13 QUESTIONS TO

DEMONSTRATE
UNDERSTANDING
Analyze and Apply Material From Your Notes
Why Ask Questions?
• Research has found that students who are trained to
generate questions from their notes scored higher on
exams than students who simply reviewed their notes.
• By asking these questions, you aren’t just memorizing
material, you are analyzing and demonstrating your
knowledge of the topic!
What Kinds of Questions Should I Ask?
• The following slides will list some generic questions,
which, when applied to a set of well-written notes, may
help prepare you for exams that require higher level
thinking skills.
• These questions are great preparation for short answer
and essay tests!
Questions to Ask
1. What is the main idea of…?
2. How would you use…to…?
3. What is the difference between…and…?
4. How are…and…similar?
5. What conclusions might you draw about…?
6. Explain why…
7. Explain how…
Questions to Ask
8. What is a modern example of…?
9. What do you think might happen if…?
10. How does…affect…?
11. What are the strengths and weaknesses of…?
12. What is the best…and why?
13. How is…related to…, which we studied earlier?
Apply these to your specific
classes, and happy studying!
