is don’t highlight anything unless at least two large or 3-4 small paragraphs are devoted to it.
As you work your way through the book the first time, only write down major themes or immensely important people. Your goal is to simply understand the big picture.
Once you finish the book the first time, it is time to think about your professor and the quiz itself. Like it or not, professors are people, too, and you will be expected to please them with your answers. Talk to other students who have had your professor before to see what the quiz format might be like. Ask incisive questions about your professor’s personality so you know whether your professor loves rigid, orderly details or prefers long, symbolic soliloquies.
Now that you have an idea of what your professor might order on quiz day, you can prepare your ingredients.
Start the book again, this time keeping an eye out for what your professor might want you to know about. Record anything you find important. Let your highlighted text from your first go-around be your guide.
I prefer to use a spreadsheet to keep track of everything in chronological order. I usually have columns similar to what we learned a noun was in grade school: person, place, thing, or idea. If the event is not self-evident due to the place, I make an extra “Events” column. Make certain that you include page numbers for every detail so that you have a point of reference.
As you are filling out your spreadsheet, an optional step is to include a questions column. Every time you run across something that you think you may be prone to forget, but may definitely be on the test, phrase it as a question. During your final review, you can print these questions out and use them as a practice quiz.
As soon as you finish the book the second time, you should be almost ready for the quiz. Going through the book isn’t necessary, as you are already prepared enough to make a good grade, but finishing it once more will guarantee that you will make the best grade.
If the book has an index, start there. Compare the terms you have in your spreadsheet to those in the index. Are there any page numbers in the index that aren’t in your spreadsheet? If so, take a look at the pages you missed. There is most likely valuable, point-earning information to be found.
The final way to make sure you have studied appropriately for a book quiz is to talk to somebody about it. If you can, get with a classmate so that you are capable of holding each other accountable. (If you don’t want to bother anybody, do a quick writeup a couple nights before the text.) Discuss, at great length, everything you have learned while filling in each others’ gaps.
Let me know how you do!